The Republic of Uganda

Department of

Ministry of Education & Sports

Guidance & Counselling

THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

Journal of Guidance & Counselling

Volume 4, Issue 2

NOT FOR SALE

September/October 2012

Editorial

The Need For Guidance and

Counselling Services Today
More Than Ever Before

DYSLEXIA - The most common

form of Learning Disability
among learners in schools

Drug Abuse in Schools

Choosing a Career

Journal of Guidance & Counselling

In this Issue

Volume 4, Issue 2
Contribution Writers
Enock Bongyeirwe Gumisiriza
Gastone Byamugisha
Mrs. Hope Mwijuka
M/s Kwikiriza Jane Kakama

2012
Ministry of Education and Sports;
Journal of Guidance & Counselling

www.education.go.ug

Page

Content

3 The Need For Guidance and

Counselling Services Today
More Than Ever Before
6 DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS
8 DYSLEXIA - The most common
form of Learning Disability
among learners in schools
10 CHOOSING A CAREER

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

Editorial
The roles / responsibilities of the Ministry of
Education & Sports
In our previous issue (April/June, 2012), relevant
stakeholders were outlined and their roles and
responsibilities are to be examined one at a time.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES)

Headquarters
At the national level, the Ministry of Education and
Sports shall be the lead agency in the provision
of guidance and counseling in all educational
institutions through the Department of Guidance
and Counseling. The Ministry shall be responsible
for the following:

One and Senior Five; Technical/Farm

Schools as well as Primary Teachers
Colleges and Technical Institutes.
g) Preparing for and organizing careers
week, club competitions, careers festivals
and Fairs at national level.
h) Plan for and ensure training of teachers/
tutors and other personnel on how to
provide effective guidance and counseling
services.
i)

Dissemination of guidance and counseling

policy, guidelines and related information.

j)

Mobilizing resources and coordinating

activities
of
Non-Governmental
Organizations
(NGOs)
and
local
community organizations/initiatives in
the provision of guidance and counseling
services in schools/colleges.

a) Developing policies and policy guidelines

on guidance and counseling.
b) Planning for provision of quality delivery of
guidance and counseling.
c) Developing and producing guidance and
counseling materials in form of textbooks,
manuals, guides and brochures through
publishers.
d) Supervising, monitoring and evaluation
of the implementation of guidance and
counseling in educational institutions.
e) Liaising with districts and private sectors
to gather career-related information/data.

f)

Coordinating placement of pupils / students

to the next levels of education i.e. Senior

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

k) Liaising and coordinating with ministries

and other organizations concerned with
child rights and child welfare.
l)

Developing
ethical
guidelines
on
school counseling practice and referral
procedures.

m) Monitoring standards in the delivery

of guidance and counseling services
at primary and post-primary levels of
education.
n) Any other roles/responsibilities that may
not have been mentioned above.

Vol.4 Issue 2

The Need For Guidance and Counselling Services

Today More Than Ever Before
Enock Bongyeirwe Gumisiriza
Senior Education Officer, Guidance and Counselling
Ministry Of Education and Sports, Uganda.

uidance and Counseling (G&C) is a relatively

new movement in Uganda, like in most
African countries. In Uganda, the need for
formal Guidance and Counseling in schools was
realized in the 1960s, when the Ministry of Education
then established the office of Career Guidance at its
headquarters in Kampala.
The Minister of Education in the 1960s, the late
J.S Luyimbazi Zake did a lot to promote the Career
Guidance and Counseling movement in this country.
He also emphasized the need for school leavers to
choose appropriate careers for their future.
The Government White Paper of (1992) on
Education recognized the importance of Guidance
and Counseling movement in this country. He also
emphasized the need for school leavers to choose
appropriate careers for their future. It recognized
the importance of guidance and counseling services
at all levels of education. It recommended, among
other recommendations, that, each school ranging
from primary to tertiary should have at least one
teacher responsible for Guidance and Counseling.
Importance of Guidance and Counseling for the
career development of, a teacher up / grading
in Guidance and Counseling field: even in other
organizations e.g. UAC UNHCR, guidance
counseling, are required.

