Students hit by course confusion
The trend which emerged from calls to the National Parents Council (Post Primary) helpline after the first-round CAO college offers is being attributed to poor access to guidance counsellors in secondary schools.
An eighth of the hundreds of calls received last week were from students or their parents seeking information about courses they had been offered.
“Many of them were only finding out the details of the course last week and realising it isn’t what they want to be doing at all,” said council president Michael O’Regan.
“A lot of them are backing out because they have discovered the course isn’t suitable.”
The helpline, staffed by guidance counsellors, received 3,000 calls when it opened for six days, three days after the Leaving Cert results and three days last week after college offers went out.
Mr O’Regan said up to one-in-five callers did not have enough access to a guidance counsellor in school, but parents believe these are the most important staff at second level.
“The students should be more prepared before they make those choices and it could also be a factor in high drop-out rates at third level as well,” he said.
Students have until Wednesday evening to accept first-round offers they received last week, with just over 70% of applicants having received an offer of a third-level place. The CAO expects to issue the next round of offers early next week.
At a special meeting of their executive committee in Ennis on Saturday, the parents council also called for a resolution of the substitution row which is looming as students get ready to go back to school.
Mr O’Regan said the council is asking the secondary teachers union ASTI to accept the deal on offer for supervision and substitution for the moment, while discussions could continue on their pay demands.
“There have been suggestions some schools might have to delay reopening, but we are hoping it will run smoothly enough,” he said
“No side in these disputes want to lose face but the bottom line for parents is that their children do not have their education disrupted again this year.”
As principals gear up to recruit supervision staff to cover for ASTI members who have withdrawn from these duties, school managers are being advised of vetting procedures for all candidates.
George O’Callaghan, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body representing voluntary secondary schools managers, said Garda clearance will be sought for every applicant and they must sign a form allowing this check.
Similar procedures are to be extended to all school staff, including teachers, and are being formalised by gardaí and the Department of Education.
