Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Ministry of Education’s neglect of the Career department

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File:Some Lusaka based pupils captured during the national youth symposium in Lusaka

By Passionate Educator

Editor, allow me to express my disappointment on some Provincial Education Officers, District Education Board Secretaries and other personnel for failing establish Career and Counseling department as instructed in the circular released on July 22, 2012. The circular said all learning institutions should be equipped with qualified people to carry out career activities so as to assist student, but until now nothing or little have been done.

It is clear that in Zambia Parents, administrators, teachers and students still wonder just what it is school counselors do on a daily basis. Why do we need school counsellors anyway? On a daily basis, school counselors are involved in character education, violence prevention, career planning and much more. In our nation, learners have benefited very little from the current system. School counselors are an important part of the educational leadership team and provide valuable assistance to students regardless of whether they work in an elementary school or middle school, high school or beyond. Today’s education requires school counsellors who are vital members of the education team and not ceremonial members as it has been. This is because they help all students in the areas of academic achievement,personal/social development and career development, ensuring today’s students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow.

But in Zambia education gives students knowledge which they fail to apply in real life situations and this is a work of the career and guidance.
The minister is a psychologist he has more knowledge on this one and I strongly believe this department will be as important as those in UK
and USA.

In this regards, I call upon the Minister of Education and the newly appointed permanent secretary to ensure the functioning of career department in schools become a reality. They should also be motivating these service providers, pay them according to their qualification.Special responsibility allowance should only be given in special cases when the school do not have a qualified teacher in the subject. One wonders why the ministry of education have continued giving responsibility allowance to teachers offering career and counselling services to learners instead of calling those with relevant papers and stop resource wasting.

The unions should also take interest in this so that the education in Zambia can give learners what they need outside the classroom. They should also stand for those teachers with qualifications in Psychology, Guidance and Counseling and recognize the importance work they offer in learning institutions.

They have to be paid as per their qualification after all scales in the ministry are given in regards to certificate, diplomas and degrees not for subjects one offers. I hope PTUZ, ZNUT, SESTUZ AND BETUZ carry out this task which has never been tabled before and help their members.To you with qualifications in this field demand your dues from your able government since your representative have never done that. Hold union your union leaders responsible for being treated you like this for a long time.

8 COMMENTS

  1. The best job the careers department can advise is Teaching. What can a careers master explain about:
    – Body-part maker
    – Old Age Wellness manager
    – Dog psychologist
    These are well paying jobs, which I would wish my son do. But careers master wants kids to be lawyers like Kabimba, Doctors like Kaseba, Police Officers like Sata.

  2. If there is a profession that is so divided in Zambia today is the teaching profession. The so called union leaders are so stupid and silly that at times you wonder who they represent. Guidance and career depts in schools are gone. Our union leaders are busy scrambling for members to be fixed on payroll so that they have fat accounts. Shame on you fools!!! Why do you force people to be your members even when they have not applied to do so? Go round schools & meet us as it used to be and not just enjoying the comfort of your airconditioned offices. Teachers please work up and not just wait for Teachers Day to be given a T-shirt worth K5000 or K5 rebased from Kamwala. Fight on our behalf regarding Grade 9 & 12 marking allowance and not being paid a K1000 per marked script. MWANIA!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. ALLOW TO GIVE A RIGHT THUMB UP TO THE WRITTER FOR THE BRILLIANT CONCERN OVER GUIDANCE COUNSELLING AND PLACEMENT IN SCHOOLS
    INDEED THIS HAS BEEN ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO WHY STUDENTS REALLY GET INVOLVED IN RIOTS FOR THEY LACK PROPER CUNSELLING ANSD GUIDANCE IN PRIMARY AND SCONDSRY SCHOOLS.
    WE DEMAND TO THE GORNVMENT OF ZAMBIA TO CONSIDER THIS COURSE AS IMPORTANT AS TEACHING SINCE IT HELPS TO BUILD
    GOOD MORROLS IN CHILDREN.

  4. To responsible people,
    How far has the issue of qualified Career Guidance Teachers gone? On the area of recognising it as a Department and giving them a sary scale.
    We are thinking of going for the course but instead we are told that, “unless you are read to work on voluntary basis” Because that nothing is attached to it as to motive qualified personnels. Now surely can someone go for a degree 4 years at school, only to be working for nothing? MoE has divided the curriculum into two pathways; the vocational and career pathways. Hence it is the time the Guidance Teachers are suppose to be working. To advise and allocate pupils in the rightful classes. Some of us went into institutions taking wrong courses because we had no people to guide us. It is at this time when we have realised…

  5. Comment: Guidance Services Must Be Put Into Considerations Now And Here. Without Guidance The Education System Will Have No Foundation Of Discipline To Shape Student Behaviour. Insights Of Education The Major Aim Is To Change The Behaviour To A Positive Behaviour That Will Be In Alignment To Education Teachings. However, Teachers Are There To Teach And Guidance Counselors Are There To Change And Discipline The Student Behaviour.

  6. Comment: I have liked it that there are still some people who are concerned with Guidance and Counseling in our Zambian schools. But the sad part is that the government does not fund the Guidance services fully. This trend has resulted in lack of adequate facilities and materials for Guidance and counseling centres in our schools. The fact that most Zambian secondary schools do not want to change from their old title ( careers office) to Guidance and Counseling office, has also affected its growth. I feel the Senior Education Officers (Guidance ) in provinces should stand up and work.

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