Evaluation of School guidance and counselling services provision in selected schools in Lusaka District

Abstract

A case study of three selected schools was conducted in Lusaka district to find out how School Guidance and Counselling Services are being offered to pupils. This was an evaluation of the programme that has been operational in Zambian schools since it was reorganised in 1990. Data collection procedures involved focus group discussion with pupils, and interviews with heads of schools and Ministry of Education staff. Questionnaires were also used to collect information from guidance teachers or school counsellors, class teachers and pupils. The data revealed that group guidance is offered to all pupils by class teachers.Counselling is only available to individual pupils who may experience emotional or social problems. It also revealed that all components of guidance namely educational,vocational/career, emotional and personal-social are offered. All pupils who may need help are given attention. However, the data also revealed that a lot still needs to be done to improve on the way the services are offered to pupils. Some of the issues that still need to be addressed include training more teachers in guidance and counselling, provision of office space and materials, and ensuring that guidance teachers work full time on offering Guidance and Counselling and that they are not given a teaching load. The key findings of the study were: • Group guidance is offered to all pupils by class teachers. • Counselling is only available to individual pupils who may experience emotional or social problems. • All components of guidance namely, educational, vocational/career, emotional and personal-social are offered in schools. However, vocational counselling only targets grade 12 pupils. • Although, a lot has been done, there is still need to improve on the quality of delivery of counselling services to pupils. Some of the issues that warrant attention include: training more teachers in Guidance and Counselling, provision of office space and materials and ensuring that guidance teachers work full time on exclusively offering Guidance and Counselling.