An exploration of the existing guidance and counselling service in Public secondary schools and its contribution towards students’ achievement: a case of Hanang district

The purpose of this study was to explore the existing guidance and counselling service in public secondary schools and its contribution towards students’ achievement in Hanang District. The field investigation examined the current status of the existing guidance and counselling service in public secondary schools, investigated the importance of school guidance and counselling in public secondary schools and observed the requirements for the efficient and reputable provision of guidance and counselling service in public secondary schools in Hanang district in Manyara region. Sixty-six participants were involved of which 50 were students, 15 were teachers specifically five heads of schools, five discipline masters/ mistresses and five school counsellors and one District Secondary Educational Officer. Qualitative approach with case study design was used with four methods of data collection namely interview, focus group discussion, observation and documentary review. The findings revealed that there was a significance of school guidance and counselling service towards students’s academic, vocational, social and personal achievement. To a great extent the existing guidance and counselling service was seen as less effective basically because participants were not aware of the presence of the clear policy for counselling provision and thus failed to implement it all. Further, Para-professional counsellors who do not go for training provide counselling service while having no counselling, supplying counselling facilities in schools and employ professional counsellors in schools. However, graduates who had undertaken human psychology or educational psychology could specifically be employed as school counsellors to oversee students’ uncertainties. Recommendations include the need for schools to set separate rooms specially dedicated for counselling service service. And they should fix specific time for students to have appointments with the teachers in charge of the counseling service. Further, it should establish in every public secondary school an independent, collaborative, comprehensive and inclusive guidance and counseling unit that services the entire school and beyond the school community