COMPETENCIES AND CHALLENGES OF DESIGNATED GUIDANCE COUNSELORS: IMPLICATION TOWARDS SELECTION POLICY

Guidance and Counseling has been identified with a vital role in educational setting all over the country, aiming to the international role of improving all aspects of quality education (Ngumbi, 2004). In fact, the Philippines has passed the Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004” to regulate the practice of guidance and counseling in the country (Gazette, 2013). However, there are only about 2,000 registered guidance counselors, servicing some six million high school students in the country (Flores, 2003). Thus, descriptive survey research and individual interview were utilized. This study aimed to determine the competency and challenges of public schools’ designated guidance counselors. The findings from this study could contribute to the development of a program and policy in designating guidance counselor in public school. Results from the study revealed that majority of the respondents aged 41 - 50 years old, college graduate, married, with 1-5 years and 21 and above years’ work experience as designated guidance counselors. All of the respondents were females. In addition, all school heads or principals had their self-determined criteria as basis in selecting designate guidance counselor. However, there is no documented nor written policy in selecting designated guidance counselor. The designated counselors had a knowledge about the function and scope, qualification, and personal characteristics of school counselors, but limited. The perceived assessment of the designated guidance counselors’ competencies in terms of knowledge, skills and ability, attitudes, and values based from ASCA model was that the respondents feel competent. Moreover, the study also revealed that the designated guidance counselors’ perceived that there was often a challenge in terms of motivation, counseling skills, guidance facilities, and support. It also revealed that there was a significant difference on the perceived competencies of the designated guidance counselors in the elementary and high school in terms of knowledge, abilities and skills, and attitudes. On the contrary, there was no significant difference on the challenges of the designated guidance counselors in elementary and high school in terms of motivation, counseling skills, guidance facilities, and supports. Based on the findings of the study, a proposed selection policy of designated guidance counselors was recommended.