The need for career guidance and counseling in school: a case study of papua new Guinea

The objective of this study is to analyze the education system of Papua New Guinea regarding the state of career guidance and counseling in the school system through a critical analysis of educational reform documents and perceptions of teachers, students and parents. The rationale is to offer recommendation for improvement where there seems to be a challenge. The study used a mixed of empirical and qualitative research method. This approach enabled the researchers to widely scrutinize different education policy documents and apply a semi-structured interview guide and semi-structure questionnaire for 22 respondents (teachers, students and parents) respectively. Specific results from the study revealed the absence of a policy framework for career guidance and counseling in the school system of Papua New Guinea. Therefore, the paper recommends the promulgation of a comprehensive policy for career and guidance counseling in the school system with compulsory directive for implementation.