Your education questions answered by Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

Having read your recent article regarding subject choices for students entering fifth year, I attended a meeting at my daughter's school on this matter. I was shocked to discover that the options available to her were far more restricted than those available to her older sister, who sat her Leaving Cert four years ago. The principal explained that as my daughter's year group was made up of only 40 students, their subject options were quite limited.

A neighbour's child is in the same year as my daughter and attending a fee-paying school, her choice of subjects seems to be almost unlimited. As a taxpayer, I object strongly to the fact that my daughter cannot exercise all her subject choices. Has the ordinary second-level school become a second-class service?

The situation you describe is quite common, especially in areas where there are large concentrations of fee-paying schools, although this is not the main reason for the problem. Since your older daughter made her subject choices six years ago much has changed in the student population of second-level schools. From a birth rate of 70,000 in 1980, the figure dropped during the following 10 years, to fall below 50,000 by the end of that decade. It has stayed in or around that level since then.

The cumulative effect of greater wealth and smaller familieshas meant that there are a third less children available to schools nationally - and in areas where parents can opt for fee-paying schools the number of students available to non-fee paying schools can be even smaller.

As the number of students determines the number of teachers in any school, the range of subject options decreases as teachers retire and are not replaced. The opposite is true in the fee-paying schools, which have actually seen an increase in their student numbers, resulting in the employment of additional teachers.

You do have the option of transferring your daughter to another school with greater numbers of pupils and teachers. You will probably find this difficult, especially if this is a fee-paying school, as they tend to have very long waiting lists. Beyond that, she may be able to study some of her preferred subjects outside of school.

The long-term solution to the problem is complex. There may be an economic downturn, which could reduce people's spending power and reduce their options vis-a-vis private education. The Minister's current review of third-level fees could hit the pockets of those on high incomes, which could have a similar effect.

The problem of smaller schools offering less choice has been addressed in many areas by closing down a number of smaller schools and replacing them with one large college with a wider range of subject choices.

The point you raise about your right as a taxpayer to have a full range of subject options available to your daughter is correct. After all, we aspire to the goal of cherishing all the children of the nation equally.

Email your questions: bmooney@irish-times.ie