Status of guidance and counselling services provided to pupils in selected private secondary schools in Lusaka district,Zambia

Abstract

The study was undertaken to investigate the status of guidance and counselling services in selected private Secondary Schools in Lusaka District of Zambia. The specific objectives of the study were to: establish the types of guidance and counselling services provided to pupils; assess the factors influencing provision of guidance and counselling services; determine the ways in which pupils benefit from guidance and counselling and suggest measures to be taken to improve the provision of guidance and counselling services offered in private Secondary Schools in Lusaka District. The population for the study was all the pupils, guidance and counselling teachers and head teachers from private Secondary Schools in Lusaka District. 64 respondents were selected comprising 4 head teachers, 10 guidance and counselling teachers and 50 pupils. A case study design was used to collect data through semi- structured questionnaires and interview guides. The study found that educational guidance, personal and social guidance were common types of guidance and counselling services provided in private secondary schools in Lusaka. Pupils had problems in decision making, poor performance in academic work, social relationships, financial problems, home related problems, problems in studying and lacked mutual respect for other pupils and teachers despite the provision of counseling services. It was evident that guidance and counselling services were also affected by lack of accommodation, pupils’ negative attitude and failure to allocate it on the school timetable. There were inadequate facilities and trained personnel to guide pupils in the sampled schools. The study showed that pupils benefited from guidance and counselling services as; seen in the positive change of behaviour and decision making. It was recommended that the Ministry of General Education and private schools should build capacity of teachers. Further, guidance and counselling should be timetabled and the school administration should allocate office space to guidance and counselling teachers if they were to effectively provide proactive and rehabilitative counselling services to the pupils.