By Kodjo Adams, GNA
Accra, March 5, GNA- Mrs Love Amponsah, the Greater Accra Coordinator of the Guidance and Counselling Unit, Ghana Education Service (GES), has advised parents to take keen interest in the activities of their wards in school to avoid bad influence.
She said some of the students succumbed to the pressures of their friends to engage in bad behaviours in school, which affected their future development.
Mrs Amponsah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the climax of the one-week Greater Accra Guidance and Counselling Week celebration of the GES in Accra.
It was on the theme “Empowering Minds, Enriching Lives: The Role of Counsellor.”
The event was celebrated with lively floats and spirited debates to creative competitions designed to showcase the importance of counseling in the schools.
She said counsellors do not simply give advice but offer professional guidance to help students reach their full potential.
“Counsellors are professionals who direct children or people to achieve their aim or to reach their self-actualization,” she said.
She advised the students not to discuss issues affecting them with their friends but to visit the guidance and counselling Unit for assistance.
“You may have stresses, you may have issues, but when you get somebody to talk to you, to guide you about what you are going through, you will be perfect,” she said.
Mrs Amponsah said broken homes had affected most learners’ ability to focus on their studies, calling for urgent attention to address the situation.
She stated that counselors have, on their own identity, learners who are going through challenges to open up for guidance and assistance.
Counselling, she stressed, was a shared responsibility, and called on all stakeholders to support the initiative to guide learners to overcome challenges in schools.
“To our learners, counselling is here for you. It is here to help you discover your strengths, navigate challenges, make wise choices, and confidently prepare for your future.”
“Let us continue to work together to make counselling visible, effective, and meaningful in every school. When we invest in counselling, we invest in the future of every learner,” she said.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade