Makerere University School of Education is contemplating the implementation of mandatory training in career guidance and counseling for its students. This proposal aims to equip future educators with the necessary skills to provide support and guidance to students regarding their career paths. Prof Anthony Mugagga Muwaga, the principal of College of Education, revealed this intention during discussions held yesterday with various stakeholders in education, including representatives from high schools in Kampala, head teachers, deputies, principals, deans, and career managers and counselors. The announcement was made at the second career guidance and counseling conference organized by the Aga Khan Schools at the Aga Khan School, Old Kampala.
Prof Muwaga emphasized the importance of integrating career guidance and counseling into teacher training programs, citing the myriad challenges students face, including social, economic, HIV/AIDS-related, depression, and psychic issues. He highlighted the scarcity of well-trained counselors, necessitating educators to extend their roles beyond academic instruction to provide essential psycho-social support to learners.
Furthermore, Prof Muwaga noted the stark contrast between international and local schools in terms of teacher-student ratios, with local schools often facing overwhelming class sizes. He particularly emphasized the difficulty in providing personalized psycho-social support in stream classes where student numbers can reach nearly 700. To address these challenges, Makerere University plans to retool over 7,000 student teachers and faculty staff with counseling and career guidance skills starting from the next academic semester.
Mahmoud Sayani, the chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Schools, underscored the significance of such initiatives in bridging the gap between student needs and available counseling resources. He highlighted the partnership with the IC3 Movement, which offers free training to teachers worldwide, emphasizing the importance of helping students identify their skills and career pathways. By empowering teachers to serve as counselors, the initiative aims to address the evolving demands of education and cultivate a new cadre of counselors capable of guiding students effectively.
Ganesh Kohli, the founder of the IC3 Movement, reiterated the critical role of counseling and career guidance in schools, emphasizing its impact on mitigating attention span issues, improving mental health and wellbeing, and enhancing the school-parent relationship. He urged Ugandan schools to prioritize counseling as a central function rather than a peripheral one, emphasizing the transformative potential of providing students with proper guidance and support.
