Guidance and Counselling Strategy in Curbing Drug and Substance Abuse (DSA) in Schools; Effectiveness and Challenges to Head Teachers in Kenya

Abstract

Drug and substance abuse (DSA) is and remains a major social problem world over. The purpose of the study was to investigate effectiveness of guidance and counselling (G/C) as a strategy for curbing drug and substance abuse in secondary schools in Kenya. Literature relating to guidance and counselling strategies and curbing DSA in schools was reviewed. The journal publication is an extract of a descriptive survey study conducted in secondary schools in Nairobi County – Kenya. The study sample was 35 head teachers, 35 Heads of Departments (HODs) for guidance and counselling departments and 420 students. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The findings show that Guidance and Counselling was the most preferred strategy for curbing drug abuse and all schools visited had a guidance and counselling teacher. However, majority of the head teachers and teacher counsellors lacked the skills for counselling drug abusers. Teacher counsellors also doubled as subject teachers hence lacked time for counselling students. Therefore, the benefits of Guidance and Counselling strategy have not been fully harnessed. The study concluded that guidance and counselling, despite being the best and most preferred strategy, was ineffective in curbing drug and substance abuse in secondary schools in Kenya.