The Status Of Career Guidance And Counselling Programmes For Students In Public Secondary Schools In Nairobi Province

ABSTRACT

The focus of this research problem was that despite the Government efforts to support the provision of career guidance and counselling in public secondary schools, there was no readily available documented data of what is currently going on in the schools.Further more, during her literature review this researcher did not come across any study that had been carried out on the status of career guidance and counselling services in public secondary schools in Nairobi Province.The purpose of the study was therefore to assess the status of career guidance and counselling programmes for students in public secondary schools in Nairobi province. The specific objectives of the study were to: establish the status of Career Guidance and Counseling in public secondary schools; establish the availability and competence of Career Teacher Counsellors in public secondary schools; establish the availability and use of Career Guidance and Counselling resources in public secondary schools; find out the challenges in the effective implementation of Career and Counseling programmes in public secondary schools in Nairobi province and make recommendations on the ways of improving the status of career guidance and counseling in secondary schools.The population for the study were 65 public secondary schools in Nairobi Province. The target population were the 65 principals, 65 career guidance and counseling teachers and 5940 Form Three and Four students. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Stratified and Purposive sampling methods were used. The primary data was collected by the use of questionnaires and an interview schedule. The study found that schools had different programmes for the implementation of career guidance and counseling. The study also found that the career guidance and counseling teachers were available but not adequately empowered with career guidance skills, knowledge and facilities to carry out effective career guidance services. The study further found that career guidance and counseling resources were available in schools but inadequate. The challenges facing the implementation of career guidance and counseling in public secondary schools were found to be the inadequacy of career guidance and counseling resources, overloading of career guidance and counseling teachers with academic class work and inadequate information on different careers. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that secondary schools in Nairobi Province should be assisted to come up with varied programmes on career guidance and counseling which should be coordinated by a department in the ministry of education. It was also recommended that teachers should be trained on career guidance and counselling to improve their competences by organizing in-service trainings, seminars and workshops. The researcher finally suggested that a study be carried out on the Career Guidance training needs of all teachers in public secondary schools in Kenya.