Written answers

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Department of Education and Skills

School Staff

Photo of Aodhán Ó RíordáinAodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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147. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will meet a group (details supplied) in order to establish equitable treatment in terms and conditions of employment particularly regarding security of tenure. [13513/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that I would be happy to meet the group referred to.

To work as a guidance counsellor in a recognised post-primary school a teacher must hold dual professional qualifications: that of post-primary teacherand that of post-primary guidance counsellor. There are sound educational and pedagogical reasons for the requirement to hold both as this is a complex role which involves both teaching, curriculum design, and guidance counselling and therefore requires a comprehensive understanding of the post-primary sector.

It is the view of the Department of Education that in order to be able to execute the full range of functions expected of the guidance counsellor in a post-primary school, a person needs to hold both qualifications. Notwithstanding the similarity of some modules in each of the three sector-specific teacher training programmes (primary, post primary, Further Education and Training - FET), teachers qualified to work in the primary or FET  sectors would still require post-primary sector-specific teacher training to be deemed fully qualified to competently work as a post primary teacher / guidance counsellor in a post-primary setting.

The Department of Education recognises graduates from approved education programmes in guidance counselling to work in educational institutions under the remit of the Department.

In March 2016 the Department of Education and Skills published a Programme Recognition Framework (PRF). www.gov.ie/en/publication/dce0a0-programme-recognition-framework-guidance-counselling/

The PRF sets out criteria and guidelines for providers of education programmes in guidance counselling who intend that their programme graduates will work in guidance services under the remit of the Department.

The criteria presented in the PRF has drawn on, and been informed by, the knowledge base from within Ireland and beyond. The Department of Education engaged in an extensive consultation process with stakeholders. Submissions received informed the further development and refinement of the PRF.

The PRF took effect from 2018 and programme providers will continue to need to ensure that their programmes meet the criteria and requirements as presented.

It is envisaged that the criteria outlined in this document will also inform future decisions by the Department of Education regarding the assessment of applications from individuals holding qualifications in guidance counselling from outside of the State, who intend to work in guidance services under the remit of the Department.

It remains the case that a person being assigned as a guidance counsellor must be a qualified and registered post-primary teacher with the Teaching Council and, in addition, hold the relevant recognised qualification for school guidance work. Staffing Arrangements in Voluntary Secondary Schools, Community and Comprehensive and ETB schools for the 2021/22 school. Department of Education Circulars 05,06,07/2021.

The Department of Education has recently established a National Policy Group group (cross-Government) to develop a Lifelong Guidance Strategy, a key recommendation set out in the Indecon review of Career Guidance Tools and Information.  The National Policy Group is chaired by the Department and also  includes in its membership the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Social Protection.

It is expected that in the development of a lifelong Guidance strategy, issues such as the role of the Guidance Counsellor together with appropriate qualifications to work in the various sectors and roles, will be given detailed  consideration.

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