I N S P E C T O R AT E
Guidelines for Second Level Schools on the
implications of Section 9(c) of the Education Act
(1998), relating to students' access to appropriate
guidance.
Draft for consultation
September 2003
SECTION 1
PREAMBLE
This document sets out the implications for schools of the provisions in the Education Act
(1998) relating to guidance and counselling. It is prepared for school managements and staff
and, also, for a wide variety of education partners, most importantly, parents and students.
The Education Act (1998) in section 9 states that a school "shall use its available resources to
…
(c) ensure that students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their
educational and career choices,
(d) promote the moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students …, in
consultation with their parents, having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school."
In fulfilling its obligation to provide "access to appropriate guidance", a school will need to
consider two requirements:

the need to provide "access", as determined by the general resources available in the
school and the additional resource allocation for guidance and counselling and other
related activities provided by the Department of Education and Science (DES);

providing “appropriate guidance” – that is, the whole school’s response to meeting the
guidance needs of all its students. These needs are identified in broad terms in this
document.
The Act also places a duty on the Board of Management of the school to prepare a School
Plan and to regularly review and update it [Sections 21 (2) and (3)].
"The school plan shall state the objectives of the school relating to equality of access to and
participation in the school and the measures which the school proposes to take to achieve
those objectives…
...The school plan shall be prepared in accordance with such directions, including directions
relating to consultation with the parents, the patron, staff and students of the school, as may
be given from time to time by the Minister.."
As indicated above, the provision of guidance is a statutory requirement for schools under the
Education Act (1998). Each school is required to develop and implement, as part of its
overall plan, a comprehensive guidance plan, taking into account the needs of students,
available resources and contextual factors. Guidance provision is a whole school
responsibility and should be developed and implemented in consultation with parents
and students. Equally, the school’s guidance programme should draw on the expertise
of the guidance counsellor and all relevant management and staff. The school will be
supported, as appropriate, by the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE), the
National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), the Department of Education and
Science and other relevant agencies.
A school guidance plan ensures that available resources are utilised in order to meet
identified needs and priorities. In order to do this, the school guidance programme should
reflect the needs of both junior and senior cycle students, and should provide a balance
between the personal, social, educational and career guidance offered. This document is
intended for use as a reference point for a school in identifying the minimum standards
necessary to provide "appropriate guidance" for its students. It does not purport to contain all
the elements of a comprehensive guidance programme. The Department of Education and
Page 2
Science, in conjunction with the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE), will
issue Guidelines for Guidance Planning in Schools to assist in the development of a wholeschool approach to the provision of guidance.
THE AIMS OF GUIDANCE
Guidance in second level schools in this country is an ongoing process involving a wide
range of learning activities, such as information giving, counselling and assessment. These
are offered in a developmental sequence appropriate to the age and needs of the student. The
guidance process helps the student to develop and accept a full personal, social, educational
and career awareness of his/her personal talents and abilities and, in this way, it helps people
to grow in independence and to make well-informed decisions about their lives.
Guidance provision in schools involves a range of guidance and of counselling activities and
services. For convenience, in this document, the word ‘guidance’ is used to describe the
activities provided by the "guidance and counselling services" identified in Section 2 of the
Education Act, (1998).
THE IMPORTANCE OF GUIDANCE
Significant changes are taking place in economic and social structures in this country, which
have important implications for the education system and for the students who are its
principal focus. The value of guidance and counselling in responding to these challenges is
widely recognised in Government policy statements and by other national and international
bodies:

The National Development Plan 2000 (NDP) states that "the provision of guidance and
counselling in second level schools is vital to enable each pupil to gain the maximum
benefit from the education system"1. The NDP also identifies the school guidance
service as a social inclusion measure within the education sector. The New Deal 19982
also supports this theme;

The importance of lifelong guidance is emphasised by the White Paper Learning for Life
2000, which lists it as a key support "necessary for successful access and learning"3;

