Parents want more career guidance at second level

TOO many Junior Certificate subjects and not enough guidance are among the biggest concerns parents have about second level education, a major study has found.

A report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), one of the first detailed examinations of Irish parental involvement at this level, finds broad satisfaction for most aspects of their children’s schooling.

The parents of almost 500 fifth- and sixth-year students at 12 schools responded to a questionnaire on topics, including how they chose their child’s school, perceptions of junior and senior cycle curricula, and information from the school about students’ educational decisions.

More than 50 parents were interviewed in depth in late 2007 for the study commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and Department of Education.

The ESRI says they were very, or somewhat, satisfied with schools in relation to personal and social supports, the range of subjects, learning support, career guidance, teaching quality and extra-curricular activities.

However, while the vast majority feel the level of difficulty of Junior Certificate subjects is about right, more than one-third of parents felt their children took too many subjects.

In some schools, parents said students have very little choice of subjects in first year, but others reported a taster period of up to 21 subjects after which decisions are made.

Several parents emphasised a lack of formal guidance during the subject choice process, and some said they only realised the implications later when Leaving Certificate subjects were up for decision.

One mother suggested the Department of Education or schools should have a booklet to tell parents the values of different subjects.

“[The school was] informative but I know my [son] hadn’t a clue what he wanted to do, he was basically going by what I told him, or his friends told him, or something like that,” a father wrote.

The question of subject overload and pressures created by the Junior Certificate are part of a public consultation by the NCCA as part of a review of junior cycle sought in 2009 by former education minister Batt O’Keeffe.

ESRI researchers Delma Byrne and Emer Smyth found that almost one-in-four parents are not satisfied with career guidance, mainly because they would like to see more provision rather than having concerns about the quality of what is available.

Many parents want increased guidance at crucial transition points, such as choosing Leaving Certificate subjects with relevant information on course content and related college or career paths.

“Definitely the career guidance is something that I just think there is not enough of,” one woman said about her son’s school.

l The Choices supplement in tomorrow’s Irish Examiner offers advice to college applicants on the Central Applications Office (CAO) process and going to college in 2011, including entry points for all courses last year.