Factors Considered in the Appointment of Guidance and Counselling Personnel in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

This study aimed at establishing the factors considered in the appointment of guidance and counselling personnel in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya, and assessing the training level of teacher counsellors in secondary schools. The study was conducted using the descriptive survey research design, with a sample that comprised of 15 school principals and 15 teacher counsellors who were selected using stratified random sampling. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect research data. The study established that the factors that were given importance were ability to handle confidential matters, devotion to duty, professional experience as a teacher, ability to interact with students, and age with a preference for elderly teachers. After appointment, teacher counsellors were sponsored by their schools for seminars and workshops. The study concludes that Kenyan secondary school principals do not put emphasis on training when appointing teacher counsellors.

Keywords: Guidance and counselling; Appointment of teacher-counsellors, Teacher-counsellor training