Studies have shown that learners who receive regular counseling while at school tend to sail through the adolescence tides unscathed while those who don’t have access to counseling services struggle through school, especially the adolescents. Schools are expected to have counselors or a department in charge of counseling.

Lydia Atieno talked to Diana Nawatti Nsobya, a senior teacher and counselor at Mother Mary School Complex in Kibagabaga, on the importance of counseling services in schools. Below are the excerpts;

What inspired you to become a counselor?

After working with various schools for a long time, I realised most parents had less or totally no time for their children. And yet children need someone they can trust and rely on to share their problems both in academic and social life. As a teacher it was my duty to find ways of giving them that opportunity and to build their self-esteem. My happiness is to see them excel in everything.

How do you juggle the busy teaching schedule and counseling?

Although I was passionate about education, I realised that I could not do teaching alone. My intuition always called for something more and that would be to have an impact on the young generation. That’s how I started giving guidance and counseling to students. Later, I realised that students need someone they trust to share their challenges with in order for them to excel in academics.

How is your typical working day?

I have a tight schedule that I strictly follow. I teach for six periods and I dedicate my free time to guiding and counseling learners. I welcome any student who has problems to come at anytime.

What motivates you?

Empowering students to have an independent view of what they study other than sitting back and absorbing what is being taught in class. I also wish enable students grow socially, academically, spiritually and physically.

What are some of the challenges you face?

When dealing with a particular child, I first have to find out about the child’s background is. I visit the child’s home to find out the cause of the problem. But these days, parents are too busy with their work trying to make ends meet. They hardly have time when needed for an issue. Others just take it for granted and in the long run I find myself providing a solution to the problem in absence of the parent. This sometimes doesn’t solve the problem completely.

When did you start teaching?

I started teaching in 2006 in Uganda and served as teacher at A’level. In 2011 I moved to Rwanda and joined Mother Mary Complex School as the head teacher. Here I was charged with three special duties of teaching, mentoring and counseling

To what extent is counseling important as far as performance is concerned?

Counseling is very vital because it impacts students’ life by improving their outlook to school . Secondly, it creates an environment for students to find a path to a successful life. It also contributes towards building trust, confidence, love and understanding of the learners. In return, they have come to appreciate and adore school so much, thus excellent performance.

What do you think about schools that don’t have a counseling department?

Schools without counseling services are not helping to build a strong moral foundation of a child, based on knowledge and understanding of the learners we are educating.

In your experience as a counselor, what’s the biggest challenge you have ever handled?

I face many challenges, but the biggest one has been parents’ denial to accept that a certain problem is affecting their child mainly due to excessive love for them. By the time the parent realises the problem, it has completely affected their children’s academic and social performance.

What are the common problems that students have when they seek counseling services?

The common ones come from their parents, for instance, divorce and separation of parents. This hits hardest the children and with no doubt children coming from such families will be affected academically, if they don’t get good guidance and counseling. Also, insults and fights between parents in front of the children. These two are very common and if not addressed well, the child may be affected.

What would you cite as your achievements?

For the past 10 years in this field, I have been able to produce confident, innovative and responsible learners able to face the world on their own with fewer difficulties. I have had a lot of them coming back to share their achievements as well as to thank me for the good work I did, and that’s what keeps me going.

What is your message to the community?

Parents, teachers and the community at large should help young students in preparing their mindset to be able to compete at all levels. Again, students should always be encouraged to strive for the best. My goal also is to prepare young people of all ages to overcome all challenges.