The department started as Harden College of Education in January 1961, with 41 students for a two-years Diploma in Education Programme. In the 1961/62 session, the Department enrolled 40 studnets for the Bachelor Degree (B.A and B.Sc.) in Education. The students combined two teaching subjects with prescribed courses in Pedagogy. The title of the degree, B.A. or B.Sc. depended on whether the candidate studied an Art or Science subject respectively. In the year 1981/82 academic session, the Department of Education was reconstructed into one Department and two sub-departments:

  • Department of Educational Foundations;
  • Sub-Department of Arts Education;
  • Sub-Department of Science Education.

In the same 1981/82 academic session, the Department of Educational Foundation started a foundation programme leading to the award of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree that programme initially had two options:

  1. The Principles and Methods option, and
  2. The Guidance and Counseling option.

The Principles and Methods options died a natural death with the phasing out of Teaching Training colleges. Only the Guidance and Counseling option is now offered.
Philosophy
Philosophy underlying the undergraduate programme of Guidance and Counseling is in line with the core value of the University which focus on the moral rectitude for the production of globally competitive graduates that love universal truth for the upliftment of the society. Inexperienced students need to be guided alright in tier educational, vocational and socio-personal endavour so as to produce the total man. That is the essence of the Guidance and Counseling.
Objectives
The objectives of the programme are
1. To produce educational counselors
2. To produce professionally qualified educationalists who can impact on the behaviour of younger generation for the benefit of the society.
3. To train school counselors who can assume leadership positions in the Ministry of Education, College of Education and Universities.
Scope
The scope of the programme covers the three major alms of the Guidance and Counseling which include educational counseling, vocational/career counseling, socio-personal counseling, sensitivity training, practicum and special educational needs (SEN).