Implementation barriers of high school guidance and counselling services in the Manzini region of Eswatini: Towards enhancing diversity

Résumé fourni par la source

This study investigated the operational re­alities, structural friction, and professional challenges experienced by high school teachers delivering Guid­ance and Counselling (G&C) services in Eswatini. Us­ing a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design, the study explored the lived experiences of educators serving as both teachers and school counsellors. A pur­posive sample of 18 G&C teachers from nine urban, semi-urban, and rural high schools in the Manzini re­gion participated in semi-structured interviews and fo­cus group discussions. Data were analysed using the­matic analysis framework, with trustworthiness en­sured through rigorous quality assurance procedures. The findings revealed that G&C delivery is severely undermined by a complex network of institutional bar­riers, chiefly severe time constraints, combined over­crowded classrooms, insufficient administrative back­ing, chronic underfunding, and minimal parental in­volvement. These operational failures have directly triggered a proliferation of unaddressed student men­tal health issues, a degradation of academic perfor­mance, high counsellor burnout, and misinformed ca­reer paths leading to long-term underemployment. To combat these bottlenecks, participants advocated for cross-curricular infusion, cluster-based resource pooling, and digital adaptation. The study concludes that a profound chasm exists between progres­sive national policies and practical execution, limiting the capacity of Guidance and Counselling ser­vices to effectively respond to the diverse needs, backgrounds, and experiences of learners in Eswa­tini's high schools. It recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training phase out the dual-role system by deploying full-time, certified school counsellors, funding confidential counselling infra­structures, and strengthening inclusive counselling practices that promote equitable support for learn­ers from diverse social, cultural, gender, and educational backgrounds.