INFLUENCE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
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.
Mutie and Ndambuki (1999) defined it as a learning – oriented process which occurs in an interactive relationship with the aim of helping the clients to learn about themselves.
Guidance and counseling is therefore aimed at bringing about maximum development and self realization of human potential for the benefit of the individual and society. In schools, or any lear4ning environment, the programme assists students in harmonizing their abilities understand values; also enable them to develop their full potential.
The development of guidance and counseling originated from Europe and the united states of America in 1900`s while in Africa it was in the commencement of modern guidance and counseling can be traced back to 1958 when catholic reverend sister in St. Theresa’s collage Ibadan, recognized the need to give adequate career or vacation guidance to the final year students, the Reverend sister was assisted by Mrs. Oruwarige specialist and the other interested and enlightened members, who made their marks to give career talks on their professions to the final year students. At the end of the exercise, the outcome was encouraging, this was how guidance and counseling started in Nigeria, and the movement continues to various institutions and schools etc.
Federal government appreciates the need for guidance and counseling services in our schools and reflected it on its National policy on Education (1981). This has helped to make all the state governments to establish guidance and counseling units in their ministries of Education, in addition to counseling units the university and other institution.
