Guidance and Counseling Initiatives for Overseas Filipino Workers' (OFW) Children in Selected Secondary Schools of Lobo District

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Increasing population of Filipinos working abroad affects the entire family left behind. Part of the mission of the Department of Education is to create a supportive and motivating learning environment for learning to happen. In response to this mandate, comprehensive guidance and counselling initiatives for OFW children was proposed.

METHODS

The initial purpose of the study was to propose guidance and counselling initiatives for OFW's children of Lobo District. Teachers were the respondents of the study while 136 OFW's children served as student-subjects. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in identifying the behavior of the students, while documentary analysis was used to identify the academic performance of the OFW's children. The statistical treatments used to gain the results of the study were weighted mean, frequency and percentage.

RESULTS

OFW children in Lobo were composed of both male and female from Grades 7 to 10. Most OFW parents worked as domestic helpers while few worked in Education and Human resource. Teachers described students' behavior in terms of personhood, social skills and classroom behavior as moderately manifested. There was no significant relationship between the academic performance and the profile variables of the OFW's children.

DISCUSSIONS

An awareness/orientation seminar regarding the proposed initiatives among school heads, guidance counsellors, teachers and parents in Lobo District may be conducted.