Sir, – On behalf of the members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, I wholeheartedly endorse the letter (October 14th) by Prof Petra Elftorp of the School of Education, University of Limerick. This critical issue was initially highlighted in the Government-commissioned Indecon Review of Career Guidance in 2019 and subsequent pre-budget submissions by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, the most recent of which is our pre-budget submission this year.
As guidance counsellors, we are committed to awakening in others the possibilities, opportunities, and choices that life and work present, and our work spans the educational, personal and social and career guidance counselling needs of our students.
It is unacceptable that, once again, our most vulnerable students in special schools have not been granted their right to “appropriate guidance” as set out in the 1998 Education Act in the Budget for 2024.
Furthermore, no policy supports guidance provision for children with special or additional education needs in mainstream post-primary schools.
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We are calling on Minister for Education Norma Foley to address this issue as a matter of urgency.
It is imperative that we ensure equal access to guidance counselling for all students, regardless of their individual needs and circumstances. – Yours, etc,
TADHG CROWLEY,
President of the Institute
of Guidance Counsellors,
Dublin 2.