Speech by Brendan Smith TD, Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education

Fianna Fáil Private Members Motion

Dáil Éireann, 17 January 2012

Check against delivery

As a result of Government cuts in the Budget, Career Guidance and Counselling provision will be managed by second-level schools from within their standard teacher allocation.

We in the Fianna Fáil Party believe that this decision will not only lead 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 trying to give the impression there was no increase.

Next year second-level schools will be faced with the choice to either let go of up to 1,000 Guidance Counsellors in 700 schools or let go of other teachers, maybe in the Science or Language disciplines, leading to reduced subject choice.

We may have bigger classes but likely casualties will also be foundation classes at Leaving Cert in subjects like Maths and Irish and 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.

In our Motion we refer specifically to the requirement to provide appropriate guidance under the Education Act of 1998; we note the importance of Career Guidance and Counselling right through second-level; we note that young vulnerable people need this particular 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 the persons 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 of 1998, following his decision.

A report of the Inspectorate from the Department of Education and Skills stated some years ago that

“Guidance in Schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence that assists 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, this will have 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 in relation to this decision.

However, apart from the impact on the pupil/teacher ratio and on subject choice we are hugely concerned about the severe social impact of this decision on young vulnerable students.

The Government and the Minister for Education and Skills are, once again, hitting the wrong people with this decision.

There is widespread and supportive evidence in relation to the importance of Guidance and Counselling. That evidence is contained in the National Development Plan 2000-2006, the White Paper Learning for Life 2000, the Commission on the Points System and the OECD Report. That 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 an overall better use of educational resources. Again, 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. I am sure that 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 their 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.

Research has shown that poor, insufficient, and absent guidance in schools is a significant cause of drop out in further and higher education and we know the costs of drop out to the individual, to the family and to society.

Over the years 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 and DARE and UCAS forms. Such work over the years has contributed to better access to further and third level education.

Last week, here in this 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, it is 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 seeking the support of Dáil Éireann in prioritising funding for Education. The Minister very generously, on behalf of the Government, agreed with that Motion and it received the unanimous support of this House.

We call on the Minister to ensure that a key and integral part of our Education system is NOT dismantled. If the service is not available in a school then the households with high disposable income will be able to buy in that service privately, whereas the student from the less well off home will be the loser. It is NOT acceptable that our professional Career Guidance and Counselling service will be dismantled.

Fianna Fáil Private Members Motion

Dáil Éireann, 17 January 2012

Check against delivery

As a result of Government cuts in the Budget, Career Guidance and Counselling provision will be managed by second-level schools from within their standard teacher allocation.

We in the Fianna Fáil Party believe that this decision will not only lead 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 trying to give the impression there was no increase.

Next year second-level schools will be faced with the choice to either let go of up to 1,000 Guidance Counsellors in 700 schools or let go of other teachers, maybe in the Science or Language disciplines, leading to reduced subject choice.

We may have bigger classes but likely casualties will also be foundation classes at Leaving Cert in subjects like Maths and Irish and 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.

In our Motion we refer specifically to the requirement to provide appropriate guidance under the Education Act of 1998; we note the importance of Career Guidance and Counselling right through second-level; we note that young vulnerable people need this particular 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 the persons 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 of 1998, following his decision.

A report of the Inspectorate from the Department of Education and Skills stated some years ago that

“Guidance in Schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence that assists 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, this will have 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 in relation to this decision.

However, apart from the impact on the pupil/teacher ratio and on subject choice we are hugely concerned about the severe social impact of this decision on young vulnerable students.

The Government and the Minister for Education and Skills are, once again, hitting the wrong people with this decision.

There is widespread and supportive evidence in relation to the importance of Guidance and Counselling. That evidence is contained in the National Development Plan 2000-2006, the White Paper Learning for Life 2000, the Commission on the Points System and the OECD Report. That 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 an overall better use of educational resources. Again, 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. I am sure that 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 their 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.

Research has shown that poor, insufficient, and absent guidance in schools is a significant cause of drop out in further and higher education and we know the costs of drop out to the individual, to the family and to society.

Over the years 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 and DARE and UCAS forms. Such work over the years has contributed to better access to further and third level education.

Last week, here in this 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, it is 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 seeking the support of Dáil Éireann in prioritising funding for Education. The Minister very generously, on behalf of the Government, agreed with that Motion and it received the unanimous support of this House.

We call on the Minister to ensure that a key and integral part of our Education system is NOT dismantled. If the service is not available in a school then the households with high disposable income will be able to buy in that service privately, whereas the student from the less well off home will be the loser. It is NOT acceptable that our professional Career Guidance and Counselling service will be dismantled.