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.