Developmental Problems Typical of Primary School Ages Pupil
- The primary school children face many development problems, which hinder their intellectual, physical, social, emotional, moral and vocational development. These problems include those of adjustment from home to schools, environment, truancy, school drop out, juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, indiscipline, aggression and stealing.
- The most common forms of delinquency among primary school pupils in stealing, it takes the form of steal1ing pens, rulers, book and money from the other classmate’s and school mates. Other pupil’s especially boys tend to be aggressive. They take to fighting, bullying of junior pupil’s damaging of school properties and mockery.
- Another common act of delinquency is cheating, some children cheat during the examinations and even in class tests bringing in written materials or copying from other pupil’s, pupils indulge in alcoholism and drug abuse if not checked, may lead to addition in late life (Aremu 2005). Also, some mature girls may be promiscuous, have boy friends among the mature boys and even teachers. Due to ignorance of family planning, some of the girls may become pregnant. Pregnancy may lead to abortion which result in dangerous consequences such as death. Truancy is another common maladaptive behaviour of primary school pupils. Pupils may run away from school or may live home on the pretence of going to school why roaming the streets only to return home at the close of school.
- The preventive and developmental potential of primary school guidance programme is all to frequently viewed as a “frill†that can be done without. As a result, the elementary school age pupil’s is easy to over look or ignore (unless her or she is one’s own child). Their problems if they exist at all are usually assumed can death with by the parents and by the elementary school teachers. One can not over-emphasized the need for primary school guidance and counselling. It is a psychological truism that is given to children early in life to cope with development tasks problems and to culture the right kind of attitudes behaviours, values and habits prevent serious problem later in life.
The Need for Guidance and Counselling in Primary School
The importance of the guidance and counselling function to the total educational effort is frequently misunderstood in the primary school. This misunderstanding has resulted in the lack of support for the development of school counselling programmes at this level. In spite of the strong support provided by the Federal Government, the provision of guidance service as not been accomplished of this level. Basically, these services have not been provided because school patrons and administrator and many teachers as not been convinced that these services are needed or necessary in the primary school setting. Yet, the fact remain that the primary school is the foundation on which guidance at there levels stand in other to sort the man out from the boys.
An adage says: “it is easier to train boy than two mend menâ€. This goes to support the popular saying that a dried fish is always difficult to bend. Some even feel that it is not possible to bend the fish when it is dry, when mal-adaptive behaviour are “nipped in the budâ€, the individual passes through a smooth development phase of (Akinyemi, 1999).
According to Odomelan (1991) is needed for the emotional, social, physical and moral, academic and vocational development of children. A few years ago, it would have been appropriate to point to the need for guidance and counselling service in the elementary school, research evidences, which as indicated the crucial important of the early grades in the development of an individual, as clarified this need.
Kagan and Moss (1962) for example state, it would appear that the school pear and school, environment (i.e. during age 6 to 10) crystallize behavioural tendencies that are maintained through young adulthood.
Meeks (1968) supported this premise by stating, in the earliest year of the child’s school experience education initiate attitudes and feeling which will probably determine life-long attitudes towards learning. The impact of the educational experience in this early days of formal education will assist or deters the development of satisfactory attitudes toward self and society. The important of the elementary school as a sound foundation for future academic psychological and personal growth was perhaps given new emphases as the nation became increasingly alarmed about school dropouts, juvenile delinquency and other social problems. As a result, this was a demand for more information in area of elementary school guidance and counselling that brought the genesis in 1967 and counselling and publication of at list a dozen books in field since 1968.
Perhaps the best answer to the question “why do we need elementary guidance and counselling? Is it that life those not begin during adolescent in the junior or senior high school? It begins at birth. Is would be idea if counsellor could somehow work with children before their formalized education begins. Since we cannot, we must do the next best things which too help children in elementary school.
Since childhood is the first stage of all these dimensions of developments and guidance and counselling aids in the development of the worth, dignity and maturity of the individual, it is then logical that the foundation of this help will be made at the primary school stage. A quick look at the general objectives of primary education in Nigeria indicates that the child must be thoroughly counselled before the objected can be achieved.
