The Guidance and Counselling Union of the Ayawaso West Education Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) has called on stakeholders to strengthen counselling units in schools to empower learners and promote holistic development.
They said effective and visible counselling systems would ensure that learners felt seen, heard, supported and valued.
This, they said, would create safe spaces in schools where learners could freely share their challenges and receive the needed guidance and emotional support.
The call was made during a stakeholders meeting in Accra.
The meeting brought together counsellors from various institutions, head teachers, teachers, parents, special education coordinators and other education stakeholders.
Addressing the meeting, the Regional Guidance and Counselling Coordinator, Love Amponsah, said empowering minds and enriching lives required collective effort.
She said all stakeholders, including teachers, in-school counsellors, headmasters, headmistresses and parents, had a role to play in supporting learners.
Ms Amponsah said guidance and counselling was not just a unit in schools but a support system for every learner and even teachers.
Silent struggles
Ms Amponsah said learners, especially girls, were now more empowered to report cases of abuse.
She condemned incidents of sexual abuse within homes and urged parents to protect their children.
“Our girls are suffering. The boys are also suffering. When they come to school and explain things to you, please be there for that child. Listen to that child,” she said.
Ms Amponsah said every classroom had learners with dreams and potential, although some struggled silently.
She cautioned teachers against insulting or labelling learners as useless, stressing that every child had unique abilities that must be nurtured.
Upgrading skills
Ms Amponsah called for regular in-service training for school counsellors to equip them to handle emerging challenges among young people.
She urged counsellors to upgrade themselves through short courses and online resources to respond effectively to cases brought before them.
“Our young people face new pressures and new realities, and counsellors must be prepared to guide them with competence and compassion,” she said.
Support for special needs learners
For her part, the Special Education Coordinator, Benedicta Esson, said learners with disabilities such as hearing and visual impairments, cerebral palsy and autism in mainstream schools also required counselling support.
She said such learners often experienced low self-esteem due to social stigma and needed empowerment to build confidence and improve their emotional well-being and academic performance.
Ms Esson expressed concern that some parents refused to accept that their children had certain conditions, which affected efforts to provide the necessary support.
Counselling at KG level
The KG Guidance and Counselling Coordinator, Dorenda Winful, said counselling at the kindergarten level played a vital role in early childhood development.
She said early guidance helped children develop confidence, resilience and positive social skills.
According to her, counselling also helped teachers and parents to understand each child’s unique needs and address emotional, behavioural and learning challenges early.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
