The Need for Guidance and Counselling Services in a School System

The importance of Guidance and Counselling Service in a school system cannot
be overemphasized; be it nursery, primary, secondary or higher institution. Its
importance is derived from the fact that the aims of education as a whole cannot
be achieved or attained effectively without guidance services or programmes.
Hence, the above-named Educational Consult is introducing to you her valuable
services in this respect.

The need for the above consult could be seen from the understanding of the following:
Meaning of Education, its Aims, what is Guidance and Counselling services? And
How it meets the Aims of Education?
Meaning of Education
Education simply, is a systematic process of developing a person intellectually,
morally and physically in order, to equip him or her with the means of solving life’s
problems as, they present themselves, both as an individual as well as, a member of a social setup.
Guidance and Counselling Services
Guidance and Counselling on the other hand, is a programme of services to
individuals and students based on their need and is designed to help them adjust to their environments. It is a process by which an individual learns about himself and his environment so that he can learn better.
Aims of Education
Education is considered not only as a means of personal advancement but also
valued as an asset of fundamental importance to the society. Most people
consider formal education as a passport to jobs in modern time. Students are
expected to realize their aspirations and find gainful employment; parents and
teachers expect intellectual, moral and physical development of the young ones.
In view of these various expectations, numerous statements of objectives exist as
a means of clarifying the aims of education. Significantly, the aims of education
include a wholistic development of the individual intellectually, morally, physically,
and socially. Education aims at strengthening the individual’s adaptation to
attitudes, occupations and traditions of various people. A curious survey of the
new National Policy on Education (1985) clearly highlights the following as the
aims and experiences:

1. The inculcation of national consciousness and national unity
2. The inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of
the individuals and the Nigerian society.
3. The training of the mind in the understanding of the world around him.
4. The acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competence both mental
and physical, as essential needs for the individual to live in and
contribute to the development of his society.

In addition to the explanation of guidance & counselling, guidance is the
assistance given to individuals to understand themselves in relation to their
environment, so that they can make use of what they know about themselves and
their environment to take wise and intelligent decisions and make adjustments
where and when necessary. Even when there is no choice possible, guidance
services may help enables him to cope successfully with the inevitable.
Guidance is needed and necessary not just in crises situations but essentially it
should be available to normal young stars (primary school children) to help them
in coping with normal developmental problems. Developmental guidance is based
on the premises that the aim of guidance is not merely the amelioration of the
trauma or the prevention of mistales but rather, the maximum development of the
individuals and organizations.