Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to take this Adjournment matter. There has been much speculation and discussion on the decision to cut career guidance teacher numbers. I would like to come at this issue from a different slant. There are several secondary schools in my constituency with between 200 and 300 pupils. As such, they do not have the magic 500 required to have a dedicated career guidance counsellor. In recent few weeks, I have spoken to a number of part time career guidance counsellors about this decision. Some of them divide their time between career guidance and teaching in the classroom. In other words, they provide career guidance for 11 hours and teach in the classroom for a further 11 hours, which is the ideal scenario in terms of career guidance.

It is important that career guidance counsellors are involved in teaching for a number of hours but are available to students to assist on issues such as completion of CAO forms and so on. Also, career guidance offers teachers an opportunity to engage on a one-to-one basis with students with whom they could not engage in a classroom setting. One of the career guidance counsellors to whom I spoke told me that while previously she engaged in career guidance-teaching on a 50:50 basis, as a result of this cut she would only provide three hours of career guidance. This means it will only be possible to work in a classroom environment and there will be no one-to-one intervention into the future, which causes me some concern.

Like many of my colleagues here, I did not benefit from career guidance when I was at school. The one-to-one approach is extremely important. Removal of this service means vulnerable students will fall through the cracks. Students whose families can afford to retain professional career guidance will have choices, options and contacts in terms of their aspirations to attend college and so on. The last thing we want - I am sure the Minister will agree - is for the most vulnerable in our society to suffer as a result of this cut. This will force school managers to concentrate on the core subjects and career guidance will be an addition, if possible. It will not be a necessary centre plank of second level education. I accept that reform in this area was needed and that there are probably better ways of providing this service than has been the case up to now. I do not believe telling schools this service must now be provided out of budget is the right way to go. This will force school managers trying to compete with the current points system to kick career guidance down the line. The brightest always seem to shine and set the agendas within the classroom, leaving the vulnerable students at the back of the classroom, who possibly do not come from a background which instilled confidence in them, to fall through the cracks. I look forward to hearing the Minister's reply.