IPPN

The cutbacks in education have caused much concern for guidance counsellors as to what kind of service can be provided for second-level students from next month.

All students should have access to adequate guidance, under the 1998 Education Act -- including educational, vocational and personal guidance.

School guidance plans regularly include attendance at events such as open days in post-leaving colleges, institutes of technology and universities; at national career exhibitions and at events organised by local branches of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

Visits to FAS training centres, local employers and industry are also part of most plans.

As of January, guidance counsellors don't know if they can continue to implement this important service because of the cutbacks in the budget for substitution for school business -- which hitherto covered their absence from the classroom.

Programmes designed by Steps to Engineering, ICT, PharmaChemical Ireland and Discover Science and Engineering to promote the uptake in science subjects and address the current -- and the forecast skills shortages in technology and engineering -- may also be jeopardised.

IBEC, in conjunction with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, organises annual conferences for guidance counsellors -- and 11 employment sectors presented at this year's conference. Counsellors also have regular meetings with the CAO, colleges and other bodies to keep up to date with changes and in an advocacy capacity on students' behalf.

To facilitate continuing professional development, guidance counsellors need to be able to attend seminars and conferences.

Often these enhance their skills to provide guidance and counselling to young people experiencing personal difficulties -- and seeking help in the first instance for self harm, eating disorders, bullying or suicide.

For example, the Irish Association of Suicidology's conference this year focused on 'Innovations In Preventing Youth Suicide' and was attended by many guidance counsellors and school staff. This was invaluable in the process of drawing up suicide prevention plans in schools.

Enlightened school management has always supported continuing professional development, but none of the events referred to above qualify for substitution cover under in-service training category, whose budget has not been cut.

Many demands will be made on the reduced budget for substitution for school business, as innovative programmes such as transition year and extra-curricular activities including sport and drama also clamour for support.

Will students get the guidance service they are entitled to? The Minister for Education and Science has stated that education is infrastructure, and he has preserved the schools building fund, literally the bricks and mortar of education.

But unless he reverses the cuts in relation to substitution cover many young people will be confined to the classroom -- feeling like 'another brick in the wall'.