School counsellors reject comments by Quinn on guidance

Guidance counsellors have rejected Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s suggestion that the impact of cuts to their service can be eased with greater monitoring of teenagers in class.

The minister said he would soon be recommending ways to improve communication in schools so teachers can alert guidance staff to the possibility of individual students needing help.

But the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, which says the amount of time its members have for one-to-one counselling of students with serious problems has been halved, said this is already happening but counsellors are not as available as much as before.