- How is guidance and counselling currently practiced in your school? What challenges do you face in implementing it effectively?
The teachers who manifest the most qualities of an effective counsellor such as being calm, good listener, non-judgemental, etc, are selected as the school counsellors. When we observe that a particular pupil needs counselling, the counselling team would invite the student and offer counselling support.
These are our challenges in implementing effective counselling:
a. The counsellors are not trained.
b. The counselling is not very impactful.
- What leadership strategies can help integrate counselling into daily school life—especially in schools with limited trained personnel?
a. By embedding counselling in the school curriculum
b. By engaging parents/guardians in the counselling initiative
- How do you support teachers and staff to identify and respond to learners’ emotional and behavioural needs?
a. Giving the school counselling team the free hand to offer counselling service in the school.
b. The school administration to provide the counselling team with all the necessary support.
c. Allocate the counsellors with an ideal room for counselling.
- Can you share a moment when guidance or counselling made a difference in a learner’s life or in your school culture?
We had one pupil who wanted to leave school to study auto mechanics in a garage near his home. Then, he didn’t know that his chosen career could be studied in school all the way to university. So, the counsellors enlightened him about that fact, and luckily, he decided to continue coming to school at the same time going to the garage when he is not in school. When he got his WASSCE certificate, he proceeded to the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) and obtained an advanced diploma in auto mechanics. Today, the guy is a very successful mechanic. He has his own garage and is working part-time at TK Motors. He is earning more than those working in offices. Now, whenever the two of us meet, he would dash me some money.