When some cases get to us and we feel overwhelmed to the point of explosion, we can call other counselors and exchange our tough experiences
Alice Songok, APGCT-K Chair.
- The counselors agree that their services are needed now than ever.
- Implementing new guidance and counseling program is a challenge.
- Current students are facing serious challenges, affecting their social life and academics and threatening their future.
- The professionals also need support to stay afloat.
The Association of Professional Guidance and Counselling Teachers -Kenya (APGCT-K) held the National Forum for Guidance and Counselling Teachers 2023 edition in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, on March 25, 2023.
The event attracted close to 100 guidance and counseling professionals from different schools countrywide.
The forum marked the third edition of its kind since APGCT-K was formed in 2021.
The event was guided by the theme: Towards an Effective School Guidance and Counselling Program.
Students’ psycho-social characteristics
Kenyan learning institutions face many challenges and myriad problems, such as burning schools, socially unacceptable sexual ventures, and drug abuse among the youth.
In recent years, the psycho-social characteristics of modern-day students have been shifting due to emerging issues globally, and the old guidance methods are becoming almost useless in helping modern students.
As a result, many learners do not get the help they need; their mental needs have been neglected, and the ripple effect creates a wide mental health gap.
Contemporary students are more exposed than ever before, leading to a shift in their conduct.
An essential department
Counsellor Hedwig Mukwana, a guest speaker in the forum and the Principal, St. Paul’s Mixed Secondary School Ahopa, pointed out that the guidance and counseling department in primary and secondary schools is a vital organ in the school because of the abundant developing issues experienced in schools and the dynamics within the society.
“We find that when the students are brought together as a group there are various needs and the only way we can identify those needs so that they can be helped is through guidance and counselling,” he mentioned in his opening statement.
The school principal explained that modern students are exceedingly vulnerable, which has contributed majorly to a shift in their behavior.
Alien behaviors
“Social media abuse among students has been consistent; more school-going children are spending over 4 hours daily on their phones which in turn leads to negative behavior modification,” stated the school principal.
Mukwana urged the counselors to be more technologically apt and informed to ensure they are in the same current times as their students.
Additionally, they need to be aware of the changing behaviors of students, which can affect their cognitive ability.
“The students we are dealing with in our schools now say they are not understood. However, they are not able to express themselves exhaustively for the counselor to understand them.
We have to be in the same thinking to understand them; create a friendly environment for a conversation,” the senior counselor advised the school counselors.
Prevention, not reaction
He asked schools to have a proactive approach to dealing with student issues rather than waiting for a crisis.
“Most schools have a reactive approach on emerging issues, where counselors are waiting for a crisis rather than attacking it at the source before it spreads. I hope that these workshops train teachers and counselors the proactive nature of their roles,” Mukwana observed.
The teacher owns a teaching experience of more than 33 years.
He says that modern students know more about their rights than their duties and responsibilities.
One emerging issue that has been of concern is homosexuality and lesbianism in secondary schools.
The publicizing of ill manners on the news or social media and terrorism are also pressing issues that students face.
Gaps in guidance & counseling program
There are gaps in the current guidance and counseling programs, and implementing an effective program is challenging.
Generally, the Covid-19 pandemic introduced many unfortunate trends that have brought complexity to students’ way of life, thus creating loopholes in enacting the existing guidance and counseling program.
In Kenya, between 10 and 50 percent of school-going adolescents are battling multifarious challenges that require guidance.
As per the theme of this year’s meeting, Towards an effective school guidance and counseling program, challenges facing the execution of the current program, mainly caused by complexities of student issues with the changing times, arose.
There are more cases of indiscipline, drug abuse, and issues like lesbianism.
These issues are complex, and they require a comprehensive approach that involves the collaboration of all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and the community at large.
“School counsellors need to understand that a change in behavior is not equal to good performance and should be careful not to drive authenticity out of students,” counselor Mukwana advised.
He clarified that an adverse change in behavior changes the learner’s cognitive ability and might completely change the student if not carefully approached and repaired.
Different counselors said they face the challenge of information delivery and will need more training in handling exceptional cases.
They stated that emerging issues are contemporary and might hinder the implementation of the current program.
Counseling the counselor
The forum’s host and Director at Bereah, an educational counseling consultancy, Naomy Suge, noted that some cases brought forward by students to counseling teachers can affect them personally and make them truant.
In her response to Ms. Suge, Alice Songok, the chair of the Association of Professional Guidance and Counselling Teachers Kenya (APGCT-K) and Director at Royal Minds Educational and Counselling Consultancy (ROMECC), advised the counselors present to opt for counseling supervision.
“When some cases get to us and we feel overwhelmed to the point of explosion, we can call other counselors and exchange our tough experiences as a way of venting and getting new ideas on how to deal with difficult situations,” said the APGCT-K chair.
Counselor Songok noted that sympathizing with students might be a sign that the counselor is still grieving, consequently relating to certain situations.
She recognized that guiding and counseling professionals are at the center of other professions that can offer help, such as religious leaders, psychologists, and medical professionals, among others.
The Teacher Induction, Mentorship, and Counselling (TIMEC) program is an essential aspect of guidance and counseling in schools where champion mentors and coaches are selected to advise other counselors in the department.
Furthermore, teachers who exhibit truant behavior may require professional support, and referring them to other professionals who can offer help is essential.
Going forward
With the third forum held in Eldoret, APGCT-K aims to meet every year to raise awareness continuum and educate teachers, administrators, families, and community stakeholders about the mental concerns of students.
The association chair also says they target to visit institutions of learning across the country to sensitize more guidance and counseling teachers and direct them on handling different student situations.
About APGCT-K
APGCT-K is an association that champions good mental health in primary and secondary schools in Kenya to provide a joint professional base for advancing learners’ mental health.
The association was professionally formed and registered in 2021 by trained teacher counselors.
Its formation came at an opportune time when the country launched the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015-2030) to destigmatize and decriminalize mental health concerns in Kenya.
Counselor Songok, the association’s chair, notes the association’s relevance, stating that school plays an increasingly critical role in supporting learners whilst providing a safe, non-stigmatizing, and supportive natural environment.
“Children and youth spend majority of their time in school. Guidance and counseling teachers are key in the promotion of school-based mental wellness, which is a vital segment of the student support system,” she notes.
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Aside from the annual celebrations of the National Forum for Guidance and Counselling teachers, the counseling professional explains that the association is looking forward to working closely with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, counseling bodies, and other development bodies to realize the promotion of effective mental health.
Very good write up.
Thanks for putting to light what transpired in the Association of Teacher counselors in Kenya