By J. K. Nabary
Winneba (C/R) Oct 12, GNA-The Department of Counselling Psychology of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has held its second Practicum for level 400 Guidance and Counselling Students for the 2021/2022 academic year.
The practicum is used to assess students of the Department as part of their examination and was held at the Jophus Anamoah-Mensah Conference Centre of the University.
There were drama and presentations by three groups on different topics such as, ‘Effects of Defilement on the Girl Child,’ ‘How to cope with test/examination anxiety’ and ‘emergence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Ally and Pansexual (LGBTO+) in Ghanaian schools’ and the way forward.
Some selected Students from Basic schools were the target groups, who participated and joined in the discussions on the several topics.
The intent of the practicum was to create public awareness on activities of counselling students and offer first-hand information about activities that they go through in UEW.
Its main purpose is to examine the students in whatever they were doing as part of their examination, their skills, competencies, and knowledge in counselling.
The lecturers also made presentations to expose the students, enlighten them and the public on the importance of counselling and to further give them the opportunity to explore current social issues and to try as much as possible to attempt to solve them in the society.
In its presentation, the Group which spoke on how to Cope with Test/ Examination Anxiety, stated that, managing test anxiety was not the responsibility of the psychologist and teachers alone, but students, parents and all the stakeholders in education must put their hands on deck to ensure that students were test anxiety free for optimum results.
They indicated that this would help improve students’ performance, adding that, test anxiety could be unpleasant and stressful and assured the students that it was treatable.
Another Group, in its presentation and discussion on the topic: ‘Effects of defilement on the girl child’, stated that, defilement must not be entertained in any society and must be stopped with immediate effect because it could result in teen pregnancy, unsafe abortions and school dropouts.
The group lamented that it was also expedient for counsellors to be at the various schools with well-equipped facilities to aid them to sensitise the girl child and counsel them when the need arose.
The members were also schooled on the topic “The emergence of LGBTO+ in Ghanaian schools and the way forward” and called on society to develop closer and genuine relationship with persons into LGBTQ and help to alleviate the stress of hiding their identity, adding that, such support would help them to build their self-esteem by being honest about oneself.
In an interview with the Ghana news Agency, Mr Richard Samuel Ziggah, a Lecturer at the Department, indicated that, counselling had a very vital role in nation building and much attention needed to be given to it.
He called on the government, especially the Ghana Education Service, to take a second look at the posting of counsellors from the UEW as well as other universities in the country.
He also commended the students for the educative drama, interesting presentations and discussions and added that they should not only display it to target groups or institutions but also practice what they attained from UEW among themselves and to teach other colleagues.
Mrs. Veronica E. Eggley, Mr. Bernard M. Amoako and Mr. Samuel Danquah and other lecturers of the Department supervised the programme.
GNA