Assessing the current status of counseling profession in secondary schools in Wolaita zone, south Ethiopia

School counseling service in the secondary school has fall in with numerous challenges due to attitudinal problems of stakeholders in the contemporary schools throughout the globe. The purpose of this study was to identify the present status of counseling in secondary and preparatory schools in Ethiopian context. In line with the purpose, a qualitative – explanatory research design has been used to evaluate the presence status of counseling service in the secondary schools. Generally, twenty-one school counselors and three zonal education officers have been parted in the study by using selective purposive sampling techniques. Counselors have some professional defects in the area of knowledge, skill and practicing of professional counseling services in secondary schools. Professional marginalization and discrimination is a common practice in the secondary schools that in other way hinders the professional growth and advancement of profession. Moreover, attitude towards counseling service, weak promotional ladder in education environment, lack of supervision and coaching, were the genuinely reported problems in the secondary schools. Scientific systems and structure has to be establishing to empower counselors to downgrade the upgrading status of psychological and social pathologies in the contemporary secondary schools. Procedurally and contently structured counseling guideline and counseling text books has be developed to expand counselors knowledge and skills in the secondary schools. On the other hand, universities should revisit their curriculum in how to delivering the courses in psychology and in the way how to rendering community service to raise community mobilization and participation.