International Journal on Integrated Education e-ISSN : 2620 - 3502

p-ISSN : 2615 - 3785

https://journals.researchparks.org/index.php/IJIE

An Investigation into Factors Responsible For Shortage of Professional

Guidance and Counsellors in Basic Education in Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja, Nigeria.

OGUNODE OLUMIDE
Olu.oguns.yahoo.com
National Open University of Nigeria
Department of Guidance and Counselling Service, Faculty Education, Nigeria.

ATTAH, G,. E.
Department of guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education,
University of Abuja, Nigeria

EBUTE, J.
Department of guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education,
University of Abuja, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigated factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and
Counsellors in Basic Education Schools in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. The study
employed descriptive research survey. The population for this study comprised all the Basic
schools in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Sample and sampling techniques were employed in
selection of sample: Sixty Basic schools were sampled in all the six area councils in in Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja. In each of the area council, Ten (10) Basic school were selected and in
each of the schools, one Guidance and Counselling teacher was selected by means of simple
random sampling technique. The instrument used for collection of data for this study was
questionnaire. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. The
questionnaire was titled “Factors Responsible for Shortage of Professional Guidance and
Counsellors Questionnaire” (FRSPGCQ). The instrument was validated using content validity
while the reliability co-efficient of 0.65 was obtained through test-re-test method. The data
collected were analyzed using means and standard deviations for the research questions. The
result obtained showed that inadequate funding, poor manpower planning, corruption, shortage
of professional Guidance and Counsellors and shortage of higher institutions offering Guidance
and Counselling programme and poor motivation of Guidance and Counsellors are the factors
responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counselling in Basic education schools in
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

Keywords: Basic Schools Guidance and Counselling.

INTRODUCTION
Guidance and counsellors are certified/licensed educators who improve students’ success by
implementing a comprehensive school counselling programme. Guidance and counsellors design
and deliver school counselling programmes that improve students’ outcomes. They lead,
advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school
counselling programme to the school academic mission and school improvement plan.

(Iduwu undated) submitted that the counsellor is a helping professional who is trained in
human

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behaviour. He interprets human behaviour in such a way that he will be able to function
effectively in the world around him. The guidance counsellor seeks to help individual of all ages
and sex in their bid to solve their problems. He is always out to treat individuals with dignity and
respect. The counsellor empathizes with individuals and confidentiality in his watch-word. He
keeps his counsellees’ secrets secret. He is a career educator, who sees to it that individuals are
properly guided in their choice of careers. Indeed, the counsellor is an adviser, a helper, a
teacher, a parent, a confidant and a friend to the child.

(Leslie, John, Jennifer, Kelly, & Nick (2018), observed that school guidance and counselling
services prepare students to assume increasing responsibility for their decisions and grow in their
ability to understand and accept the results of their choices. There are effective implementation
of guidance and counselling in educational system of developed nations. The service of guidance
and counselling in schools provide a good opportunity for students to cope with the demand of
learning and personal development.

(John 2020), noted that Guidance and counselling programmers are expected to supplement
school instructional and administrative input into students, develop proper attitude to themselves,
values, interests, moral beliefs and disciplines; also helps to promote in students, good sense of
awareness, ability to acquire a good knowledge of the world of work, possibility of continuing
education and ability to make realistic decision and promote human effectiveness. It is also
expected to help in school administration, in creating a close and long lasting relationship
between heads of schools, teachers, parents, and students.

It have been observed that there are shortage of professional guidance and Counseling teachers
in most of the education institutions in Nigeria. (Ogunode & Owobamigbe 2021) submitted that
one of the problems facing the delivering of Guidance & Counseling in the Nigerian public
primary schools is the problem of inadequate professional Guidance & Counseling teachers or
trained Counsellors. (Ugochuche 2013), opined that despite the fact that there are many holders
of higher degrees in guidance and counselling in Nigeria today, not as many are qualified to be
real counsellors because they lack the skills necessary for the practice. There is limited number
of trained counsellors in Nigerian schools and the ones already trained choose to go into non-
school settings (Akinade 2012).