The Commission on the Points System stated that "good quality, comprehensive guidance
can contribute significantly to broadening the views of second-level students and their
parents on diverse pathways to careers."4 The Commission recommended "an effective
and comprehensive guidance and counselling service in schools" and considered that "the
provision of such a service should be viewed in terms of the right of a student to access to
an appropriate level of such services;5

The OECD, following a comparative review of national policies for career information,
guidance and counselling services in over a dozen countries, including Ireland, describes
guidance as having a central role to play in laying the foundations for lifelong career
development, including "knowledge and competencies regarding self awareness, the
1
Government of Ireland, National Development Plan 2000-06 (Dublin: 1999), p.99
The New Deal: A Plan for Educational Opportunity states that guidance plays “a major
preventative role in helping young people at risk to stay within the formal educational system” 2;
3
Government of Ireland, Learning for Life: White Paper on Adult Education (Dublin: 2000), p.113
4
Commission on the Points System, Final Report and Recommendations (Dublin: 1999), p.105
5
Ibid.
2
Page 3
world of work, and making decisions and transitions"6. It defines guidance services as
"services intended to assist individuals with their career management" and stressed that
effective advice and guidance on educational options, and on links between these options
and later occupational destinations, "can help better match individuals’ learning choices
to their interests, talents and intended destinations"7. Because, in the OECD's view, this
can help to reduce early school leaving, improve flows between different levels of
education and improve transitions from education to the labour market, "these outcomes
help to make better use of educational resources, and to increase both individual and
social returns to investments in education"8.
PLANNING GUIDANCE PROVISION IN SCHOOLS
Guidance is a whole-school responsibility. As has been indicated earlier, the development
and implementation of the school's guidance plan should involve the guidance counsellor, in
the first instance, as well as all other relevant members of management and staff of the
school. Parents and students must be seen as an essential part of this process and
representatives of the local community and, especially, local business should also be
consulted and actively involved as appropriate.
Involving all staff members
While the guidance counsellor has primary responsibility for the delivery of the school's
guidance and counselling programme, other members of staff have important and worthwhile
contributions to make to the planning and delivery of many aspects of provision.
These activities begin with the incoming students and their induction into second-level
education. Some students may experience this transition as a traumatic time in their young
lives and may need continuing support well into the first term. The more familiar incoming
students are with the second-level school, the easier will be their induction into the new
system. Activities such as exploratory visits to the second-level school, taster classes for
students and information sessions for parents will dispel doubts and uncertainties and
encourage the confidence of the incoming students.
It is important that students and their parents are clear about the role and functions of the
various members of staff concerned with aspects of student support, such as the guidance
counsellor, chaplain, class tutors/year leaders, home school community liaison coordinators,
etc. (these titles may vary between schools). It would be helpful if the different roles of
support team members were explained to incoming first year students and their parents. This
would eliminate any possible confusion and both students and their parents would know
whom to approach for information, support or help.
Every effort should be made by schools to draw on the knowledge, experience and contacts
of all staff members in providing the best possible guidance programme for students:

Teachers of first-year students, together with the guidance counsellor, should participate
in contacts between the school and the primary schools from which the students come.

Subject teachers are best placed to provide students with information and expertise on
both the content and study demands of their particular subject(s).
OECD, ‘Why Careers Information, Guidance and Counselling Matter for Public Policy’, A Working Paper
(Paris: 2002), p.3
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
6
Page 4

Equally, subject teachers have an essential role to play when students are choosing
subjects and levels for the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations.

Subject teachers may also in a position to indicate to Leaving Certificate students the
content and study commitments of particular subjects in further and higher education
courses.

The combined expertise of the subject teachers, learning support teacher and/or resource
teacher, guidance counsellor and programme co-ordinators will enable students to choose
the most appropriate, for them, of the educational programmes offered by the school.

Teachers with special ICT (information and communication technologies) skills and
responsibilities have opportunities to collaborate with the guidance counsellor in assisting
students to use QualifaX and other guidance software packages and in enabling them to
access the most up-to-date career information via the Internet.

