asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to the social survey report on early school leavers in dead-end jobs, in which 84 per cent of a group of young school leavers stated they had never received advice, or information, on job opportunities, at school; and if he will make a statement on the plans of his Department to improve this situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Job Opportunities for School Leavers.
29.
I understand that the report on the survey referred to by the Deputy has not been published, but that some details of it were given by one of the speakers at a recent seminar in Dublin on "Youth Employment". If my information is correct, these interviews were conducted in 1966-67; the boys concerned had left school before they reached 14 and most of them had not received any form of post-primary education. The advent of the free education, free transport and free books schemes has transformed the situation since that time but as I mentioned in my Estimates speech there remains the problem of the small minority who do not now continue at school on a voluntary basis. We need to study the special requirements of these children and how to cater for them.
My awareness of the need for the provision of a system of pupil guidance is evidenced by the fact that a system of guidance for all post-primary pupils throughout the country has been initiated. For this purpose courses of training as guidance teachers in their own schools were given to selected teachers in 1968 and 1969 and it is intended to hold a further course this summer. It is proposed to continue with the provision of training programmes until the services of a guidance teacher are available in all post-primary schools.
Will the new schemes in operation give vocational guidance in all parts of the country?
It is given in a number of post-primary schools but not in all of them yet. We hope to have it in all schools.
Is there any question of giving it to primary children?
I cannot hear a word that is being said.
Your question comes next.
We would still like to hear the answers.
The point is that the public address system is not working.
The Minister may have his microphone covered.