(Suleiman, Olanrenwaju, & Suleiman, 2019), observed that American Personnel and Guidance
Association (APGA) recommended that there should be a ratio of 1 to 250 (counsellors-
students/clients). (Musa 2012) concluded that the ratio, as at 1980 was 1:800. The situation could
be worse. This is because the limited members of trained counsellors are moving out of school
settings into non-school settings. A typical school with a population of 1,000 students is
expected to have four counsellors; now such a school either has none or at best only one. This
poor counsellor-student ratio does not encourage the growth of guidance counselling schools
(Akpan, 2010; Ardo, 2017; Yusuf, Muraina & Jamiu 2019).

Another challenge preventing effective guidance and service delivering at the educational
institutions in Nigeria is shortage of trained Guidance and Counselling professionals. Many
public school in the country do not have adequate professional trained Guidance and Counsellor
to manage the Guidance and Career Development Centres in their respective institutions.
Onuorah (2019) sated that lack of trained counsellors is a major problem. Also, (Independent
Newspapers 2019) report that there was a deficit of 135,319 teachers at the Early Childhood
Care Development Education, 139,772 deficit in primary schools, and 2,446 shortage in Junior
Secondary School across the nation. Guidance and Counseling teachers are included in this
shortage of teachers in the Basic schools in Nigeria.

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Despite the fact that there are many holders of higher degrees in guidance and counselling in
Nigeria, some lack the skills necessary for this practice. Aside this, some of the trained
counsellors in Nigeria reject postings to schools instead, they prefer to go to non-school setting
for greener pastures.

Statement of the Problem

Guidance and Counseling programme is one of the programme offered in the Nigerian Basic
school education. The programme was introduce to address social problems in the schools. It has
been observed that many students come to the schools with different social problems which may
affects their academic performance. It is the functions and responsibilities of Guidance and
Counsellors to handle the programme and teach the programme. It has been observed that there
are dearth of professional Guidance and Counsellors in most of the Basic schools in FCT. The
shortage of these professional Guidance and Counsellors in the various Basic schools seem to be
affecting the implementation of guidance and counselling programme in the FCT Basic schools.
It is in this regard that this study intend to investigate factors responsible for shortage of
professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja, Nigeria.
Purpose of the Study
The objectives of this study is to factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and
Counsellors in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.
The specific objectives are to:
1. To find out factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic
Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.
2. To find out implications of shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic
Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

Research Questions
1. What is factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic
Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria?
2. What is the implications of shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic
Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria?

Methodology
The study adopted descriptive research for this study. The population for this study comprised all
the Basic schools in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Sample and Sampling Techniques was
employed in selection of sample: Sixty Basic schools were sampled in all the six area councils in
in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In each of the area council, 10 Basic school were selected
and in each of the schools, one Guidance and Counselling teacher was selected by means of
simple random sampling technique. On a whole 60 Guidance and counselling teachers served as
respondents for this study. Instrumentation: The instrument used for collection of data for this
study is questionnaire.

A self-constructed questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. The questionnaire was
titled “Factors Responsible for Shortage of Professional Guidance and Counsellors
Questionnaire” (FRSPGCQ). The questionnaire was divided into two sections. Section A sought
information from personal data of the respondents. Section B contained items on factors
responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counselling in Basic Education School in
FCT, all weighted on a 4-point likert scale. The instrument was validated using content validity
while the reliability co-efficient of 0.65 was obtained through test-re-test method.

The data collected were analysed using means and standard deviations for the research questions.
The decision of strength on each dimension was based on mean rating of each item. The mean
score obtainable on each item was 4.00. The mean rating of zero was no score, mean rating of up
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International Journal on Integrated Education e-ISSN : 26203502
IJIE | Research Parks Publishing (IDEAS Lab) p-ISSN : 26153785

1.00 was poor, mean rating of 2.00 was moderate, mean rating of 3.00 was strong capacity and
mean rating of 4.00 was Excellent Capacity. The perception on each dimension was based on
mean rating of each item. The mean rating of zero is negative, mean rating of 1.00 up to 4.00
was positive.

