Reverse guidance counsellor cuts, say delegates

Delegates at the Association of Secondary Teachers conference voted for an “immediate restoration” of guidance teachers’ numbers which were badly hit in last December’s budget.

According to the motion, which was vigorously debated, cutting the guidance counsellor allocation “not only adversely affects a vital service in schools but also the pupil-teacher ratio”.

One delegate, Noel Buckley, said that in the minds of the public, guidance counsellors’ sole function was to fill out CAO forms with pupils.