Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 1432: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the recently published National Council for Curriculum and Assessment document, Draft Curriculum Framework for Post Primary Guidance; if it is intended to shift the focus of school guidance counselling from one to one encounters to a more classroom based approach; the consultations she has had with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors or other bodies regarding this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43940/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The NCCA has published on its website a draft curriculum framework for guidance in post primary education. This draft document has been sent to all schools and relevant organisations for feedback by the end of February. It was developed through the NCCA's consultative structures, which included representation from the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, and it was approved for consultation by the Council.

The draft curriculum framework outlines a range of learning experiences for students in the areas of personal guidance, educational guidance and career development. It reflects the importance of a balanced approach to guidance provision, both in terms of the coverage of a broad range of topics and skills and in terms of student access to guidance across all the years of post-primary education.

The purpose of the framework is to support schools in developing guidance plans aimed at ensuring all their students have access to appropriate guidance. It is in keeping with the Guidelines for Second Level Schools on the Implications of Section 9(c) of the Education Act 1998 relating to students' access to appropriate guidance published by my Department in July 2005.

The shift in focus relates to the need to provide guidance to all students and to make it available from the time a student enters second level education. This calls for balance in the provision of guidance between junior and senior cycle students. It also requires guidance programmes to be delivered through whole class activities, group work and individual provision.

In order to ensure that students receive guidance from first year, schools are encouraged to integrate guidance into other areas of the curriculum. Since many of the expected learning outcomes of guidance programmes are shared by other subject areas, for example, Social, Personal and Health Education, it follows that the planning and delivery of activities to achieve these objectives should take place in a collaborative way.

Regarding one-to-one encounters, my Department recognises the need for students to have access to individual guidance and counselling either at critical stages in their education or at times of personal crisis. There is no attempt to diminish the critical role of the guidance counsellor in this process. Instead, the objective is to ensure that optimum use is made of group settings where these can be effective and that guidance counsellors work collaboratively with subject teachers and other staff members to provide an effective programme for all. The time available for individual counselling should be determined by the school in the context of the needs of its students and school planning.