The role of guidance and counselling educators in secondary schools at Sibasa circuit of the Vhembe district in Limpopo province
In 1996 the Department of education deemed it fit to review the curriculum, amongst others Life Orientation was one of the learning areas incepted. One of the primary roles for LO is to offer learners with guidance and counselling, that’s developing them in totality; inter alia, educationally, socially, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and otherwise to be fully-fledged adults. Each learner especially in secondary schools should be acquainted with knowledge and equipped with skills for them to make well informed decisions and healthy life choices. The research sought to explore the role of guidance and counselling educators in secondary schools. This study employed a qualitative research approach and it was constructivist in nature. Both one on one and focus group interviews were conducted to collect the data. Purposive sampling procedures were undertaken to select the participants who were LO educators from secondary schools with more than five years teaching experience. Qualitative data was transcribed verbatim, categorised into themes and then analysed. The results exhibited that guidance and counselling are major roles played by LO educators for learners to discover who they are, their interests, potentials, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. These enable them to take well informed choices in all spheres of life. The study revealed that learners who are not receiving guidance and counselling experience massive challenges, they are misled and make wrong life choices. The findings also submitted that only trained professionals who are subject specialists should teach LO, this will assist in addressing learners as a whole because they are knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. The results led to a key concern that DoE somehow undermines LO no wonder majority of learners do not take it serious. The study added value to the existing literature in promoting guidance and counselling services in secondary schools.
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