ABSTRACT

The presence of counsellors in school is not just for the sake of it, they are there to direct student on area they psychologically find them fit. The job of counselling towards a future career is not an easy one, the student has to be followed regularly within attitude and academic performance so that he/she will be directed towards his/her gift career. This project work researched into  the procedure involved  in  guiding and counselling student in the tertiary institution with a view to come up with the modernized system that would help in carrying out the activities effectively The problem  associated  with the  existing system were detected and  possible solutions to the problem were provided  in the new system . The new system is a computerized one, which works automatically; it is very easy to use, it is also interactive, cost effective. The new system is comprehensive enough, timely and accurate in report generation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Man in search of comfort ability struggle to meet up with good career and for this to be achieved, it has to be started as early as possible. Form time man is born, he is been studied to know what likely he will be able to do as he grows up. This has to do with his natural behavior and mental exercise display. This continues in family parents and other relaxation acting as counselling unit until the child goes in to school. In school the teacher takes over the counselling, it is   a continuous exercise until one finds his feet, then he can continues from there and equally be in a position to guide and counsel others.

According to Harthony (1990) stated that communication system carries a mixture of voice, data and image signals that are used effectively as intelligent rods in communication system acting as switches, multiplexes, demultiplexens protocol converters. Olorunsola and Ekong (2006) emphasized that the importance of computers in the exchange of electronic mail (e-mail) with other users, transfer of public domain software from another computer into another disk so that anybody can run the programme on the computer and hold conference with a number of other users. This is one of the major applications of computers in communication.  The introduction of office automation and information technology has assisted to strengthen information and service delivery. According to Bhuiyan (2011) major computerization and infrastructure development in the public sector in Bangladesh has been taking place to replace internal manual work processes by ICT-based automation. Similarly, the impact of computer education on the efficiency of civil services Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized. The civil servants need to be educated in ICT, so that the use of typewriters, filling of information on papers in cabinets, keeping of documents and letters in files are modernized through automotion.

The stages where much work is carried out on counselling is in secondary schools .This is a stage when a child is grown to be able to understand maturely and when the child’s attitude is fully studied in line with academic performance . In all secondary school across  the country , there exist a guidance and counsellor office where people knowledgeable in  the area of psychology are employed in order  to help advise the younger ones  in  school which  way forward to their future career . There people through class visitation, Observing students during recreation and calling on them at intervals for questioning, came to know the students betters and be  able to guide and counsel them in their future career probably in university or in any  other area of endeavor. The job of counselling in secondary school is not an easy job to be taking into consideration the number students involved with respect to the number of staff involved. It is always very difficult to handle all the students and to remember everything about the students.  This Counseling exercise needs a sophisticated   system for the operation of counselling alliterates some of the problem associated with exercise.

Personal behaviour and area of interest, they keep very close marks with the students to make sure that no stone is left unturned. This aspect of ones life is taken very seriously in schools because that is mainly the reason people go to school for the academics tests and examination only. The battle of career choice is handed over to individual when he/she attain a stage of being able to duct for himself what he/she really wants and how best possible to get such height. The person can steer the wheels directly to his destination or deviate in the other way due to carelessness or youthful exuberance; but the end justifies the means. Also, sometime due to laxity and incapability on the side of the career guidance and counsellor in schools, most of the students are led astray. This is mainly due to human approach towards the implementation the exercise which can be based at anytime.

In his own recommendation, Hook advised the computerization of the career guidance department for effectives and reliable react on the department activities Holyfield (1997) argues that a good career in life, makes a lot of meaningful process in life. He made this assertion that what without comfort and where is comfort without a good career; In his own views, it takes a long and rough way to arrive and clinch a good career but when  one  finally gets to it, life comes to be what nature  made  it be, life  remains unstable like a wondering man in the career is achieved through carefulness and hard work, desire of sentiments and other side effects which can thwart the smooth direction of ones futures. Holly field (1997)   made it clear and that life is associated with a good career  and  that  such a career is  what can give full meaning of life a priceless gift of nature.  Statistics shows that people who find good career are enjoying high standard of living and while the people who find good career are enjoying, the unlucky ones cry  of frustration and negatives social factors that limits life.  

1.1     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The number of students   involved in schools counselling are   very enormous and few staff in counselling can not handle the job effectively. It is always very easy to forget information about students and to reach all the students, contributes and problems. Another major problem of the counselling is information storage. The made of storage of information observed from the students in different forms is not reliable and this makes the counselling to apply guess work in trying to direct students in their future career work. This is a very big delay in taking decision on students concerning their future career. This is also because referencing to students information for decision making take s a very long time.  

1.2     AIM S /OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this projects work is to provide lasting solution to the problem affecting counselling exercise in secondary schools. The following objectives below are the study

-   To make the criteria and process involved in the exercise of counselling very easy and flexible 

-    To carefully take care of the burden, the staff faces in trying to do the work of counselling manually.

-   To provide adequate enabling environment for counselling on student to give them better career perspective

-   To maintain adequate observed information on students for future reference and quick decision taking.  

1.3     PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this project work is to probe into the developing a counselling software for schools with a view of creating awareness of the use computer in counselling with due consideration of this new technology advancement.  

1.4  SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study is of numerous important to the guidance and counsellor department and the society in general. It will help the counsellor to always direct the students in their best career area with happiness because it will be result oriented. It will help to eliminate the word frustration among the people which is very common in the society.  

1.5  SCOPE/ DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY  

The study covers the design and implementation of computerized career choice counselling system in secondary schools.      

1.6    CONSTRAINTS / LIMITATION
On the course of this project work, time and finance posed a major obstacle to the researcher. This is because the study conceded with the examination period and semester was too short  

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

COUNSELLING:  To give advise to another

SOCIETY: This is an organized group of people living together and having things together

AUTOMATIC: Work in  faster rate without much human direction  

PROMPT:  To motivate an action

RECREATION: Time that are not invested in working , time used for relaxing

ALLEVIATE: To reduce or less something    

SOPHISTICATED: Showing great  experience  

SYSTEM:  A group of thing or parts working together to achieve a purpose

PSYCHOLOGY: The study of mind and it’s function

'DATA':   This is a raw and unprocessed facts used in deciding or discussing something

RECORD:   To write down event so that it can be remembered

COMPUTER:  This is an electronic device that accept raw facts as data and processes it to give useful information.

INFORMATION:  Tthis is a fact that  has been processed.

SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION

Programming Language: Visual Basic

Programming Environment: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8

Software Requirement: Visual Basic Studio 6.0 or Higher Version