Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:

— confirms that schools are legally obliged to provide guidance and that the provision of 'appropriate' guidance is a statutory requirement under the Education Act 1998;

— recognises that the budgetary decision to include guidance provision in the standard allocation is an effective increase in the pupil/teacher ratio at post-primary level;

— condemns the Government's decision that will result in 700 schools losing up to 1,000 qualified guidance counsellors around the country, which will further result in guidance counselling being provided from within the standard teacher allocation;

— acknowledges that guidance counsellors provide a critical service to students by encouraging students to go on to third level, selecting which courses to study and also in offering advice and support relating to a range of personal issues;

— notes the ESRI's report entitled 'Improving Second-Level Education: Using Evidence for Policy Development' which states that the removal of guidance counselling in schools will impact most on young students from disadvantaged backgrounds in terms of going on to third level;

— agrees that guidance counsellors are the only persons in a school setting professionally qualified to provide guidance counselling to students;

— condemns the position that post-primary schools are now faced with, where they must either cut an essential service to students or drop another subject leading to reduced subject choice;

— acknowledges that at the end of February and in June this year a significant number of teachers will retire from our schools, many of whom will be qualified guidance counsellors; and

— calls on the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., to:

— explain the rationale behind his decision and the effect it will have, not only on the number of career guidance counsellors in post-primary schools, but also on subject choice in these schools;

— publish any impact analysis carried out within his Department relating to this decision and the effect it will have on the career guidance profession and on vulnerable students;

— clarify if the section relating to the provision of 'appropriate' guidance in the Education Act 1998 still applies and what the Minister now deems to be 'appropriate' guidance following Budget 2012;

— ensure that all second level students have access to career guidance and counselling services following Budget 2012 and that schools must continue to provide a certain level of guidance counselling;

— ensure that only those teachers professionally qualified as guidance counsellors will be allowed to provide guidance counselling to students and that no other member of school management or teaching staff will be allowed to provide guidance to students;

— clarify who will provide career guidance and counselling provision to students in the event that a school chooses not to replace a school guidance counsellor that retires in February or June this year;

— clarify if he envisages any guidance posts being advertised in the coming academic year and what the effect will be on specific postgraduate qualifications in guidance; and

— reconsider this decision that will result in the obliteration of the guidance counselling profession and have a severe social impact on young vulnerable students, particularly those with mental health problems or from disadvantaged backgrounds."

I propose to share time with Deputies Martin, Calleary and McConalogue.

Following the recent budget, career guidance and counselling provision at second-level will be managed by schools from within their standard teacher allocation. The Fianna Fáil Party believes this decision will lead not only to the end of the guidance counselling profession but its effect will be felt most by vulnerable and disadvantaged students.

This decision is an effective increase in the pupil-teacher ratio despite the Government giving the message at the budget that there was no increase. In the next school year, second-level schools will be faced with the choice to let go up to 1,000 guidance counsellors in 700 schools or let go other teachers, maybe in the science or language disciplines, leading to reduced subject choice. We may have bigger classes but likely casualties will be also foundation classes at leaving certificate level in subjects like maths and Irish. Again, the weakest students will suffer. The Government and the Minister for Education and Skills are, once again, hitting the wrong people with this decision.

Our motion refers specifically to the requirement to provide appropriate guidance under the Education Act of 1998, which was implemented by our party leader, Deputy Martin. We note the importance of career guidance and counselling right through second-level and we note that young vulnerable people need this support. We note the ESRI report, which states clearly, that the removal of guidance counselling in schools will impact most on young students from disadvantaged backgrounds in terms of going on to further and third-level education and we also note that guidance counsellors are those in a school-setting professionally qualified to provide guidance counselling to students. We ask the Minister to clarify, without further delay, what will constitute appropriate guidance as required in the Education Act 1998 following his decision.

A report of the inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills some years ago stated:

"Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence, that assist students to develop self-management skills which will lead to effective choices and decisions about their lives. It encompasses the three separate, but inter-linked, areas of personal and social development, educational guidance and career guidance".

