CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
It would be of great help to discuss guidance and counseling and how in how it came into Nigeria. Before taking our mind into the need for the need of counseling center in secondary school in Edo state, I will first look into the terms guidance and counseling and could be used separately and may be exchange, although they are not necessary syndromes guidance is an umbrella terms for both guidance and Counselling while Counselling is an essential part of guidance. Some authors have claimed that attempt to differentiate between guidance and Counselling have not met with any notice degree of meaning they went further to say that differences between them are artificial and that the term could be interchangeable According to Downing (1992) guidance is the assistance given to enable a person gain clarification of the essence of this like. The essence is a meaningful self-hood freedom individual, dignity equality of opportunities responsible citizenship and worthy activity in work and leisure.
According to Shertzer and Stone (1996) sees guidance as a process of helping the individual to understand himself and also come to know that people he interacts with more deeply. It is also the process of helping individual to discover his vocational social and psychological potentials and likewise development. Mertin et al (1995) defined counseling as a process which take place in pone-relationship between as individual faced with problem which he cannot cope with alone, and a professional worker whose training and experience qualify him to assist other to arrive at solution interaction that occurs between two individual that is a counselor and a client or counselee. According to Eduwen (1994) counseling is a contact between a counselor and a counselee to overcome his crises, on the other hand, guidance and counseling services are desirable responses to social needs and aspiration.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Counseling center is essential to all levels of education unfortunately there has been no record of any counseling centres in secondary school in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. These students cannot identify their talents because of lack of counseling. Furthermore many students do not know the importance of education and the work around them and therefore, they do not take their environment seriously. All principals of schools or heads of schools and parents always have the notion that the essence of education is for the child to acquire knowledge only but that is not all. The aim of education will be well defined it the students can out of interest or ambition choose a trade or vocation. The number of school drop outs, the rate of juvenile delinquency, armed robbing as well as other social ills such as lack of respect for constituted authorities and a host of others will continue to increase with absence of counseling centers in secondary schools.
