Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

I am sure the Minister is well aware that an ESRI report stated that the scaling back of guidance counselling in schools will be most keenly felt among young students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such students are more reliant on advice from their school in making post-school decisions, particularly those relating to higher education entry and educational quality and standards. The guidance teacher is also a counsellor and he or she has an important role in a school. There is little doubt that children from less well off backgrounds are more in need of advice because they do not have the same support at home.

The route to successful adulthood can be an obstacle course and those from difficult backgrounds often fail it and opt out. Middle class children very often copy their parents to achieve a good standing in employment and life whereas working class children often have to throw off the role of their parents and aim for something better to find a better way in life for themselves. I understand form teachers originally were allowed four hours in community schools but given the pressure on schools, fewer form teachers are given time to operate. They also acted in a pastoral role. I acknowledge schools have the option of retaining the guidance teacher within their pupil-teacher ratio but that could lead to the loss of another teacher and, sometimes, a subject. The options are poor for the school.

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