IMPACT OF COUNSELLING SERVICES ON THE AWARENESS OF EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Secondary school education is an acute stage in the academic and career development of students. At this level, students are expected to make important decisions regarding subject selection, higher education, vocational training, and future careers. School counselling services play a vital role in helping students to understand available educational and vocational opportunities and assist them in making appropriate decisions. The present study examined the impact of counselling services on secondary school students' awareness of educational and vocational opportunities. A descriptive survey method was used for the study. The sample consisted of 200 secondary school students selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a self-constructed Awareness of Educational and Vocational Opportunities Questionnaire. The findings revealed that students who received counselling services validated significantly higher levels of educational and vocational awareness than those who did not receive counselling services. The calculated t-values for both dimensions were found to be statistically significant at the 0.05 level. The study shows that counselling services contribute significantly to students' awareness of educational corridors, vocational options, and career decision-making. It praises the strengthening of counselling programmes in secondary schools through trained counsellors, career guidance activities, and structured awareness interventions.