CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background To The Study
The role of counsellors in the school system cannot be overemphasized. They provide assistance to students through the primary interventions of counselling large group guidance, consultations and co-ordination (American School Counsellor Association (ASCA), 1999).
Although each is a vital component of the comprehensive guidance programme, research has shown that more effective programmes focus on providing direct services to students in the form of individual or group counselling (Borders & Drury, 1992). The demand for school counsellors would continue to be on the increase in the face of increasing school enrolments in Nigeria, especially with the introduction of the Universal Basic Education. It is in realization of this that the Federal Government of Nigeria devoted much time to the planning and implementation of guidance and counselling programme in secondary schools. The Federal Government of Nigeria in her National Policy on Education (2004) indicates that in view of the apparent ignorance of many young people about career prospects and personality maladjustment among school children, career oicers and counsellors shall be appointed to post primary institutions. Since qualified personnel in this category are scarce, government shall continue to make provision for the training of interested teachers in guidance and counselling.
The thrust of this policy is that government believes that guidance and counselling is an educational service that can enhance the personal growth and psychological development of students in the school system. For counsellors to be able to provide this crucial educational service to the students, they have to be interested and willing to contribute meaningfully to the students’ personal growth and psychological development. Therefore, the study of job satisfaction among counselors is very crucial to the improvement of productivity among school counselors in a developing country like Nigeria. For members of an organization to discharge their duties effectively, they must be satisfied with their jobs that will bring about their commitment. Job satisfaction describes how content an individual is with his or her job. It is a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job. There are a number of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction, some of these factors include the level of pay and benefits the perceived fairness of the promotion in an organization, recognition, favorable working conditions and the job itself. The need to cater for the working conditions of school counselors and ensure their job satisfaction in the school system becomes imperative if they are to carry out their responsibilities to the admiration of all. If they are unable to achieve their goal as counselors, they experience feelings of inadequacy and unhappiness that may make them vulnerable to stress and job dissatisfaction.
