A lesson too late for the learning minister?

As a guidance counsellor I always consulted the school maintenance person and the cleaner.

In fact I listened to everybody who came in contact with my students. They all had an expertise that was different to mine. Like all guidance counsellors mine happened to be in adolescent counselling and careers guidance – a support now needed by young people more than ever.

What’s everybody’s business is nobody’s. The Department of Education’s whole school guidance strategy is grand in theory but in it doesn’t work.

Asking colleagues overburdened already to accept additional responsibilities is neither fair nor appropriate.

The presumption that anybody can teach a careers guidance programme or counsel adolescents is akin to asking the music teacher to take the honours maths class or the minister for education to manage a kindergarten group.

If this whole institution responsibility catches on can we soon expect Dáil ushers to be allocated ministerial roles?

The recent independent survey on the impact of the guidance cuts paints a very bleak picture.

Since September there has been a 51.4% reduction in one-to-one counselling time and a 21.4% reduction in the overall provision of guidance services.

If these trends are allowed to continue our profession will be decimated within the next few years.

Minister Quinn is a fine minister for education. On this issue he acted on bad advice. The Taoiseach, Minister Kathleen Lynch and all concerned should stop their farcical rationalisation of a wrong decision. Let them put their hands up and admit it was a mistake that will be rectified promptly.

Meanwhile, encourage the cleaners, maintenance people and even the visiting post person to provide a listening ear.

But also facilitate the guidance counsellor to have the time and resources to act promptly and professionally where more than a listening ear is called for.

Richard Keane

Drumcondra

Dublin 9