Incorporating Comprehensive Counselling and Guidance Models into School Curricula in Sub-Saharan Africa
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Incorporating Comprehensive Counselling and Guidance Models into School Curricula in Sub-Saharan Africa John M. Kiweewa 1 & Brandon A. Knettel 2 & Melissa M. Luke 3
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2017
Abstract There is an increasing body of evidence demonstrating the psychological and social challenges that afflict school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of widespread calls to provide counselling and guidance services in schools, efforts at expanding these services remain fragmented and under-resourced. Grounded in both empirical and theoretical literature, this article calls for integration of counselling and guidance through a whole-school approach. Utilizing critical aspects of child and adolescent developmental theory, we summarize the current state of counselling and guidance in the region, evaluate attempts at integration, and propose adoption of a comprehensive guidance and counselling model into school curricula. Keywords Comprehensive guidance and counselling programs . Learner-centred education . Teacher training . Trauma-informed practice . Whole-school approach
Introduction Guidance and counselling services in schools - consisting of professional support for students in educational, vocational and personal/social domains - have long been recognized as effective means for improving student functioning and long-term outcomes in a variety of areas (Gysbers and Henderson 2012). Comprehensive school counselling programs, however, have traditionally been limited to developed nations due to limitations in educational resources in developing
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2015 International Conference on Education in Nairobi, Kenya.
* John M. Kiweewa [email protected]
1
Mental Health Counselling Program, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, USA
2
Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
3
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
Int J Adv Counselling
countries (Goodrich et al. 2014). In a presentation to the 4th International Conference on Education in Nairobi, Kenya, Kiweewa (2015) outlined the historical paths of nations in subSaharan Africa in attempting to establish counselling and guidance programs in schools throughout the subcontinent. Despite calls to action and policies declaring support for such programs, progress has been slow in most African nations due to broader economic, social, and practical challenges (Goodrich et al. 2014; Goss and Adebowale 2014; Kiweewa 2015). Scholars must be careful not to promote stereotypes by Btreating the continent as if it were one place^ (Goss and Adebowale 2014, p. 354); however, we believe that history has shown common experiences and challenges across many African nations attempting to improve school-based counselling and guidance services, and that highlighting these commonalities may set the tone for more context-specific studies and solutions moving forward (Alao 2004). Successful counselling and guidance programs are frequently derived and adapted fr
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