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Abstract

The utilization of guidance and counselling services in Nigeria have expanded due to development in diverse settings such as home, industries, hospitals, welfare centres, banks, marriage registries, schools, remand and correctional centres. School counselling takes place within the school settings where the professional counsellors work with students, families and other school personnel to provide the best all round education for today’s children.  School counselling is designed to facilitate students’ achievement, improve students’ behaviour and attendance, assist in the maximum functioning and development of students’ physically, mentally, morally and socially. The 21st century is characterized with  changes in family system; challenges of permissive society; gap between the rich and the poor; unemployment; unequal opportunities; poverty; domestic violence; corruption, moral decadence, insurgencies, problem of national integration, school unrest and  expansion in the enrolment of students in schools both primary, secondary and university.It is often the efforts of professional school counsellors that  could help children cope and adjust to the threats posed by these challenges. However, despite the recognition of guidance and counselling by the Federal government and its inclusion in the school curriculum, many Nigerian schools do not have counsellors and where they have, they were compelled to combine teaching of school subjects with rendering counselling services. Consequent upon this, it was suggested that government should ensure proper implementation of school guidance and counselling in the Nigerian school system. Thus, this will aid the effective and efficient delivery of counselling services among school-aged children.

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How to Cite
Ogunmilugba, Joke, B., Ojo, & Abiola, Y. (2018). School Counselors for Today’s Children: Progress and Challenges of the Practice in Nigeria. International Journal for Social Studies, 4(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.26643/ijss.v4i1.6249