Meaning of Guidance and Counseling:

In simple terms Guidance refers to the help given
by one person to another in making choices and
adjustments and in solving problems, whereas

Counseling
is
the face to face
relationship between
the Counselor and
the Counselee for
purpose of enhancing the counselee to resolve his
conflict / problems.

Why Guidance and Counseling in schools?

Since Uganda got independence, it has become
necessary to gear the education of the children
towards national development. The Guidance and
Counseling Department of the Ministry of Education
and Sports charged with the duty of helping
teachers in schools to ensure provision of guidance
and counseling to the young ones:
Help them think about their future occupations and
guide them to select or opt for occupations, in which
they would fit best, Appropriate subjects or courses
to pursue in order to realize these occupations, etc
hence crucial Vocational, education and personal
guidance are all equally important. Therefore there
is need for a wide program of guidance service in
schools. Below are some of the major reasons that
make guidance very essential in the schools and
colleges in Uganda today:-

1. INCREASED ENROLMENT IN SCHOOLS

The number of children in school has generally
increased originally classes were estimated at less
than 50 students but now they accommodate twice
or thrice the number.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

This is commonly identified with urban schools. This

increase has created a lot of implications on the life
of the children and teacher in school. For a class
of about 40 students it was possible for teachers
to know each child by name and even attend
to individual problems; Today, this is no longer
possible. Due to the increased number of children
in schools the social, psychological, physiological
and personal problems that face these children are
more than double.

Girls and boys face major challenges in:

a) Dealing with changes in adolescence.
b) Making educational decisions.
c) Handling the conflicting cultural
messages and values.
d) Managing their sexuality in a social
environment that encourages delay in
adult hood.
e) Coping with changes in family
structures.
f) Understanding and coping with
issues of HIV/AIds e.g:
o single parent families
o adolescent headed families
o breakdown of the extended family
o existence of orphans

Therefore, it is essential that proper guidance be

made available in schools to make it possible for
students problems to be identified and effectively
dealt with.

2. CHANGING SOCIAL PATTERNS

A lot of changes have taken place and many more
will continue to take place in our cultural and social
patters of life. This has occurred as a result of the
intrusion of other cultures and social habits, and the
developments in modern science and technology.
Such changes bring in new ways of life and values.
For instance:
Ways of dressing have changed.
Relationships between children and
parents have changed.
Ways of worship have changed from
traditional to foreign worship.
Towns have sprung up and the city has
transformed with the accompanying
problems.
There is Increase in unemployment and
under employment leading to:
a) Increasing sex industry (prostitution
and homosexuality)
b) Alcoholism and drug - abuse
c) Crime and violence
d) Individualistic as opposed to
communal way life. etc
Cultural and traditional practices tend to
hinder girls from:
a) Pursuing certain educational
programmes.
b) Valuing themselves equally with men.

All these and others not mentioned here are

challenges that affect the students life and
performance in schools. They have to be assisted to
face them objectively, with courage and appreciation
through guidance and counseling services.

3. CHANGING CONDITIONS IN LABOUR AND

INDUSTRY
Uganda is advancing in service and technology
industry. This has resulted into the emergence
of new demands on the part of employees and
employers. There is higher demand and more
specialized forms of education labour and skills.
In this respect many new courses or subjects
are being included in the school curriculum. For
instance, technical education commercial subject,
computer services etc. these are aimed at providing
appropriate types of knowledge and skills to meet
these new demands.
The course and subjects being new, and the
industries more so, require that the students be
properly guided on their choice of subjects visa
visa their desired careers. More so, they should be
made aware of the available industries and their job
requirements such as the qualifications needed to
join them. They should therefore be given career
information and this is best done through guidance
and counseling.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

4. LEISURE PROBLEMS
Due to advancement in technology work that used
to take long time to accomplish can now be done in
much shorter time. We therefore have at hand more
free time than there used to be even in schools
and colleges, left on their own, many students
or school children may not know the fruitful and
more acceptable ways of spending their free time.
They may start engaging in undesirable activities
like escaping from school to go to drink alcohol,
smoking cigarettes taking other drugs like opium
alcohol, smoking cigarettes taking other drugs like
opium and marijuana.
Others may engage in unnecessary loitering which
ultimately results in acts of indiscipline. These
activities can ruin their education and ultimately their
future life. It is therefore essential that they be given
some of direction in the use of their free time. They
should be advised to engage in productive activities
like playing games, participating in club functions,
religious activities or helping the community around
the schools and colleges, and the like.

