Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2013
231. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of career guidance counsellors in Dublin schools for the academic years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20109/13]
View answerThe day to day management of how teaching resources are used in schools is done at local school level. It is established policy that guidance is a whole school activity and under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. I have already acknowledged that bringing guidance within quota is challenging for schools. However the alternative was to adjust the PTR staffing allocations. The budget decision sheltered the impact for all DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations.
Initial findings of a recent comprehensive survey by the National Centre for Guidance in Education on schools provision for guidance would suggest that even though there has been a cut in the allocation schools continue to prioritise the guidance programme and within it have increased group-work and class-based activity at senior cycle. This approach maximises the amount of time available for those pupils that need one to one support.
