The inclusion of guidance and counseling program into basic education curriculum for quality assurance

Abstract
The study examined the inclusion of guidance and counselling programme into basic education curriculum for quality assurance in basic education. The study employed the use of descriptive research design. The sample consisted of two hundred basic education teachers in primary and junior secondary schools in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. Four research questions were raised. The use of self – designed questionnaire was employed which was validated by experts from curriculum studies and Educational Foundations and Counselling. The data gathered was analyzed with mean rank and standard deviation. The findings of the result shows the various guidance and counselling programmes to be included into basic education curriculum, the benefits derived from the inclusion of guidance and counselling programmes into basic education curriculum, the relationship between basic education and guidance and counselling and the challenges on the inclusion of guidance and counselling into basic education curriculum. Based on the findings, the study makes the following recommendations among others: Formal vocational education to be introduced at the Basic education level, so that pupils would be guided into the right thinking of appropriate careers to be perused, training and retraining of professionally qualified counsellors on regular basis and they should be involved in the formulation and implementation of curriculum for the basic education programme, well trained and competent Guidance and Counselling personnel, with thorough theoretical and practical knowledge, must be employed at schools. These people can help teachers to cope and deal with learners efficiently, government should provide adequate funds to all basic education in the country.