The document discusses concepts, aims, principles, facts and challenges related to guidance and counseling in schools. It defines guidance and counseling, outlines their main goals and areas including personal, social, educational, and vocational domains. It also describes the duties of life skills teachers in Namibian schools and important personal qualities for counselors including empathy, flexibility, and maintaining boundaries. Key challenges to life skills programs in Namibian schools are a lack of time allocated, overloaded syllabus, shortage of trained teachers, limited materials, and underutilization of available expertise.

1. EPSG 3722-GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELING I
LECTURES 1 & 2
AUGUST 03 & 08, 2022
THE CONCEPTS, AIMS,
PRINCIPLES, FACTS AND
CHALLENGES RELATED TO
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING IN
SCHOOLS

2. THE GOALS OF HELPING
 Why counseling?
• to help individuals or clients to:
o manage their problems more effectively
o develop unused resources and missed
opportunities more fully
o become better at helping themselves in
every day life

3. DEFINITIONS
 DEFINITIONS
• the type of helping (of) others referred to above is
known as guidance and counseling; where:
• guidance is a generic term covering all functions the
counselor may come across ;
• the process of bringing the learner into contact with
the world or reality in such a way that s/he acquires
life skills and techniques which allow him/her to
direct him/herself competently within the
educational, personal, and social spheres and the
world of work, in order to process and survive
effectively

4. DEFINITIONS
• counseling is the help(ing) taking place on a one-
to-one level; a function of guidance
• counseling provides services designed to equip
the students/learners with the necessary
knowledge, attitude, and skills to become
mature and socially responsible individuals
who will promote a just and humane society.

5. DEFINITIONS
o counseling is the process of assisting and
guiding clients, especially by a trained
person on a professional basis, to resolve
especially personal, social, or psychological
problems and difficulties
o is a type of talking therapy that allows a
person to talk about their problems and
feelings in a confidential and dependable
environment.

6. DEFINITIONS
• guidance and counseling refers to:
o services and programs promoting the
personal/social, educational, and career
development of all students/learners

7. DEFINITIONS
 main elements (to be) present in the definition
of Guidance and Counseling:
• guidance a facilitating process or activity
• there is a client (the troubled person) and a
counselor (the expert providing the help)
• bring learner/client into contact with the
reality or the world
• takes place within a specific special helping
relationship

8. DEFINITIONS
• requires specific helping skills from the
counselor
• leads the client to better understanding of the
self where s/he discovers own strength and
weaknesses
• helps clients acquire better skills to help
themselves to cope with life and make a
contribution to society through better
decisions, choices, and behavior

9. MAIN AREAS/DOMAINS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 prevention
• involves systematic and proactive planning
where individuals are prepared in advance
to resist becoming victims of the named
problems (HIV, teen pregnancy, drug abuse,
etc.)-how to be assertive and resist peer
pressure into drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.

10. MAIN AREAS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 intervention
• a reactive approach to problems that
already exist and need to be resolved; e.g. a
high school learner abusing/addicted to
drugs/alcohol needs intervention to resolve
his/her drug abuse
• important to emphasize both prevention and
intervention; however, prevention should be
the priority

11. MAIN AREAS/DOMAIANS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 personal domain
• helps learners to know themselves, own
personality traits
• discover their abilities in different areas
• develop ability to evaluate own values (what
is important); strengthening values and
personality traits

12. MAIN AREAS/DOMAINS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 social domain
• helps learners adjust within their different
roles in society (community, family, school,
etc.)
• learning how to behave toward elders,
figures of authority, teachers, community
leaders, peers, etc.)
• coping with peer pressure to guard against
bahaviors violating own values and beliefs

13. MAIN AREAS/DOMAINS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 educational domain
• assisting learners with learning difficulties
(difficulties in acquiring knowledge and skills
to the normal level expected of those of the
same age, especially because of mental
disability or cognitive disorder)
• guiding learners toward effective study methods
• information to help learners make appropriate
choices for school subjects-implications to
preparations for the world of work, tertiary studies,
etc.

