A study to evaluate the impact of guidance and counselling on academic performance in secondary schools

Abstract

Formal education institutions have taken over from the family not only the teaching of specific skills but much normative training as well. The school has become the focal socializing agency at least for the years during which the child is in full time within the education system. Looking at the resent reports on public university, admissions by the joint admission board entry points keep going up every year. Last year (2003) a plain 8 with minimum of 65 points was needed for girls and 66 points for boys. This year (2004) a b plus of 68 points is needed. Students therefore need guidance in order to compete favorably. School administrators and teachers too need to adjust. The assistance minister for education Hon Kilemi Mwiria said that students in arid areas would be locked out if a B of 65 and 66 points for girls and boys respectively were used to select students to public universities. Researches conducted all over the world indicate intelligence is normally distributed to all communities but not restricted to races or certain groups. Garbatula National School died for failure to deliver to the expectation of the clients. This is a big waste of resources. Similarly large provincial schools have reduced from four or five streams to a single or double stream schools e.g. Mwea boys in Kirinyaga District, st. Pauls High School, Kevote in Embu while for example a single stream district school e.g. Nguviu boys of Embu District has outshined many National, Provincial schools and grown to five streams within a decade. Assumptions are that going to a National school guarantees you the best results while going to the Provincial school guarantees you better results with district schools guaranteeing one good results while Harambee schools have uncertainties on success. This research paper aims at proofing that students growing up in a school where there is encouragement, supportive, positive and confidence enhancement attitudes would fair better in comparison with students in institutions of higher status, higher entry behaviour and more physical facilities but lacking encouragement, supportive, positive and confidence enhancement attitudes. The research has been carried out over a period of 23 years in two schools in Embu District (Nguviu boys High school and Moi High school - Mbiruri) where the researcher intended to establish that with good guidance and counseling in a school, it doesn't matter the entry behaviour, if students have passed,category or status of the school. The researcher has been collecting information on the academic performance of the two schools since the period he was a teacherl acting headteacher in Moi High school - Mbiruri and head teacherl principal of Nguviu boys High school. No questionnaires were used.