Many teachers will have close links with community agencies and local businesses and
will be uniquely placed to help individual students benefit from contact with these bodies
for activities such as work experience in firms or other experience of working in and with
their local communities, as part of their guidance programme.
Page 5
SECTION 2
GUIDANCE IN SECOND LEVEL EDUCATION
Choosing Educational Programmes
Schools must ensure that students and their parents are aware of the benefits to be gained
from the programme options of Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), Transition Year
Programme (TYP), Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), Leaving Certificate Vocational
Programme (LCVP) and Post Leaving Certificate programmes (PLC), as well as the
traditional Junior and Leaving Certificates and how choice of programme can have a bearing
on future career options.
Students wishing to progress to further training and higher education need to be made aware
of study, time and financial commitments required in further education, as well as the
supports available to them in institutes and colleges of further and higher education. One way
in which this can be achieved is through a system of guidance support available in the school,
where immediate past students, now in further or higher education, can return to speak with
the guidance counsellor and, where possible, to current students in the school.
The Importance of School Guidance Planning in Identifying Student Needs
The school, through the planning process, will make decisions regarding the provision of
guidance using the professional expertise of management and staff and taking into account the
views of students, parents and other partners. It is important that the school guidance
programme should balance the needs of all junior and senior cycle students and recognise the
full range of student needs including those of PLC students, adult students and those with
special educational needs, racial and ethnic minorities, travellers and those at risk of early
school leaving.
Appropriate Guidance
Following on from the identification of student needs in the planning process, schools will be
in a position to define the principal activities that will require to be included in the guidance
programme. These will include providing students with:

clear information concerning subject choices. This includes information about the
consequences of subject choice and level for future course and career options;

an awareness of the subject content, the skills and competencies they may acquire, and
the study demands of the subject;

an opportunity to explore their interests and subject choices and how these link to career
areas;

assistance in the choice of educational programmes offered by the school (Junior
Certificate/Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), Transition Year (TYP),
Leaving Certificate/Leaving Certificate Applied/Leaving Certificate Vocational
Programme (LC/LCA/LCVP);

assistance in identifying their own most effective learning styles and in developing
effective study and note-taking skills, examination techniques and time management
skills;
Page 6

objective assessments of their aptitudes and achievements and feedback on these
assessments;

guidance on the educational, vocational and career options available including career
progression routes and lifelong learning opportunities;

encouragement to explore a wide range of educational and career choices including nontraditional careers;

the integration, as far as is practicable, of career themes and information into all relevant
aspects of the curriculum;

opportunities to develop information seeking skills, including the use of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), with particular reference to career planning;

guidance in developing individual career plans based on the individual’s achievements,
interests and subject choices.
The most up to date course and career information is to be found on the Internet. This has
implications for schools in terms of resources. As part of the Schools IT 2000 initiative, the
DES has funded the provision of a range of computer facilities for schools and training for
school staffs, including, specifically, the provision of computers and software for guidance. In
view of this, schools should ensure that students have regular and adequate access for
guidance purposes to web based information sources.
Schools should also ensure that adequate physical facilities are available for guidance
purposes. Individual work with students can only be effectively conducted in private and
secure surroundings. Equally, work with small groups and classes would require that suitable
facilities were available for this purpose. Space for the storage and display of guidance
materials should also be provided.
Personal and Social Education
Section 9(d) of the Education Act states that a function of a school is to use its available
resources to
"promote the moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students and provide
health education for them, in consultation with their parents, having regard to the
characteristic spirit of the school".
All staff members involved in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Religious
Education (RE) as well as home school community liaison (HSCL) coordinators should be
expected to work together with guidance counsellors and others involved in guidance
provision to promote the students’ personal development and growth. The particular
contribution of guidance to personal and social education is in enabling students to:

Recognise their own talents and achievements, and identify their strengths and
weaknesses;

Develop coping strategies to deal with stress, personal and social issues, and the
challenges posed by adolescence and adulthood;

Identify the demands of study and examinations;

Organise the management of time for school, work and leisure activities;

Develop interpersonal skills and awareness of the needs of others;

Establish good patterns of decision making and learn how to make informed choices;
Page 7

Make successful transitions from primary to post-primary and from post-primary to
further or higher education, training or directly into employment.
Where young people have serious personal and social difficulties, these should be addressed
before the student can begin to make educational and career choices. Such young people may
require ongoing learning and guidance support in order to enable them to participate fully in
the education process.
THE ROLE OF GUIDANCE IN PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL
INCLUSION
Education can play a key role in the promotion of a more inclusive society. Educational
qualifications, or the lack of them, have a major role in determining the life chances of many
people. More than ever, underachievement at school results in social difficulties that can lead
to a life of uncertainty, marginalisation, and dependence on the structures of social assistance.
Equally, a lack of formal qualifications can prevent an individual progressing into further
education, training or stable employment.
Schools have a role in meeting the educational and guidance needs of all students, including
those who are socially, educationally or economically disadvantaged, those with special
educational needs, travellers, non-nationals and other special and ethnic groups.
Addressing Educational Disadvantage
To adequately address disadvantage, schools need to streamline and formalise their policies
and practices to ensure that all students have access to the fullest possible range of
educational services and supports. The Education Act (1998) defines Educational
Disadvantage as "...the impediments to education arising from social or economic
disadvantage which prevents students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in
schools” [Section 32(9)]
Students whose families have little or no tradition of progressing on to further/higher
education or training require access to a guidance programme that allows them to explore the
full range of learning and career opportunities available. In such cases, it is imperative that
schools give every assistance to those students and their parents to become aware of the many
benefits to be gained from continuing in school, obtaining qualifications and progressing on to
further study and/or training.
However, in order to be eligible to apply to study at third level, students must be given the
opportunity and encouragement to study subjects at particular levels, including higher levels.
Therefore, it is important that all incoming students and their parents be informed of the
importance of making suitable subject choices and the possible implications of these choices
and levels at senior cycle, e.g. that the study of a subject at foundation level for Junior
Certificate does not easily transfer to the study of that subject at a higher level in senior cycle.
Early School Leaving
Students at risk of early school leaving and those with special educational needs are particular
groups requiring a variety of school interventions. All schools are required to promote an
environment that encourages students to attend and remain in school until they have at least
completed the Junior Certificate or have reached the age of 16 years9.
9
Education Welfare Act (2000), section 22.1
Page 8
Early School Leaving (ESL) and low educational attainment can be attributed to a number of
factors, which may include individual, home, community and school difficulties. A key
objective of the National Development Plan (NDP) is the prevention of early school leaving
and the Plan identifies the school guidance service as playing “a major preventative role in
helping young people at risk to remain in the formal education system”10.
Special Educational Needs
Under the Education Act (1998), schools are required to use their resources to "ensure that the
educational needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special educational
needs are identified and provided for" [Section 9(a)]. Schools receive a range of additional
supports from the DES to assist them in providing for students with special educational needs.
Such students require particular support as part of the guidance programme and the school's
guidance plan should include provision for a range of interventions to meet the special needs
of these students.
Non-National Students
In recent years the number of non-nationals residing in Ireland has risen. Ethnic minority
learners are unlikely to have access to the same information about available education and
training opportunities as their national counterparts. As well as being unfamiliar with the
Irish education system, non-national students and/or their parents/guardians may not have the
confidence or the language skills to approach the appropriate sources.
In allocating guidance and counselling resources, schools with significant numbers of nonnational students need to be aware of the time and other support that guidance counsellors
may require when working with students whose cultural background and language ability may
be radically different to that of the majority of the school population.
Adult Students
Where a school's population includes adult students participating in, for example, VTOS, PLC
and adult education courses, the guidance programme should reflect their particular needs.
Adults require time to individually discuss and explore their life and education experiences,
discuss course selection and progression routes. In turn, drawing on the life experiences of
these adult learners can significantly enhance the guidance programme in the school.
Summary: Promoting Inclusion
The school’s guidance programme can support the operation of a proactive inclusive school
policy by promoting:

