A Career Guidance and Counsellor, Martha Akoibea Anang, has called for the posting of qualified counsellors to basic schools.
She noted that while many tertiary institutions continue to churn out trained counsellors, there are still no professional counsellors in the basic and secondary institutions.
She observed that while many schools did not have counsellors, the few that had were teachers who had added responsibilities as counsellors.
Ms Anang, who is also the Founder of Dominion Leaders Foundation, a guidance and counselling centre, indicated that many students were confused about career and life choices and needed counselling.
Ms Anang was speaking to Form Three students of the Catholic Boys Jubilee School in Cape Coast on courses and career interests to help make the right course choices and career paths, saying most counsellors in schools today did not have the needed qualifications to guide the students.
Career choices
The session was sponsored by Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, an Educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba for the school, which is his alma mater.
Forty students were taken through personality traits and career choices.
Ms Anang stated that students must be taught to understand what they are good at, what they love doing and what pays and chart a career path along that line.
She said personalities generally fell under realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional.
Ms Anang observed that many people had undertaken undergraduate and doctoral degrees and were still confused about their interests and what they wanted to do.
This, she said, affected productivity as they were not able to give their all.
The headmaster of the school, Vincent Ofori Sam, described the session as a great privilege for the students.
He suggested the assignment of professional counsellors to schools or circuits to visit schools to help counsel the students.
One of the beneficiary students, John Boadu Amuah, said he was grateful for the interaction.
“I have learnt a lot about myself. I want to be an entrepreneur and now I understand what to do and the choices to make,” he added.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh