The Role of Home and the School in Providing Adequate Career Guidance to Students

By: Mary Grace B. Villaronte Teacher -III Maon Elementary School Maon, Butuan City July 17, 2012

Introduction: Many of the high school students nowadays are facing crisis in terms of career choices and career opportunities. Most of them are not fully prepared for college. This is an existing problem experienced by both public and private high school students in local and foreign lands. When these students are asked about career education curriculum they remained quiet. This is an indicator that they do not fully receive adequate information with regards to career guidance. It confirms to what Joyce M.A. Lugulus article on the effect of provision of career guidance information in secondary school on choice of degree program. She believes that the decision of which degree program to pursue at university is very important to secondary school, students, their teachers and parents. This importance is underscored by the fact that often, this decision determines the career that the students will take for the rest of their working lives. It is therefore, important that the proper decision is made, or if the wrong one is initially made, opportunity is availed to enable the student correct any mistakes in this important decision making process. At secondary school level, career guidance and counseling services must be provided to students. Based on her research findings, it was concluded that the level of career guidance and counseling presently provided in secondary schools need to be strengthened through funding, resource materials and training of more career teachers. Consequently, it was concluded that the level of career guidance and counseling provided in secondary schools to facilitate informed degree program decision making by students was low, therefore , inadequate . Appropriate degree decision making by students should accompanied by

comprehensive career information to enable them exercise the freedom of decision-making. (Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2 (4): 192-198). Another findings are made also by the Vietnam Education Science Institute that have been concluded in which it was found out 70% of high school students do not receive career education. The problem of many high school students now is that they do not know what they would study and what jobs they would take. A lot of students said the same thing that they would ask others or their parents to decide what to do next after finishing high school. Its quite a popular thing at high schools that students do not have adequate information about career opportunities. (http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/education/22616/highschool-students-thirsty-for-careerinformation.html).Therefore, career guidance is the answer to this crisis!

Body: School and home are both instruments to give adequate career guidance to students. The educational system of the school should prepare the students when it comes to choosing career paths. In order to achieve this, the schools should dedicate the beginning of every year to career guidance or include it in the curriculum. This will allow students to select subjects that are in line with their future plans. Moreover, career guidance could go a long way in giving the learners the confidence to decide where they want to be in future. Furthermore, teachers should take up the duty of career guidance. In addition, the government should deploy career counselors to schools to offer career guidance to learners on a full-time basis. If government cannot afford employing career counselors, it is best to have at least one career centre that will cater for schools in a specific region. In order to realize this, government should collaborate with communities, the private sector, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
(http://www.ngopulse.org/article/significance-career-guidance-highschool-learners). At home, parents are the father and mother

who provide the core of home education to their children. At the same time, they, as members of the societys workforce, receive young people at their workplace to provide work experience. In the local community, they are local residents who share the community with young people, including children outside their own family.
(http://www.jil.go.jp/english/reports/documents/jilptresearch/no.92.pdf ). Indeed, parents involvement and encouragement is truly

important! Studies have found that students with involved parents, no matter what their income or background, are more likely to- 1.) earn high grades and test scores and enroll
in higher-level programs; 2.) pass their classes, earn credits, and be promoted; 3.) attend school regularly; and 4.) graduate and go on to postsecondary education.

(http://txcc.sedl.org/resources/briefs/number2/). Meaning to say that career guidance gives more information to parents and students about career opportunities, thus helping them choose the careers suitable to their ability, health and hobbies. Students can draw up long term plan to follow to obtain their goals. If they exactly know what study majors they would follow, they would be able to prepare themselves soon to get adapted to the new circumstances. It is a prevailing situation that students and parents nowadays do not have information about their job opportunities, because they cannot find the information about the training structure and the manpower demand.

Conclusion: The writer strongly believes that school and home act as partners in building and developing career guidance to the students. They are one of the most influential agents which help the students to be informed about career education and career choices as well as career opportunities. Since the school and the parents are partners of the academic socialization of their students then it means that they are helping them to make their career paths more visible. Students are given the opportunities to explore themselves on what they would study and what job they would take. Meaning to say, the students are being guided through career planning and

career coaching so that the final decision comes from them. The school should have a career guidance book which gives useful information and advices directly to the students. The home also should also help their children to find out available career path options which answer this question Am I now satisfied to answer my thirstiness about career guidance? Finally, the students are able to decide to follow a career path based on the career choice made not on the knowledge and experienced gained.

References: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/education/22616/highschool-students-thirsty-for-career-information.html (Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2 (4): 192-198). http://www.ngopulse.org/article/significance-careerguidance-high-school-learners http://txcc.sedl.org/resources/briefs/number2/ http://www.jil.go.jp/english/reports/documents/jilptresearch/no.92.pdf) http://txcc.sedl.org/resources/briefs/number2/