Early identification and support (through counselling and other measures) of students at
risk of early school leaving;

Guidance support for school attendance strategies;

Awareness among students of the consequences of early school leaving;

Strategies for building motivation and self-esteem;
10
National Development Plan, p.99
Page 9

An awareness among early school leavers of the options available to them after they
leave school, in the areas of further education, training and employment;

The identification and support of students with special educational needs;

An awareness of racial, ethnic and intellectual differences.
Counselling
Counselling should be available on an individual basis to assist students in their personal and
social, educational and career development. Some students may require additional supports
appropriate to their particular needs and circumstances. In cases where students require
personal counselling over a protracted period of time or counselling of a therapeutic nature,
guidance counsellors, given their other time commitments and unless they have appropriate
qualifications for working with such students, should refer such cases to outside agencies.
Page 10
SECTION 3
Elements of a School Guidance Programme
The following more detailed descriptions of the elements of a school guidance programme are
intended to provide assistance to schools in putting into practice the definition of
"appropriate guidance" set out earlier, in Section 2 of this document. Further advice and
guidelines for the development of a comprehensive school guidance programme are available
from the Department's Inspectors of Guidance and from the National Centre for Guidance in
Education.
GUIDANCE IN JUNIOR CYCLE

The early years of second level education are important ones for young people. There are
many transitions to be undertaken, and many choices and decisions to be made by the
student. The school guidance programme can facilitate this decision-making process, and
make it an exciting and positive experience. The main challenges and choices are likely to
relate to:

The transition from primary to post-primary school;

The choice of Junior Certificate (JC) or Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP);

The levels at which Junior Certificate Examination subjects are to be taken;

Participation in the Transition Year Programme;

Which Leaving Certificate programme to pursue (LC, LCA or LCVP);

Subject choice for senior cycle.
Making the transition from Primary to Second Level Education
Students need time and support in order to adjust to the new school environment, involving as
it does a variety of teachers, new subjects and new teaching methods as well as a new social
context. Some students may need individual help, and, if required, counselling in order to
complete this transition successfully. Some important needs, which can be identified in this
transition, are listed here, along with suggested appropriate activities.

Links between primary and post-primary schools
In order to facilitate the smooth transition of students to post-primary it is important to
have a well-functioning formal communication structure between post-primary schools
and the main feeder primary schools. This includes the support of students with special
educational needs. The school guidance programme should actively promote the
establishment of a formal communication structure between the school and the primary
schools from which its students come and all first year teachers, as well as the guidance
counsellor, should participate in the development of such links with the schools from
which their students come. However, it is important to stress that the confidentiality of
privileged information passed from primary to post-primary school should be strictly
observed and must not serve in any way to disadvantage the incoming student.

Clear information for parents and students about subject choice
It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that parents and students are well informed
about school policy regarding subject and level choice and streaming/banding, if
appropriate. In schools where streaming/banding applies, parents and students need to be
Page 11
made aware of procedures for appealing or changing the assigned stream/band. Schools
are also responsible for ensuring that parents and students are aware of other school
policies, such as those relating to, e.g. behaviour, bullying, special educational needs.

Information about how the school is organised
First year students should be given clear information about the basic running of the
school. This would include timetable and classroom arrangements, and the physical
location of facilities such as classrooms, offices, guidance room(s), art room, science
laboratories etc.