Result and Discussion of Findings

Research Question One: What is factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and
Counsellors in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria?

Table 1.1 Factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in
Basic Education School
S/N Factors responsible for MEAN S.D DECISION
shortage of professional
Guidance and Counselling
in Basic Education School
in Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja
1 Inadequate funding 3.79 0.24 Agreed
2 Poor manpower planning 3.53 0.22 Agreed
3 Corruption 3.36 0.34
4 Shortage of professionals 3.86 0.26 Agreed
Guidance and Counsellors
5 shortage of higher institutions 3.27 0.51 Agreed
offering Guidance and
Counselling programme

6 Poor Motivation of Guidance 3.43 0.39 Agreed

and Counsellors
Total Mean 3.84 Agreed

Result collected from table one revealed that item 1,2 ,3 ,4 ,5 and 6 with mean score 3.79, 3.53,
3.36, 3.27 and 3.43 with cumulative mean score of 3.84 which is above the cut-off point of 2.50.
This mean that all respondents agreed to all the questions positively that inadequate funding,
poor manpower planning, corruption, shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors and
shortage of higher institutions offering Guidance and Counselling programme and poor
motivation of Guidance and Counsellors are the factors responsible for shortage of professional
Guidance and Counselling in Basic education schools in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
Nigeria.

Research Question Two: What is the implication of shortage of professional Guidance and
Counsellors in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria?
Table 1.1 Implication of shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic
Education School

S/N Implication of shortage of MEAN S.D DECISION

professional Guidance and
Counselling in Basic
Education School in
Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja
1 Poor learning 3.35 0.28 Agreed
2 High student-G & C ratio 3.41 0.27 Agreed
3 Guidance and Counsellor 3.39 0.38
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over stress
Total Mean 3.62 Agreed

Result collected from table two disclosed that item 1, 2 and 3 had mean scores of 3.35, 3.41 and
3.39 with a cumulative mean score of 3.62 which indicated that all respondent agreed positively
to the questions. This result revealed that poor learning, high students to G & C ratio and
Guidance and Counsellors over stressed are the implications of shortage of professional
Guidance and Counsellors in the Basic schools in FCT.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors responsible for shortage of professional
Guidance and Counselling in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
Nigeria and the specific objectives are to find out factors responsible for shortage of professional
Guidance and Counselling in Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
Nigeria and to find out implications of shortage of professional Guidance and Counselling in
Basic Education School in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

The result collected revealed that inadequate funding, poor manpower planning, corruption,
shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors and shortage of higher institutions offering
Guidance and Counselling programme and poor motivation of Guidance and Counsellors are the
factors responsible for shortage of professional Guidance and Counselling in Basic education
schools in FCT. This result is in line with the finding of (Ogunode, & Abiola, 2021) and
(Ogunode & Owobamigbe 2021) that discovered that poor funding of Guidance and Counselling
programme, corruption, poor motivation and lack of manpower planning are the causes of
shortage of professional teachers in the Nigerian education institutions.

The result also showed that poor learning, high students to Guidance and Counsellors ratio and
Guidance and Counsellors over stressed are the implications of shortage of professional
Guidance and Counsellors in the Basic schools in FCT. This result supported the submission of
(Ogunode & Adamu 2021) and (Suleiman, Olanrenwaju, & Suleiman, 2019) that concluded that
poor quality of education, teachers’ stress, high students to teacher are the effects of inadequate
teachers in the schools. Based on these finding, the paper hereby recommended that
1. Increase funding of Guidance and Counselling programme in the Basic schools to address the
problem of shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in Basic schools in FCT
2. More professional Guidance and Counsellors should be employed and post to Basic schools in
FCT to minimize the effects of the shortage of professional Guidance and Counsellors in the
Basic schools.
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license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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