Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2014
210. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the impact of cutbacks in school guidance counselling services in post-primary school students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48531/14]
View answer222. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has received evidence from the Institute of Guidance Councillors, ESRI, ASTI, TUI and JMB on the impact of the cutbacks in guidance counselling; the numbers and percentage reduction in times for one-to-one counselling; if there are figures for non-guidance staff carrying out guidance counselling functions in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48716/14]
View answer223. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views that one-to-one time allocation in guidance counselling is fundamental in schools; if her Department is meeting its obligation under section 9(c) of the Education Act; if sufficient resources will be given to guidance counselling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48739/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 210, 222 and 223 together.
Since September 2012 guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. All 195 second-level school in DEIS have been given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools (23:1 in fee-charging schools).
Guidance and counselling are a whole-school responsibility, with guidance counsellors playing their part within an overall team approach. The representative organisations for school principals and school management have developed a framework that assists schools on how best to manage the provision of guidance from within their staffing allocation. Wherever possible, group work and class-based activity should be used to maximise the amount of time available for those pupils who are most in need of one-to-one support.
In February my Department published a guide to developing student support teams in post-primary schools. This is an important resource for schools in promoting and protecting students' well-being and an aid to establishing a team or reviewing an existing team.
Guidance counsellors have two distinct functions. The first is general career guidance and guidance on the educational opportunities a child or young person might pursue, while the second involves support for students' well-being. The principal and leadership of a school have the best knowledge and experience to determine how exactly guidance resources and teaching resources should be allocated.
