Vol. 417 No. 9
14 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if he will have arrangements made for a career guidance counselling service to be available in all post-primary schools for the two week period immediately after the issue of the leaving certificate results; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As I stated in my reply to Question No. 27 of 19 February last, I am very conscious of the need for career guidance and to ensure that greater numbers of pupils have access to it.
Significant numbers of our post-primary schools already have an ex-quota guidance provision and the Programme for Economic and Social Progress provides for still more schools to have such a provision over the next three years.
Guidance is given to students on an on-going basis during the course of their schooling. Pupils will have been advised of the various options open to them, depending on their performance at the leaving certificate examination, well in advance of the examination itself.
However, I do appreciate the special need for timely guidance and my Department will review the present arrangement with the teachers organisations.
I put it to the Minister that the two weeks immediately following the issue of the leaving certificate results are two of the most vital weeks in the lifetime of a student, when they make career choices, subject choices and lifelong course choices. Would he agree it is fundamentally wrong that, in those two weeks, substantial numbers of career guidance teachers should decide to absent themselves from schools, albeit on grounds of taking holidays? Would he not agree that it would be much more sensible to retain the services of such career guidance teachers for those two weeks — allowing them to take two weeks leave of absence at some other time of the year — thereby making their professional services available to the children badly in need of guidance at that stage?
I will discuss the Deputy's suggestion with the teachers' organisations. I understand what is behind his proposal. However, I have to say that, at best, that would have to be a "top-up" provision; it could not be the method of guiding pupils which must take place throughout the year on a broader range of issues affecting them. I will have the Deputy's suggestion, which is worthy of consideration, discussed with the teachers' organisations.
Does the Minister not feel a certain sympathy for pupils in the 800 schools who have no access to any career guidance facility or counselling service, who must unravel for themselves the labyrinth of information disseminated on third level courses; that were it not for the good work undertaken by the press educational supplements such students would find themselves in a state of total indecision, being unable to unravel the conundrum that is overall availability to third level courses?
I join the Deputy in expressing my admiration for the work undertaken by the writers of the special supplements in the newspapers and so on which have been very helpful. I do not think this difficulty can be solved by way of a two week crash course after the issuing of the leaving certificate results. I will have discussions with the teachers' organisations about the provision of some type of "top-up" service at that stage to see if it is practical. As I said, such a course would not of itself resolve the entire problem.
