Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling in Schools: Foundations, Student Development, and Educational Challenges

This study explores the role of comprehensive guidance and counseling (GC) in schools as a strategic framework for supporting students’ holistic development amid contemporary educational challenges. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach based on document and literature analysis, the study examines the conceptual foundations, developmental perspectives, and practical implementation of comprehensive GC programs. The findings indicate that comprehensive GC is a structured and developmentally oriented service encompassing preventive, developmental, remedial, and advocacy functions. These services are essential in addressing students’ cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and digital development across different age levels. The study also identifies key challenges faced by today’s students, including academic pressure, social–emotional difficulties, digital risks, and cultural and socioeconomic disparities. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that while schools have implemented various counseling practices, gaps remain between students’ complex needs and the availability of systematic, data-driven GC services. The study emphasizes that integrating GC into the curriculum, school management, and educational policy is critical for ensuring effective support systems. It concludes that comprehensive GC must be institutionalized as a core component of holistic education, supported by professional counselor competencies, collaborative school practices, and adaptive strategies responsive to 21st-century educational demands.