Support services within the school
Students and their parents/guardians are entitled to know what support services are
available in the school. It is recommended that first year students be given a clear outline
of the roles of the personnel involved in the support structures e.g. guidance counsellor,
home school community liaison coordinator, learning support teacher, pastoral care team,
year heads, class tutors etc., as appropriate. In the context of the school guidance
programme, each first year student should have access to individual support from a
member of this staff team, in order to promote his or her personal development and
integration into the school.
It is recommended that schools consider formalising their support activities for the transition
from primary to post-primary education into a defined set of measures within the School
Plan. These measures should start before entry to the school and extend at least until the end
of the first term of the school year. In order for transition programmes to facilitate the
pupils’ successful transition to post-primary, the co-operation of the primary schools is
essential.
Progressing through the Junior Cycle
Students in junior cycle are faced with formal study and preparation for State Examinations for
the first time. They are also faced with making subject and programme choices that will have
implications for their career choice. In addition to the points in the section entitled Guidance in
Second Level Education, the guidance programme should give students the opportunity to
acquire the following skills:

Study skills;

Examination techniques;

Awareness of the implications of subject selection for career choice;

Knowledge of the potential benefits of the Transition Year Programme, where it is
available

Knowledge of senior cycle options – Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate
Vocational Programme and the established Leaving Certificate.
The school guidance programme should enable junior cycle students to begin their
exploration of career options. The programme should encourage consideration of a wide
range of educational and career choices, not bounded by traditional considerations of gender
or social stereotyping. The guidance programme should begin the process of linking the
student’s aptitudes, achievements and interests to career options. Activities to support this
could include:
Page 12

The encouragement of students in first and second year to explore a range of educational
and career areas including non-traditional careers;

Project work and team work as a means towards group discussion of career opportunities;

Information on the competencies and skills required for the working world, including
employability skills;

Objective assessment of students’ aptitudes, and consideration of their achievements,
interests and subject choices and how these link to career paths.
During the junior cycle, students need to understand the implications of how the choice of
specific subjects and levels could impact on the range of further study and career options
available to them in the future and this information should be incorporated into the teaching
of these subjects. Where the level of provision by the school of certain subjects and timetable
constraints limits a student’s options, it is essential that parents and students should be
informed of the possible implications as early as possible.
GUIDANCE IN THE SENIOR CYCLE
The Transition Year Programme
In second level schools in this country, the Transition Year and the two years of the Leaving
Certificate Programme are referred to as the senior cycle. Transition Year provides “a bridge
to enable students make the transition from junior to senior cycle”11. Students in Transition
Year usually sample the full range of subject options available at senior cycle and gain
vocational skills and competencies by undertaking work experience and/or work shadowing.
In Transition Year students are encouraged to develop their full range of intelligences through
a greater variety of activities than is available in other years of second level. Students
undertake a variety of new roles and responsibilities; they investigate and exercise new means
of personal expression. These features are an integral part of the Transition Year Programme.
As part of the Transition Year guidance programme, students are facilitated in progressing
their career plans. Through ongoing exploration and feedback they develop a growing
understanding of their skills, aptitudes and achievements. The work experience/shadowing
module should provide each student with the opportunity to participate in a structured prework experience/shadowing programme, and in structured and detailed debriefing sessions.
Transition Year students are provided with an opportunity to sample the subject options
available at senior cycle. Students should be assisted in understanding the implications of
how specific subject choices could impact on the range of career options available to them in
the future. Where timetable constraints limit a student’s options, parents and student should
be informed of the implications of such constraints.
Leaving Certificate Programmes
Currently, students may follow one of the following three programmes:

The established Leaving Certificate Programme (LC)

The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA)

The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP).
The guidance programme at senior cycle aims to assist the full development of each student’s
potential, to help the student grow in self-knowledge and self-esteem and to prepare him/her
11
Transition Year Curriculum Support Service. The Transition Year Programme, (Dublin: 2000)
Page 13
for further education, training and/or employment. In addition to the major guidance needs
and activities outlined in the section Guidance in Second Level Education, students have
additional guidance requirements in senior cycle. The guidance programme should provide
students with the opportunity to:

Identify their own key motivating factors;

Prepare for successful transition into adulthood;

Prepare to manage their successful transition from post-primary to further or higher
education, training or employment;

Develop the use of research and ICT skills so that they can be self-directed in their career
exploration and development;

Learn about job search and job retention skills;

Learn about the world of work, including employment rights and responsibilities;

Develop an awareness of Lifelong Learning;