5. GENERATION GAP
This is a gap between the parents and children in
term of age and experience. Such a gap results
in differences in interests, values tastes, beliefs,
goals, ways of life and methods of approach to
problems and tends to create rifts between the two
groups. For example the young boys and girls of

today would like to discuss matters of sex with their

parents but the parents especially those who grew
up 30years ago and beyond see this as a taboo.
Children of today will need shoes, watches, school
bags etc. to go to school but there are parents who
will argue that these things are not necessary. They
will argue that they went to schools without these
items but they made it.
Hence, both the children and parents need some
guidance in order to understand and appreciate
these differences and live amicably. The parents
should be made to realize that the times are fast
changing and they have to gradually change from
the old ways. The children should also be made
aware that they should not push their parents
too fast because as old times the culture shocks
they receive take time. The teachers themselves
should understand the biological, psychological,
sociological problems that the stage usually brings
and try to discuss with parents and try to find
solutions to them through the methods of guidance
and counseling.
In conclusion, therefore guidance and counseling is
a very important service for students in the schools
and colleges. School counselors should be able to
promote good neighborliness, good attitude and
disciplined behavior in schools. They should be able
to prevent or minimize crimes and indiscipline. They
should be able to rehabilitate or remedy existing
bad habits or practices and institute programmes of
development for good neighborliness.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS

Gastone Byamugisha
Department of Psychology,
Kyambogo University

rug abuse in Ugandan schools is growing

at such an alarming rate, yet my schools
administrators and parents remain unaware
of this menace. Drugs have serious implications
for students, teachers and parents. It is high time
that something was done about this. The dangers
of drug abuse come not only from the effects of
these drugs but also from the risks associated
with their distribution. Drugs are taken because of
their psychological effects. The effects range from
increased alertness increases self-confidence,
feelings of power and feelings of euphoria. That is
why these drugs are known as psychoactive drugs.

used drugs range

from cigarettes,
alcohol, mairungi
also known as khat,
marijuana also
known as weed,
pot or ganja. Other
drugs include kuber
and brown sugar.

Common drugs in schools

The most commonly used drugs range from
cigarettes, alcohol, mairungi also known as khat,
marijuana also known as weed, pot or ganja. Other
drugs include kuber and brown sugar. These are
mainly imported from India. Kuber is even openly
sold in some supermarkets.
Marijuana grows naturally in Uganda. It is locally
known as enjayi, enjaga or enzayi. It is the drug
that is easiest to get and hence most commonly
used. Its use has also been popularized by some
of our local musicians who openly use it during their
music shows.
Brown sugar belongs to a group of several other
imported drugs. There are brought into the country
criminal groups and distributed into schools using
students and other school workers like security
guard. The gangs are well organized and extremely
dangerous. Many students who get caught up in
their distribution chains normally find it extremely

difficult to leave them. There are threatened into

silence and submission.
Among street children aviation fuel and glue are
commonly used. They use these by sniffing through
a piece of cloth.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

Helping students to quit using drugs

The biggest challenges in helping young people
quite using drugs are the withdrawal symptoms
caused by these drugs. Withdrawal symptoms are
the negative experiences that people encounter as
they attempt to quit using drugs. These withdrawal
symptoms are normally the reverse of what they
experience when they take drugs. If someone
for example, experiences alertness after taking
marijuana he will become sleepy, drowsy and weak
when attempting to quit. These symptoms are most
severe in the early day but will lose strength as time
goes by.
Prevention of drugs use in school
As the saying goes prevention is better than cure.

Students should be sensitized about the dangers

and risks involved in using drugs. A lot of students
begin using drugs through experimentation. They
are only trying to find out how one feels when they
take drugs. Unfortunately many remain hooked
to using these drugs. Guidance sessions should
therefore include discussions on drug use.
Those who are already addicted should be helped
through proper counseling. The practice of expelling
those that found to be using drugs normally ends up
exporting this practice to other schools. As we all
know. Students that are expelled from one school
end up in another. As they get expelled from one
into another the practice gets sown into different
school multiplying users.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

DYSLEXIA - The most common form of Learning

Disability among learners in schools
Mrs. Hope Mwijuka
Special Needs Education Specialist
Healing Talk Counselling Services

yslexia is an impairment which interferes

with an individuals reading, spelling, or
written expression.

