CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

          Guidance and counseling as the third force in education along with instruction, is an integral part of educational system. Guidance programmes for female secondary school students are designed to address the physical, emotional, social, vocational and academic difficulties of female adolescent students. This is to complement learning in the classroom and also enhance academic performance/achievements of students. Guidance and counseling are two closely interrelated concepts. According to Makinde (1984) and Patterson (1977) guidance refer to a broad area of all educational activities and services aimed at assisting individuals students to understand themselves and adjust to school life. Guidance and counseling services were set up within the department of education in September 1968 when the recommendations made by Louis, a consultant sent over to Malta by United Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), were taken up, Summit (1997). Globally, guidance and counseling services are essential elements in discipline management of people in all societies. It could be difficult for any society to function well without the exercise of discipline.

School guidance and counseling programmes have therefore been introduced to assist students overcome the number of challenges they experience at home and at school. Nziramasanga (1999) states that because of many pressures imposed on the family, parents tend to have little time with their children to give them the necessary guidance. The parents expect the school to provide solutions to the indiscipline in secondary schools caused by their children. UNESCO (2002:2) adds that “African adults have become more concerned with earning money and are less occupied with many traditional practices that formerly contributed to the upbringing of young people”. Rapid sociological changes emanating from modernization and urbanization stress students.

          Guidance plays a vital role in preventing educational, personal, social, mental emotional and other similar problems among secondary school students.

          Ministry of Education and principals of schools are aware of the heavy reliance placed on guidance and counseling services for most aspects of the new 6-3-3-4 system to actually succeed. These services are presented by Nwachukwu (2007) as information services, placement services, appraisal services, vocational guidance services, counseling services, referral services, evaluation, follow-up, consultancy and research services. As a vital component of any type and any level of education the absence of non-utilization of these services in the present day school system has led to the unprecedented rise in the crime wave, violence among students, fuelled cultism, wrong career choice, and wrong subject combination among other issues.

          Discipline is part of a very long tradition that may have been there from the beginning of human existence. It is through guidance and counseling that school administrators can manage discipline to students. Discipline is a rudimentary ingredient that plays a crucial role in school system and insists on upholding the moral values of students. It is intended to suppress, control and redirect behaviour. In a school system all students must be aware of the rules before disciplinary action can be administered, Franken (1998). The concept of matching discipline and guidance and counseling helps to determine the value of G&C to female students in schools. Parents and schools share the responsibility of promoting values and standards which we hope will help younger people to establish sound behavioural codes for their lives, hence they ensure good discipline is maintained among students. There is great effort made by the Ministry of Education to offer guidance and counseling services to schools but still cases of indiscipline in public secondary schools are still ongoing.