ABSTRACT
This study looked at the effects of guidance and counseling as an alternative to caning on secondary schools discipline. The topic attracted considerable research due to the instances of drug abuse, truancy, defiance and delinquency slowly taking riot in the learning institutions. It has been noted with regret that discipline has been greatly compromised hence falling academic standards. The purpose of the study is to try and examine how effective guidance and counseling has been in maintaining discipline among secondary schools students as opposed to corporal punishment. Some of the following questions guided the study: How has guidance and counseling been used as an effective tool in controlling cases of truancy, delinquency, and drug abuse? What are some of the educational problems associated with guidance and counseling as a tool in maintaining discipline in schools? The researcher hopeful that the research will be helpful to students, teachers and parents alike. The literature review focused on the use of rewards and punishment in behavior modification according to various scholars. The researcher used both the descriptive and qualitative approaches to gather infom1ation from H.O.Ds, students, parents, teachers and the schools principles. Questionnaires, interviews and observations were the instrun1ents used in data collection. The collected data was analyzed comprehensively in frequency distribution tables. Form the table, it is evident that 54% of those interviewed were of the opinion that guidance and counseling would be effective if combined with the use of punishment. I therefore recommend that the government comes up with a policy that will see punishment being used in hand with guidance and counseling to control cases of truancy, defiance, drug abuse and delinquency in the learning institution.