Individuals with dyslexia read at levels significantly

lower than expected despite having normal
intelligence.
Most pupils/students with dyslexia are suffering
silently in schools being labeled as slow, stubborn,
unserious thus being neglected by the teachers
sayings that even if they teach them, they can not
understand.

How does dyslexia manifest among school

going children?

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Very poor spellings.

Slow learning of new words.
Slow at writing
Letter reversal e.g. writing letter b to mean d.
May not recognize the spacing that organizes
letters in separate words.
Reading words in the wrong order. E.g. aminal
for animal.
Difficult learning to decode written words.
Omitting letters.
Low levels of concentration.

Vol.4 Issue 2

Possible intervention
For purposes of learning and general development
of dyslexic individuals therefore, the following
targets should be adopted:

The teachers should design an Individualized

Education Plan (I.E.P.) to meet his learning
needs.

Dyslexic pupils/students should be introduced

to remedial classes for reading; writing and
spelling work to enable them catch up with the
regular pupils no matter at what level they are.

They should be given extra time whenever they

are given an exercise by the teachers or in an
examination.

They require constant prompting whenever

they are given an activity to do because they
loses track so easily.

They should always be given a transcriber

during the time for examinations that will read
the questions for them and then write down the
answers that they give because whereas they
may know the correct answers; they are not
able to write them down on their own most of
the time.

The parents and the teachers should help to

develop their talents, skills and strengths in
other areas apart from academics.

When they in candidate classes, they should

be registered as a special needs candidates
so that UNEB offers them special consideration
during examinations.

It is important to note that an individual with dyslexia

responds successfully to timely and appropriate
intervention, thus they can learn to read and write
with appropriate educational support.

Dyslexic
pupils/students
should be
introduced
to remedial
classes for
reading; writing
and spelling
work to enable
them catch up
with the regular
pupils no matter
at what level
they are.

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

CHOOSING A CAREER
M/s Kwikiriza Jane Kakama
Senior Inspector, career guidance
Directorate of Education Standards, Ministry of Education and Sports

career is a type of employment which

offers a long term of series of training and
opportunities for advancement. For an
individual to use education to earn a living in this
dynamic world, he does not need to pass exams
only but to be equipped with knowledge and skills
which will help him to attain personal satisfaction
and progress or advancement.
To achieve the above, an individual learner needs
the following aspects:

SELF-ACTUALIZATION

interest (what you like to do), your own interest

not other peoples interest.

What are your abilities (what you can do or can

learn to do), strength/ weakness in terms of
academic, health, sports etc.

What are your values (what is important to

you)? What can you produce on your own- in
academics, at home, with friends etc?
Who is your role model?

SET A GOAL

This is the ability of knowing oneself better, for

example: who or what am I? - Where do I come
from (the background) e.g. how many brothers/
sisters, do I have parents/ guardians who are
able/ responsible?

Every individual learner should be helped

(depending on the age) or should be able to assess
his capabilities and potentials including intellectual
and physical capacities, interest, values, and
training requirements. So it is important to set a goal
keeping in mind the following guidelines:

What are the opportunities do I have? e.g. being

in school, having able and responsible parents/
guardians, friends, having caring and listening
teachers etc

Know your personal style (patterns of interaction

between yourself and your environment), your

the goals are your and not other peoples goal,

they are attainable and achievable,
should be positive, realistic and constructive,
should not put you to risk e.g. setting a goal
much high than your ability or strength,
who is your role model?

Every individual learner should be helped

(depending on the age) or should be able to assess his capabilities and
potentials including intellectual and physical capacities, interest, values,
and training requirements.
10

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

After you have identified your goals, think about how

you are going to achieve them by asking yourself
the following questions:

Why (what reasons) do I want to achieve this

goal?
What are the reasons for working
towards this goal?

When will you have to accomplish each of the

steps you have towards your goal? When will I
be able to achieve this (time frame)?

What will I need in order to achieve this goal?

e.g. Have a timetable (personal, group, class
etc), get friends Vs peer pressure.

