Ogun State Government has expressed its support for the services of Guidance Counsellors in public schools, in order to enhance educational development of pupils
The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu expressed the readiness in Abeokuta while receiving members of the State Chapter of the Counsellors Association of Nigeria and Association of Professional Counsellors of Nigeria
“There is need to ensure that counselling is given the pride of place, especially in our schools. We will try and engage counsellors for transformation process, because peer pressure can make children neglect good training from parents and teachers”, he assured.
“We are ready to support and encourage counselling units or centres in schools at the limit of our ability by providing adequate equipment that will make them to be comfortable and function well for the development of our learners”, Arigbabu promised
According to him,School counsellors play crucial roles in the educational development of children in any given society, as such, other stakeholders in the education sector must give them necessary support
The Commissioner who highlighted the relevance of counsellors, said they were saddled with the responsibilities of offering orientation services to learners, guiding them towards the right path and teaching them moral values, among others.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Abosede Ogunleye commended members of the associations for their contributions to educational development so far, pointing out that the significance of guidance and counselling in schools could not be over-emphasised as it has been helping to curtail social vices among students.
The Chairperson, Counsellors Association of Nigeria in the State, Prof. (Mrs.) Eunice Hassan had earlier posited that the group was working on a unified curriculum which would result to maximum growth, in order to better the lot of children in schools and assured of the Association’s readiness to partner and work in line with the Ministry’s directive.
