Needs For Guidance And Counselling Services In Primary Schools As Perceived By Primary School Teachers
[A CASE STUDY OF ILORIN METROPOLIS]

Umoh (2004) highlighted some factors that are responsible for the development of guidance and counselling which in summary include:
-    Expansion in the enrolment of pupils and students in primary and secondary schools.
-    Skilled workforce
-    Automation in the world of work
-    Growing needs of youths in this country
-    Repeated change in the education system
-    Unrest in universities and other educational institution.
-    Problems of national integration
-    Changes in home and family life and problem of cultism.
As the nation become increasingly alarmed with school dropout, juvenile delinquents, drugs abuse and cultists, primary school guidance and counselling becomes important as a sound foundations for future academic, vocational, psychological and personal growth.
A guidance counsellor at the primary level will help learners become aware of the meaning of school in relation to life outside the school setting. Many children at this level attend school as a matter of routine. Guidance services in schools will enable the young persons to understand that what they are doing in school today will likely determine what they will do after graduating from primary schools.
Consequently, it becomes imperative to provide guidance and counselling for primary school children, counselling in Nigeria has to be given to recognition it deserve. This is because most future unhappiness of adults are rooted in their up bringing and training and in the way and manner their need were catered for and their concern solved in their early education period. Since maladaptive behaviour and problems originate in the primary schools, primary school guidance and counselling need to be explored, developed, applied and implemented in various primary schools. It is a status need to be par with secondary school counselling. 
Roles and Functions of the Counsellors in Elementary Schools
    The elementary school guidance programme is non-existence without the counsellor as it is primarily concerned with specialized service to pupils. The counsellor offer direct service through face to face contact with the pupil’s. the counselling, whether it is individual or group or play activities is the counsellor’s specialized direct contribution to the child’s development. As a pupil’s personal and social development. He works to enhance children emotional, development and education by promoting self-understanding, encouraging the use of special services. In the school, locating and referring them to other services outside the school. He does this in collaboration with his colleagues and other pupil’s personal services specialists. (Idowu, 1981).
    The counsellor, being a member of a regular staff share in their responsibilities, contributing his specialized skill, knowledge and experience in following ways:
-    Consultation: To counsellor in this consultative capacity is a resource person and shares and exchanges professional knowledge and information with other members of staff through the consultative process.
-    Placement: When new student arrive, he shares in the administrative staff’s decision in their initial placement and in the placement of students requiring specified programme.
-    Orientation: He also shares in the condition of an orientation programme for transfer of pupils and transferring to other higher institutions. Likewise, he orientates the pupils parents and the public on guidance programme for the optimum utilization of those who need their services.
-    Research and Evaluation: He conducts research on his programme and evaluates it while equally drawing he attention of staff to useful and important researches which they require to have and understand. In Nigeria primary school setting today, the idea of having primary school counsellor is yet to be conceived. The elementary school teachers may not be able to play the counsellor’s role. Since they do not have any training in this area. At least, a teacher may have training in this area. At least, a teacher may have a natural giftedness in offering advice and services to the pupils. In the resolution of their problem, through without the required expertise, it is therefore imperative that counselors be trained for this level of the education system (Idowu 1981).