How? What steps will you have to take to

achieve this goal? what do you have to do?

RELATE HIS PERSONALITY/ CHARACTERISTICS WITH THE CAREER REQUIREMENTS

AND OR CAREER INTEREST.

R
People who have
athletic or mechanical
ability, work with objects,
machines, tools, plants,
animals, prefer to work
outdoors.

People who like to work with

data, have clerical or numerical
ability and work in a setting in
which responsibilities are clearly
defined

People who like to work

with people influencing,
persuading, leading,
managing for economic
gain or organizational
goals.

R
Below is a sampling of career categories, check
all that interests you and mark at least three that
interest you most.

R
C
E
S
A
I

-
-
-
-
-
-

Realistic
Conventional
Enterprising
Social
Artistic
Investigative

I
People who like
to observe, learn,
investigate, analyze,
evaluate, solve,
mathematical, medical
or scientific problems.

People who have artistic,

innovating or intuitional abilities
and like to work in unstructured
situations using imagination or
creativity

People who like to

work with people to
inform, enlighten, help,
train, develop, or cure
them, or are skilled
with words.

I
EXAMPLES OF SAMPLING OF CAREER
CATEGORIES
REALISTIC
Electric engineer, Mechanical engineer, Landscape
architect, Forester, Geologist, Pilot, Sound Effects
Technician, Optician, Surveyor, Police Officer,
Carpenter, Military Officer etc
INVESTIGATIVE
Physician, Dentist, Urban Planner, Researcher,

Journal of Guidance and Counselling

Vol.4 Issue 2

11

Economist,
Veterinarian,
Civil
Engineer, Mathematics
teacher,
Pharmacist etc
ARTISTIC
Actor, Musician, Photographer,
Fashion Model, English teacher,
Reporter etc
SOCIAL
Probation
officer,
Counsellor,
Librarian, City Manager, Social
Worker,
Television
Director,
Interpreter,
Clinic/counseling
Psychologist,
Teacher,
School
Superintendent etc
ENTERPRISING
Personal Director, Hotel Manager,
Lawyer, Advertising Director, Radio/
tv. Announcer, Politician, Urban
Planner, Stockbroker etc
CONVENTIONAL
Banker, Data Processing Worker,
Financial Analyst, Credit Manager
etc
BE DISCIPLINED
Self-discipline is the practice of
training ones mind, soul, and body;
so as to control / be the master of
feeling, thinking, talking and actions/
behavior. Discipline goes beyond
obeying rules and regulations; that
means that it should start from the
soul {the sub-conscious} to the mind
{the thinking capacity} then to the
body (ie the action).
Discipline is the training of oneself
either to obedience or self denying.
ie sometimes you deny/refuse

12

yourself to do what you would have

loved to do. It is a fact of choice
e.g. to read or to spend your time in
leisure. Or sometimes you have to
obey what you are demanded to do
eg you wake up at 5:00a.m
As a student, some areas that need
discipline include:

Time keeping for studies, for

meals, for appointments.

Attitudes a readiness to
respond to situations or peoples
positively.

Learning environment do
not always come to school to
receive only; you also need to
give eg respect, empathise, love
(teachers, students), dressing
code, behavior.

In conclusion, for an individual

learner to be successful, s/he needs
the four aspects (self-actualization,
set a goal, relate his personality with
career interest and be disciplined).
By applying the above the learner is
able to choose work that will enable
him to develop and be the kind of
person that he wants to be. If he
chooses a life style that is based on
his values, and career interest, his
life will be more meaningful. Success
comes from doing things that one is
good at. Satisfaction comes from
doing things that one is interested
in. Therefore, the four aspects are
very important to consider when
choosing a career.

After you have

identified your
goals, think
about how you
are going to
achieve them
by asking
yourself the
following
questions:

Why?
How?
When?
What?

Journal of Guidance
Journal ofand
Guidance
Counselling
and Counselling
Vol.4 Issue
2Vol.4 Issue 2

12

Ministry of Education & Sports

Department of Guidance and Copunselling
UDC BUilding Parliament Avenue
Floor 4; Rooms 4, 5, 4.6 & 4.24
Floor 1; Room 1.18
www.education.go.ug