Suicide: Why every school must now have a counsellor – Head Teacher

The Head Teacher of a prominent school in Lagos, has said that schools without qualified counsellors are incomplete and cannot have quality products.

Quadri told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday that all schools required counsellors as many students showed signs of mental imbalance brought from their various homes.

The teacher made the statements against the backdrop of reports of suicides or attempted suicides in the country.

“Advice on future vocation, career and calling in life ought to be taken early in life.

“Students are likely to derail if not properly guided by expert counsellors,’’ Quadri said.

She said that depression was rampant in the country, and urged governments to invest more in training psychiatrists, guidance and counselling experts as well as psychologists.

“The state of affairs in the country today requires deployment of more experts in mental health,’’ she said.

The head teacher said that guidance and counselling professionals were few compared to the number of students requiring their help.

Quadri blamed the under-recognition of guidance and counselling experts in Nigeria to alleged absence of coordination in their training.

She added that Nigeria did not have a catalog of practicing guidance counsellors.

“Academics in universities and colleges of education need to synergise to standardise the discipline of guidance and counselling.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a 35-year-old medical doctor, Allwell Orji, jumped into the lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos over a yet-to-be-ascertained reason.

Less than a week after Orji`s death, the police rescued a 58-year-old textile merchant on Lagos Island, Mrs Titilayo Momoh, on the same bridge from jumping into the lagoon over an N18 million debt.