INVESTIGATION INTO NON-PATRONAGE OF THE COUNSELLING UNIT BY THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION PANKSHIN

ABSTRACT
This project investigates the non-patronage of the counseling unit by the undergraduate students of Federal College of Education Pankshin as well as the hindrances to effective implementation of the guidance and counseling services by the counselors. The possible factors that are militating against the effective patronage of the counseling units by students, and the role of the counselor in promoting the patronage. Data were collected using the questionnaire which were distributed to undergraduate students and the college counselors. The data were presented using simple percentage. It was discovered that, there are available counseling units in the college, and the college counselors had created its awareness to students, but students out of shyness and redundancy have neglected the counseling unit. Only a few students are not aware of these available counseling units. It was also discovered that the guidance and counseling programme plays a vital role in the lives of students especially when it comes to decision making and choiced expectations, but most students failed to understand this. It is the position of this project that for students to make good choices both in their educational, vocational and personal social aspects of life, they need to visit the counseling units for proper counseling and advice. The implication of these findings were discussed and recommendations made so as to improve the programme. Suggestions were then made for further studies.

CHAPTER ONE
1. Background of the Study
The importance of having a counseling unit in a tertiary institution, especially Federal College of Education Pankshin L.G.A of Plateau State, cannot be overemphasized. However, so many students of different cultures and tribes come together to achieve a goal which is a certificate in education. Most of these students on reaching the campus, change entirely in their proposed behaviours and that is why educational institutions are striving hard and tirelessly to incorporate counseling units which can be accessible to students.
As societies and individuals, we have progressed to a more formalized understanding of effective mental health practices in aiding others. One of such practices is that of individual students and non-students counseling.
The Outburst of Indigenous Guidance and Counselling in Nigerian
The guidance practice is as old as man, counseling started right from the time man began to exist. Man sought for advice from his neighbours and those he felt are in position to render guidance and counseling even though, this practice was informal, the services rendered by religious priests, Imams, elders etc towards meeting the needs of the society or community was highly appreciated. Before the emergence of formalized guidance, Nigerians solved their problems and gave pieces of advice through what is currently known as “traditional guidance”. They were their brother’s keepers. Parents, title holders, friends, Imams and Priests were known as instruments of guidance, helping individuals to overcome their education, social, occupational, and personal problems. These set of people listed above, used their wealth of knowledge, age, experiences and status to guide and counsel people on their problems. The indigenous counseling was less tasking until the outburst of the modern counseling.
Though the modern counseling employs more tasks, it offers professional services that will deepen an individual’s plight to understand himself and his world. According to Tambawal (2012), Guidance and Counselling is considered an important part of education as it enables the students to adjust better and fit in the school system. Guidance and counseling services were designed to give vocational, educational, and personal-social guidance to students, to help them choose good careers, subject/courses and good choices about the person’s life, but due to the present dynamics of socio-economic, socio-educational and socio-cultural systems in the college, poses some challenges to the non-patronage of the available counseling units in F.C.E Pankshin.
Due to the changing nature of students endeavours, the counselors in the counseling units must come with a corresponding change in the programmes which is intimately connected with the curricular and co-curricular programmes in the educational system that is designed to shape the Nigerian students of F.C.E Pankshin have for a long time not been given the needed and supposed attention both by the students as well as the professionally trained counselors. Many students come to school without knowing the necessary steps to begin with, majority on arriving, fall prey to cultism, alcoholism, drug addicts, prostitution and negative students to curb it all. As a result, some are expelled and driven away from the college, their primary aim then becomes aimless.
The needs of students are not fully met because of the laxity of understanding themselves and the socio-economic and political environment respectively. It is imperative therefore, that the necessary structures and services be put in place for implementing an effective guidance and counseling unit in F.C.E Pankshin so that the Nigerian educational system would produce people with tangible skills to avoid increase in unrest and crime rate to which the youths are more vulnerable and prone to commit. The need for an effective counseling unit and professional counselors in F.C.E Pankshin cannot be overemphasized. If the counselors create awareness to students, it will play a giant role in drawing the attention of the students to the circle and the students will no longer shy away from these necessary and free-giving services. The presence of the counseling unit and the counselor will go a long way in eliminating the canker of ill-education, mis-education and un-educated graduates.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
Being a student, the research has really experienced what students go through on campus. They find themselves engulfed in personal adjustment problems, feelings of insecurity, low academic achievements, peer influence, loneliness, conflict with fears, low self-esteem, the quest to make good grade and as well stress. Guidance and Counselling units are set up in tertiary institutions with professionally trained guidance counselors with the intent of guiding, directing and assisting students to solve their problems as well as develop their potentialities. Unfortunately, the counseling units in F.C.E Pankshin are not being given the desired patronage by students due to some factors.
The counselor is not seen working with the zeal and versality expected. It is then worthy to research into the non-patronage of the undergraduate students of the counseling unit of Federal College of Education Pankshin in Pankshin L.G.A of Plateau State.
1.3. Purpose of the Study
According to Anagbogu (2012), “counseling is a means of providing the most useful educational activities to help meet the needs, aspirations, goals and objectives of the students, the parents and the society in general”. This shows that it is important for counselors to operationalize the terms “Guidance and Counselling” to enable them provide a better framework for the roles they will play within the school. Guidance and Counselling pays attention to the most important human characteristics that aid man to make useful decisions on his present and future maximum development.
