Budget must help marginalised students

By piofficer, Monday, 22nd September 2014 | 0 comments

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is calling for next month’s Budget to reverse cuts which have been most damaging to marginalised students. A survey carried out by the union among schools and further education colleges this year shows the hugely negative effects of a cut to guidance provision (findings below). The union is also concerned by the damaging effect of the embargo on filling middle management positions such as year head.

Speaking today, TUI President Gerry Quinn said:

‘Young people face unprecedented challenges in today’s Ireland, yet it has become increasingly difficult for schools to make timely intervention to support students struggling with aspects of their education or even a personal or family crisis. As a result of cutbacks, posts such as year head have been gradually lost and schools have had to reduce the provision of guidance counselling. The capacity of schools to identify and respond to the particular personal, emotional and educational problems of individual students has been greatly restricted.

An embargo on the filling of middle management posts has been in operation since 2009, and schools’ dedicated, ex-quota guidance counselling provision was removed in September 2012.

The ESRI’s Leaving School In Ireland Longitudinal Study, published last month, highlighted the key role of guidance counsellors as a source of support for students from working-class backgrounds. The report drew attention to constraints on time for guidance counselling, particularly for more personalised, one-to-one discussion. Worryingly, this report was carried out before the 2012 cutback and, therefore, the situation is now much worse. 

In regard to next month’s Budget, we are urging the Minister to prioritise the interests of those students in poverty on the margins of society who have been worst hit by the effects of the recession by reversing the cutbacks that impact worst on them.’  

TUI conducted an electronic survey of 125 schools and colleges of further education this year on the impact of the cut to guidance provision.

The survey found that:

  • 64% of respondents cited curricular subjects displacing guidance and counselling since cutback
  • 42% of surveyed schools/centres experienced an increase in student numbers but a decrease in guidance provision
  • 91% of guidance counsellors spent less time than previously talking to stakeholders about subject choice
  • 37% were ‘not at all satisfied’ with their ability to respond to the immediate needs of students, 25% were ‘not at all satisfied’ with their ability to respond to crisis situations and 29% were ‘not at all satisfied’ with their ability to support general pastoral care activity
  • Practitioners felt that the role was becoming increasingly reactive rather than proactive
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