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Make guidance and counselling part of syllabus

Mon, 15 Mar 2004 Source: GNA

Takoradi, Mar. 15, GNA- Mrs Sweetie Sowah, the Western Regional Director of the Legal Aid Board, has called on Ghana Education Service (GES) school proprietors, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the various school management committees (SMCs) to include career guidance and counselling in schools curricula.

She said by so doing, children would be encouraged to study and pursue courses and programmes that their abilities would enable them to be in future.

Mrs Sowah speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview after some guidance and counselling session with over 221 Junior Secondary School (JSS) students from selected schools in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis.

The programme was organised by the Holy Child College on Monday as part of its educational week on the theme "Girl child Education: A vital tool for building up a strong human resource base". She said such forums, which bring together a large number of professionals and experts in various fields, should be made a regular feature and assist students to select appropriate subjects and prepare towards them.

Mrs Sowah said the imposition of certain subjects on the children by their parents and some teachers were some of the reasons why poor results were being recorded in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) certificate examinations.

Mr Kwadwo Okyere Appenteng, a Pharmacist and one of the resource persons said the programme was timely and urged all schools to make it a regular feature.

He said the programme should not be organised for children living in only the cities adding that if this was not done, there was the possibility of creating a class society.

"Many rural students would not be able pursue highly skilled professions because they did not get anyone to guide them on their choice of subjects and what to expect".

Mr. Appenteng said the schools could be zoned and reduce the financial burden that schools might have to incur in organising the programme outside the normal school hours.

Mrs Cecilia Harry-Quaye, Headmistress of the Holy Child Training College said the programme was meant to expose the students to the several job opportunities and to encourage them on the type of subjects that they should choose at the SSS level.

She said the selection of prestige schools was not helping the students in any way adding that students should be content with whatever school they find themselves in adding that "it is what you make out of the school that matters".

Mrs Harry-Quaye said children should be encouraged to pursue courses within their limit.

Source: GNA