Counselling Needs Among Primary School Learners: The Role Of School Counsellor

Abstract

Many school children are not achieving in school often coping with emotional problems, a chaotic family, mental health, and poverty. This paper set to examine primary school behaviours indicative of guidance and counselling needs in Masvingo district, Zimbabwe. The study is grounded in Carl Rogers’s person-centred theory. A qualitative case study was employed. A sample of 36 participants comprising school counselors, school heads and grade 6-7 learners were used. Data was collected through use of questionnaires and interviews. The results revealed that primary school kids encounter problems like bullying, failing to make friends, inattention, and emotional symptoms. It also emerged from the study that school counselors can come up with intervention strategies to help pupils encountering such problems to live functional and meaningful lives. The researchers therefore recommend that all heads and teachers need to be sensitised through seminars and workshops to give adequate support to Guidance and counseling (G&C) programmes in order to help learners facing various challenges hindering them from learning. There is need to improve the level of training of school counselors in guidance and counseling