Develop skills to become independent and self-motivated learners.
Successful guidance at this level requires the development of a positive adult relationship in
which students can develop an understanding of themselves, their values and their future adult
roles. The guidance programme at senior cycle can facilitate the development of the necessary
skills and knowledge through the following activities:

Provision of information prepared by public agencies and employers regarding career
opportunities;

Provision of information about further and higher education and training courses,
including course content, workload and progression routes and the facilitation of the
successful transfer of students to further and higher education;

Establishment and development of linkages with further and higher education institutions
and training organisations to facilitate students’ decision-making concerning course and
institution choice;

Provision of opportunities for students to attend events such as college open days, career
fairs, visits to employers, meetings with relevant role-models such as former students and
parents to discuss their chosen career paths;

The organisation of mock interview sessions.
Helping students choose the appropriate programme at Senior Cycle
As indicated earlier, there are three Leaving Certificate programmes:

The established Leaving Certificate, a 2-year programme in which students take subjects
at higher, ordinary or foundation level;

The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), a distinct, self-contained 2-year programme,
aimed at preparing students for adult and working life. The LCA is designed for those
students who do not wish to proceed directly to third level education. The programme
consists of four half-year blocks called Sessions and achievements are credited in each of
these Sessions. Courses consist of a number of self-contained modules and student tasks,
taken over the four sessions. The programme uses a variety of active teaching and
Page 14
learning methodologies. The LCA is awarded on the basis of credits accumulated over
the four Sessions as well as a final examination;

