The first "guidance workers" in schools were primarily:

The correct answer is that the first "guidance workers" in schools were primarily teachers who assumed guidance duties. Historically, the role of guidance in schools evolved as educators recognized the need to provide more holistic support to students beyond academic instruction. Teachers, who were already integral to the educational process, naturally took on roles in providing guidance and support related to students' personal, social, and emotional development.

In early educational settings, teachers often accepted the responsibility of helping students navigate challenges both in academics and in their lives outside of school. This informal role laid the groundwork for the more formalized positions of school counselors that developed later. As educational philosophies shifted towards the importance of addressing the whole child, it became clear that teachers were often the first point of contact for many students in need of guidance.

In contrast, the involvement of parents, administrators, or religious figures in providing guidance was less prevalent in the early formation of school-based support systems, as these roles did not primarily focus on the direct educational environment where students interacted daily with their teachers. Thus, the emphasis on teachers as the first guidance workers reflects an important historical perspective on the development of school support systems.