programme on Guidance, Counselling and Youth Development for
Africa is a response to the growing number of social issues
faced by African young people, particularly girls. Adolescent
pregnancies, unemployment, street children, child prostitutes,
HIV victims, drug abuse in the young and school dropouts are
foremost among the concerns of African Ministers of Education.
They have decided that the time has come for education systems
to play a more active role in the growth and the development
of young people. In 1994, UNESCO welcomed a proposal for Guidance
and Counselling from the African Ministers of Education as
a way of addressing these new trends within the African cultural
context. Since then, they have continued their appeal to UNESCO
to support their countries in implementing this programme.
people are without the support they need in their adolescent
years and the situation is not better for those going to school.
Teachers are not trained to provide guidance and counselling
and curricula do not address the relevant issues. In short,
the young are not taught life-skills. Education needs to take
the lead in addressing these issues.
programme is planned around the needs of girls, but does not
exclude boys. It is designed to train the trainers of trainers,
and is managed by a group of African Ministers of Education
supported by a Regional Technical Committee. It provides the
region with the institutional capacity to develop expertise
and materials on the latest knowledge and techniques needed
for guidance and counselling for youth development. The programme
offers regional training, leading to an in-service training
certificate on guidance and counselling for the trainers of
trainers and social and youth workers, and organizes local
workshops for trainers in their respective countries to disseminate
the programme at national level. The Training Package on Guidance
and Counselling, containing 8 training modules was prepared
by local specialists in consultation with other competent
agencies. The areas covered are: behaviour modification, gender
sensitivity, social work and adolescent reproductive health.
This package complements the academic programme, thus making
the education of the young more holistic and enabling them
to adapt better to their social and economic environment.