Tambawal (2012), opines that, Guidance and Counselling is an important part of educational process as it enables the students to adjust better and fit in the school system. When a student adjusts well in school and is assisted in finding his routes about the school, the complicated curriculum, and the complicated environment, he will definitely adopt a positive attitudes towards learning and set his goals on target. This research is therefore, carried out in order to:
i. Find out the reasons behind the non-patronage of the counseling units by the undergraduate students of F.C.E Pankshin
ii. Find out what Guidance and Counselling really means to the undergraduate students and how they perceive it.
iii. Identify the consequences behind the non-patronage of the counseling units in F.C.E Pankshin.
iv. Explore some measures that could promote patronage of the counseling units by the undergraduate students of F.C.E Pankshin.
1.4. Research Questions
In carrying out this research, the researcher will ask questions such as:
a. Are there counseling units in F.C.E Pankshin?
b. Are there professionally trained counselors in the counseling units?
c. Are the students aware of the counseling units and the counselors?
d. Why do students withhold themselves from the services offered freely in the counseling units?
e. What factors prevent the counselors from delivering effective services as supposed?
1.5. Significance of the Study
The counseling unit is one of the vital and essential parts of any educational setting, and trained guidance counselors with the zeal to bear and direct students, it is important that the counselors create awareness services to students on campus to bring them to understand the benefits of guidance and counseling in their lives. Identifying problems that hinder students from patronizing the counseling unit will go a long way in helping the development of the students’ potentials and attitudes.
This study brings out the needs for making the guidance and counseling services a part and parcel of the everyday life of the students. It is also to help students to develop their potentials in all fields of human endeavors. Guidance counselors will be exposed to emerging obstacles in the delivery of their services to students. This study will also bring suggestions to both students and guidance counselors as to the way forward on the patronage of the counseling unit of F.C.E Pankshin and the world at large. It will also serve as a source of reference material and add up to the already existing knowledge of the students/counselor rapport and also the development of the programme.
1.6. Theoretical Framework
The researcher will adopt the existential theory for this research project.
The existential theory is a philosophical method of therapy that operates on the belief that inner conflict with the givens of existence. These givens as noted by Irvin D. Yalom, are the inevitability of death, freedom and its attendant responsibility, existential isolation and finally, meaninglessness. These givens are also referred to as ultimate concerns, form the body of existential psychotherapy and compose the framework in which a therapist conceptualizes a client’s problem in order to develop a method of treatment, (Cooper, 2003). These givens are seen as predictable tensions and paradoxes of the four dimensions of human existence, the physical, social, personal and spiritual realms.
The proponents of the existential theory are many and with different backgrounds. This theory is made up of theology, philosophy, psychiatry and psychology in the tremendous effort to understand human emotions and behaviours. This theory is a phenomenological therapy, this means that, understanding people requires trying to see the world through their eyes. Phenomenology stresses awareness, consciousness and perception. The proponents of this theory are: Soren Kierkegard (1813-1855), Paul Tillichia Theologian, Martin Heideger, Jean Paul Sartre, Eugene Minkowski, Ludwing Binswanger and Rollo May. The existential theory explains that a counselor attaches a lot of importance to his client, he holds him in high regard and esteem. The goal and aim of counseling is to make the uniqueness of the client or student clearer. The counselor must not view the client or student as an object to be manipulated, but as a human being like him. For the client or student to become aware of similar qualities in himself, the counselor ought to be humane and welcoming through this process the individual will realize his potentialities and achieve self growth which becomes his responsibility.
Counsellor’s basic task is to enter into the client’s world and participate with him in the realities, the counselor sees the client as a partner and the reason for doing so is to improve his rapport with others and to also foster freedom within the counselee. This theory then implies that the counselor is indebted to his clients and does not see his client as too problematic, but holds them in high respect showing a sign of hospitality. Students also should feel at ease when visiting the counselor. Guidance counselors who are employed for his purpose should not have extracurricular activities but should always avail themselves to the students for counseling and the students also have their roles to play such as:
a. Students should take responsibilities of their choices (whether to visit the counseling unit or not).
b. Students should learn to do the right thing (visit the counselor, patronize the unit).
c. The student should not just follow the crowd but should maintain his individuality.
1.7. Delimitation of the Study
Guidance and counseling in institutions is very vital and so does the counseling unit. However, for a vigorous research on the non-patronage of the counseling unit to be carried out, the research is limited to the undergraduate students of Federal College of Education, Pankshin with the hope that this research work would be an added knowledge to the already existing ones.

1.8. Operational Definition of Terms
The operational definition of terms brings out the meanings of the words in this project which might not be well understood by a common reader. The essence is to make known to whoever may want to glance at this work what the particular work in that passage is trying to pass across. These words are outlined below;
– Guidance: This is a process of helping an individual to understand himself and his world.
– Counseling: This is a one on one interview or interaction between a counselor and a counselee, the aim is to assist individuals to solve problems that arise in various aspects of their lives be it education, vocational or personal-social problems.
– Counseling Unit: The counseling unit is a formalized part of a building in which counseling takes place. During counseling, only the counselor and the counselee are meant to be present for the purpose of confidentiality.
– Counselor: A counselor is a professionally trained and certificated personnel who is employed into the counseling unit to attend to the needs of clients or counselors.
– Awareness: This means having the knowledge that something exists or understanding of a situation or subject at the present time based on information or experiences.
– Counselee: A counselee is one who is being counseled.