The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP), a combination of Leaving
Certificate subjects and an extra vocational dimension called Link Modules. The Link
Modules are activity-based with some of the activities taking place outside of school
hours. The Link Modules are assessed by means of a Portfolio of course work which is
prepared under the supervision of the teachers, and also by an examination consisting of
an audio-visual section, a Case Study and General Questions.
Both the LCA and the LCVP offer students opportunities to explore the world of work.
Within the LCA and the LCVP, the Guidance module is designed to help students become
more aware of their interests, aptitudes and skills with regard to the world of work. These
modules are designed to complement but not replace individual career planning interviews
between the guidance counsellor and individual students. The LCA course has developed a
module on Job Search skills from which every senior cycle student could benefit and which,
again, forms part of the general guidance programme in senior cycle. The LCVP strengthens
the vocational dimensions of the Leaving Certificate by linking the subjects into vocational
groupings, which students take. The two Link Modules – Preparation for the World of Work
and Enterprise Education sharpen the vocational focus of the Leaving Certificate subjects.
Students of the LCVP have the opportunity to identify personal aptitudes and interests and
complete a career investigation, develop job-seeking skills and interview techniques, and link
the learning of all the units to the Leaving Certificate subjects they are studying.
The aims of the guidance elements of both the LCA and LCVP are directly related and
complementary to the general aims of the guidance and counselling activities in senior cycle.
PROGRESSION FROM SECOND LEVEL
The transfer from second level to higher/further education, to training or to employment is the
last major transition for the second level student. While it is an exciting period in a young
person’s life, it can also be a time of anxiety and challenge for both students and parents.
Although a decreasing number of students completing the senior cycle now progress directly
to employment, it is important for schools to recognise that for these young people this may
well be their last experience of fulltime education. In this context, it is essential that students
be prepared for entry to working life and that their needs and expectations are identified.
Knowledge of the opportunities provided by Life Long Learning may be of particular
importance to these students so that they may be encouraged to continue in education at a
later date.
Programmes like the TYP, LCA and LCVP offer students the opportunity to experience the
world of work either through work experience or shadowing. Some schools also provide a
work experience module to pre-Leaving Certificate students. As a result, a high proportion of
senior cycle students gain some knowledge of the work place. This practical experience,
coupled with the modules studied in LCA or LCVP, can form a solid basis upon which
students can confirm career and/or course choice.
Both parents and students expect the guidance programme to adopt a holistic approach to
provision. They are aware that the transition from second level to third level or to the world
of work can be quite traumatic and, as a result schools need to prepare students for a life-style
change and the responsibilities of independent living. Self-confidence and self-esteem are
especially important at this point and young people need to have been prepared for
independence from school and from home. They need to be aware of how the adult world
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they are entering operates and what supports are available to them should they experience
difficulties or need personal support.
Higher and Further Education
In the past twenty years the percentage of senior cycle students progressing to some form of
further or higher education has increased significantly, with almost 90% of leavers now going
on to some form of further study or training. The number of colleges and courses in the CAO
system has increased from 9 colleges and 95 courses in 1982 to 44 colleges and 882 courses
in 2003. With the current level of choice, students need to carry out accurate and consistent
research on their options and choices.
Colleges of higher and further education provide Careers and Appointments Services as well
as a range of student supports. College Open Days are an ideal time for students to become
acquainted with all these services so that they can avail of the supports at an early stage in
their third level education. In general, parents' and students' experience is that the more
contact there is between the schools at both levels and the third level institutions the better
prepared students are for the reality of life in these institutions.
Students progressing to further and higher education often experience difficulty during the
first year of their course. A recent study of students at Institutes of Technology (ITs) suggests
that efforts to improve college retention should begin long before students arrive in the
college and that students need to build independent learning skills prior to entry to the
colleges.
Post Leaving Certificate Courses (PLC) and Adult Education programmes
In schools offering a wide range of education options, the school guidance plan must include
a programme designed to meet the educational, personal and vocational needs of those
choosing PLC and adult education courses. The majority of PLC courses are of 1-2 years
duration. On successful completion of the course students are awarded a Further Education
and Training Awards Council (FETAC) certificate and may seek employment or continue on
to third level education. Adults returning to education also need access to support and
guidance to choose education courses and to make worthwhile transitions into further or
higher education, training or employment.
Continued Support from Second Level Schools
Ideally, second–level schools should continue to stay in contact with students going directly
into employment or transferring on to further and higher education. Past students can be
invited to stay in touch with their school and those experiencing difficulty can be invited to
return to speak with the guidance counsellor. Because of the time commitment of this
approach, schools need to accommodate such practices within the guidance planning process.
Students in the final year of senior cycle are well placed to provide worthwhile feedback to
the school on the guidance programmes and on the delivery of the guidance provision. Past
pupils, also, can be a rich resource to the school by offering role-model support for students
interested in discovering more about progression into further and higher education, training or
the world of work. They are also in a position to offer valuable insights on their experience of
the school's guidance programme and of their schooling generally.
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SECTION 4
Current Resources and Supports for Guidance
Staffing
The Department of Education and Science provides additional staffing resources to schools to
assist them with the provision of their guidance programme. Because guidance and
counselling is a whole-school activity, schools should not depend solely on this additional
resource, when devising the school guidance programme. In addition to the normal allocation
of teaching resources allocated to all schools, there are a number of other resources provided
by the Department which may contribute to the provision of guidance and counselling support
for students. Over the past three years over 1400 additional teaching posts have been allocated
to schools. These posts were targeted at improvements to the general pupil-teacher ratio,
programmes with significant guidance elements such as LCA, LCVP, JCSP and the Guidance
Enhancement Initiative. In addition, schools designated as disadvantage have been allocated
additional teaching posts.
Facilities and other resources

ICT resources have been provided to schools under the Schools IT 2000 initiative. These
include the provision of funding for computers and staff training as well as direct support
for the provision and development of the QualifaX course and careers software.

New school buildings are required to include facilities for guidance provision including an
office, access to a classroom suitable for group and class work and a library/display area
for guidance.

The National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) is a fully funded agency of the
Department of Education and Science with the central role of supporting and developing
guidance practice in all areas of education.

Psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) support schools
and guidance and other staff working with students with special or counselling needs and
in the promotion of mental health generally.

Members of the Department of Education and Science's Inspectorate visit schools
regularly and the Inspectors of Guidance are available to school management and staff to
advise on all aspects of school guidance provision.
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