A former chief inspector of the Department stated, as recently as 2009, that best practice involved the appointment of qualified guidance counsellors in the majority of schools and the whole school approach to the delivery of the guidance programme. That report recommended that all students have access to the services of a qualified guidance counsellor. Schools must now decide whether to deliver a guidance service or maintain subject provision and current class size. Guidance counsellors leaving the system before the next school year will not be replaced, with very serious consequences for the number of guidance counsellors in the school system within the next few years.

I hope the Minister can inform this House if his Department carried out an impact analysis on this decision. The Minister and other Members discussed the teaching of maths some time ago and the need to ensure we had people with appropriate qualifications in the classroom. Why are we going in the opposite direction in respect of career guidance and counselling, a system and method that is working very well?

Apart from the impact on the pupil-teacher ratio and on subject choice, we are concerned about the severe social impact of this decision on young, vulnerable students. There is widespread and supportive evidence on the importance of guidance and counselling. That evidence is contained in the National Development Plan 2000-2006, the Learning for Life: White Paper on Adult Education, the commission on the points system and the OECD report. The OECD report clearly outlined the benefits of career guidance in helping to reduce early school leaving and improving transitions from the education system to the labour market and overall a better use of educational resources. That is what we need when resources are scarce. The ESRI report is clear in its analysis of the benefits of career guidance and counselling. There is serious complexity involved in the work of the counsellor. Over the years that work and demand has grown and fortunately there has been an excellent ongoing professional development service with participation exceeding 90%. Guidance counsellors work at the coalface of education dealing with some very difficult and challenging social, personal and educational issues on a daily basis. We are all conscious of those serious challenges and the guidance counsellors' professional advice and support on a one-to-one basis is critical. Most of those issues could not be dealt with in a group setting. Many of these issues have greatly increased in the current economic climate. In many respects guidance counsellors are part of the school management and care team, liaising with staff and students, acting as advocates for students and being instrumental in drafting and implementing school policies around the welfare of students.

Our students need this help, that guidance and that support. Guidance counsellors constantly deal with referrals from the principal, deputy principal, year heads and class tutors, as well as having an open-door policy with students. They liaise with outside agencies and families; they help their students through their difficulties. Guidance counsellors are well-placed to identify issues as they arise and help ensure students receive necessary supports. Guidance counsellors have an enormous input and role in educational guidance, for example in the area of subject choice, college applications, personal references and individual advice on further education. Changes proposed by the Minister would see the loss of this support with the further implication for students making uninformed decisions affecting further study options and could well lead to increased numbers dropping out of courses and schools due to the lack of these necessary supports and advice at the critical time.

Research has shown that poor, insufficient, and absent guidance in schools is a significant cause of drop-out in further and higher education. We know the cost of drop-out to the individual, the family and the society. Career guidance also helps prevent early school leaving at second level. I have always recognised that guidance counsellors have worked tirelessly to create the professional service that is currently available within the Irish education system. They are a highly committed group of professionals who have the welfare of their students at heart. We are all conscious that hard choices have to be made but with cuts affecting other services the need for this professional and vital service within our schools is even more necessary.

It is simply not acceptable for the Minister to state that the appointment of 300 assistant principals will mitigate the career guidance and counselling loss. I welcome those appointments but year heads have a totally different role within school than guidance counsellors. Students need assistance in completing CAO forms, the HEAR, DARE and UCAS forms. Such work over the years has contributed to better access to further and third level education and we have made great progress in that regard. The access schemes at third level institutes will be greatly diminished without career guidance support. Last week in the House, the Minister stated that he had no doubt leaving certificate students will receive sufficient guidance, particularly in January, when they are completing their CAO forms. Guidance and counselling is not about the completion of forms and additional activity in January. The work of the counsellor is complex and essential and the present method of allocating teaching resources must be maintained.

Last April, we had the first debate on education in this Dáil when I tabled a Private Members' motion on behalf of Fianna Fáil, seeking the support of Dáil Éireann in prioritising and protecting funding for education. The Minister for Education and Skills, on behalf of the Government, generously agreed with the motion and it received the unanimous support of the House. This evening's motion calls on the Minister to ensure that a key and integral part of our education system is not dismantled.

If a service is not available in a school, households with a high disposable income will be able to buy in the service privately while the student from the less well-off home will, again, be the loser. It is not acceptable that our professional career guidance and counselling service should be dismantled and that the many vulnerable young people who need that assistance should be denied that support at a critical time in their education.

See this speech in context