14. MAIN AREAS OF SCHOOL
COUNSELING
 vocational domain
• help learners make choices related to their future career
• information about:
o different careers,
o educational requirements for university entrance,
o information about paths to follow to certain careers,
o how to apply for jobs,
o preparing for interviews, etc.
• knowledge of their aptitude, personality, and interests for
career paths, etc.
• vocational and career guidance

15. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS)
 teaching
• teaching life skills to the different class
groups
• requires in depth knowledge of life skills
topics from a variety of sources (textbooks,
journal articles, magazines, etc.
• requires knowledge in the Teaching Methods
of Life Skills (brain storming, group work,
role play)

16. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS)
 career counseling
• provide learners with:
o career counseling (career choices)
o info about school subject choices for IGCSE,
HIGCSE; AS LEVELS; NSSCO
o university subject choices, and
o entry requirements and subject choices
• choices within learners aptitude, personality,
interest

17. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS
 personal counseling
• providing personal counseling to learners for
the personal difficulties they may be experiencing
(e.g. HIV/AIDS, difficult home circumstances, etc.)
• enable learners to effectively deal with these
personal problems with patience, understanding,
empathy
• LS teacher/counselor to be well-versed in
theories of counseling

18. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS
 psychometric testing
• to administer, score, and interpret
psychometric tests (if qualified to do so); if not
qualified to do so, to assist those qualified
• psychometric tests measure individuals’
characteristics/traits/constructs (e.g.
intelligence/aptitude, personality, interests
• psychometric tests must be (ideally)
standardized and normed (on a given
population)

19. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS (IN
NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS
 working/consulting with parents/primary
caregivers
• counselors/LS teachers to work closely with
the parents/caregivers of learners, including
learners with special educational needs; those
going through difficult times, those
performing below expectation, etc.
• Counselors/LF teachers to keep in mind
parents are from diverse backgrounds
(cultural, SES, personality, etc.)

20. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS
 administrative duties
• keeping records on leaners at school,
examination results, results of psychometric
tests
• also responsible for sending information to
other schools in the event that a learner
transfers to another school.

21. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS
 collaborating with the community
• organizing events to include members of the
community to address learners on various
issues and topics
• counselors/LF teachers to involve the
community members in the development of
the schools, their programs

22. DUTIES OF LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS
(IN NAMIBIAN SCHOOLS)
 mediator
• counselor/LF teacher acts as mediator
between different individuals in times of
conflicts (between learner and learner,
learner and teacher, parent and teachers,
teacher and teacher, etc.)
• confidentiality required and expected of the
teacher/counselor as a mediator

23. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 personal ID
• got to be him/herself, accept him/herself for who
s/he is w/o trying to be somebody else
• recognize own strength and weakness
• acknowledging own weaknesses
• being the true self can/will encourage others to
accept themselves for who they are

24. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 self-respect
• LS teacher to respect self in order for others to
respect him/her
• respecting oneself translates into respecting others
and accepting them as they are even if they are
different from self (religion, SES, culture, political
views, etc.)
• despite his/her position as LS teacher, guidance
counselor, all are equal human beings

25. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 must be open to change (flexibility)
• strike a balance between being conservative and
modern-helps with approachability by clients,
learners
• avoid creating impression that what learners, clients
do is right (anything goes); otherwise, blurs
boundaries between what’s right and what’s wrong
on learners’ part
• avoid excessive criticism of clients, learners-they may
not take counselor’s judgment seriously

26. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to handle ambiguity/uncertainty
• tolerate ambiguities if/when/as they arise
• not all problems always have direct answers
• a seemingly good ‘solution’ to counselor not
necessarily best solution to client/learner-
counselor to accept that clients have own views
on how to solve their problems; should not force
client to accept counselor’s views on solving
problem (flexibility)

27. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to develop own counseling style
• have in-depth knowledge of theories of
counseling and counseling techniques/styles
• from this knowledge gained, counselor/LF
teacher to adopt most suitable counseling
technique(s) for the problem at hand

28. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 empathy (understand client)
• ability to put oneself in client’s position and
understand/experience his/her problem from
her/his point of view-NOT FEELING
SORRY FOR CLIENT (SYMPATHY)

29. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to avoid possessiveness
• counselor’s duty is to prepare and enable
clients to solve own problems independently
(in the future)
• counselor got to let go when it is time to, not
see client for prolonged periods

30. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 authenticity, genuine, and honesty
• avoid beating it around the bush, not to hide
dislikes/irritations by client
• honesty on part of counselor facilitates
client’s honesty and openness to discuss
problems

31. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to take a stand/clear point of
view/position
• client to stick to own values and belief systems
in the process of counseling; for example,
counselor may believe in equal rights for all,
equality of men and women; client may hold
beliefs to the contrary
• pretense by counselor may render counseling
ineffective

32. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 sense of humor
• able to see comical side of things when
appropriate, even under difficult
circumstances (allow for a smile between
counselor and client)
• may help client to see/gain realistic view of
the situation

33. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability/willingness to acknowledge mistakes
• accept mistakes made in order to be able to
rectify them, avoid them in the future
• failure to admit mistakes reduces chances of
ever correcting and avoiding them
• constantly evaluate counseling practices, ID
mistakes, and improve on mistakes made

34. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 focus on the present
• consider client’s situation as it presents itself in
the present; not to dwell on the past, although it
has bearings on client’s current behavior
• focus on the problem and find viable solutions
(in the interest of time available) in collaboration
with the client

35. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to appreciate influence of culture
• clients from different cultures, races,
religion, tribe, etc.
• important to accept and appreciate these
differences to facilitate the counseling
process-sensitivity to client’s problems and
needs

36. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to change and improve self
• this ability accompanies ability to
accept/recognize and improve own mistakes
• counselor to keep up to date with latest
developments in the counseling profession
thru reading, workshops, conferences, etc.

37. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 sincere interest in others
• show genuine interest in the client so as to
motivate them
• counselor’s involvement in helping client,
not to serve own interests but those of client;
client’s needs a first priority

38. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to value work and remain involved
• counselor to have pride in his/her work
• able to continue to develop self as counselor
on academic and professional levels for the
sake of clients

39. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 ability to maintain healthy boundaries
• client’s problems to remain within the bounds
of professional work, not to go beyond that
(don’t own client’s problems)
• distance self from client’s problems as to be able
to cope with the stress but remain sincerely
interested and deeply involved in professional
work to help client solve own problems

40. DIFFICULTIES RELATED TO LIFE-
SKILLS PROGRAMS IN NAMIBIAN
SCHOOLS
 time allocation
• very little time for LS on school timetable
(e.g. only one period per week)
• this is despite relevance and importance of
topics in LS syllabus, increase of learners
with problems requiring professional
counseling

41. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
• little time available on the timetable misused
(less then 23 hours for LS for entire school
year)
• LS not promotional subject, time allocated for
LS used to catch up on promotional subjects,
for learners to do HW, catching up on sport
events, etc.

42. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 syllabus
• syllabus too crowded to cover the relevant
LS topics
• the one our per week for LS not sufficient
time to cover the pertinent LS topics
• teachers find it difficult to prioritize topics

43. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 teachers and teacher training
• no FT LS teachers are available for the
majority of the schools
• some special needs schools hire FT LS teachers
from funds raised internally
• teachers appointed for promotional subjects first
(considered more important)
• very few teachers have specific training to cope
with the demands of a LS program, many
may/do not feel competent to teach LS topics

44. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 materials
• despite availability of Namibian-based LS
textbooks, other relevant materials, LS as a
non-promotional subject is disregarded
• a Grade 8 LS textbook most widely available
textbook, yet only 48% of schools had this
book; LS curriculum available in only 35%
of the schools

45. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 psychometric testing
• very few standardized tests for Namibia to
assess aptitude, personality, interests and other
human constructs
• very few teachers trained to administer, score,
interpret psychometric tests (majority of tests to
be administered under supervision of qualified
personnel); not normed on Namibian popul.
• use of psychometric tests limited, many schools
do not offer services in this regard; private
schools hire foreign personnel, very expensive

46. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 networking
• many schools do not utilize the little locally
available expertise (e.g. ministries,
universities, SW, psychologists, etc.)
• teachers, learners to be encouraged to make
use available professional assistance

47. PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THE LS
TEACHERS, GUIDANCE TEACHERS,
COUNSELORS
 low status
• LS considered a less important subject;
therefore, no status nor priority that LS
deserves