A Quantitative Postal Survey targeting 260 Schools across the Country

Guidance in schools refers to a range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence, that assist students to develop self-management skills which will lead to effective choices and decisions about their lives. It encompasses the three separate, but interlinked, areas of personal and social development, educational guidance and career guidance.

This report is based on the findings from the four strands of a “top to bottom” review of guidance in second level schools in Ireland, carried out between the autumn of 2003 and the spring of 2005.

The first chapter outlines the background to the review. An executive summary culminating in a list of the overall findings is provided in the second chapter. Then, there is a stand-alone chapter on each of the strands, prepared by the researchers who carried out the study for the strand. The next chapter is a commentary prepared by the Inspectorate and the final chapter identifies a set of issues for further consideration in relation to improving the quality of the guidance service in second level schools.

The four strands of the review were as follows:

Strand 1: a quantitative and qualitative survey of the use of the resources provided by the DES for guidance, carried out by the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) in all second level schools (738)

Strand 2: a more in-depth survey in 260 of the 738 schools, carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)

Strand 3: in-depth case studies involving principals, deputy principals, guidance counsellors and students in 15 schools selected from those surveyed in Strand 2, conducted by the ESRI 

Strand 4: focus group interviews with a range of stakeholders including parents and students conducted in education centres by Dr Deirdre O’Neill, Education Department, University of Dublin, Trinity College and co-ordinated by the NCGE

Appendix 1 contains data from a survey carried out in 2003/04 by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) on the profile of its members and the range of activities carried out by them in the course of their work. Professional Profile 2003/2004 is based on survey responses received from 93% of the membership of the IGC. The results of this survey may be helpful in interpreting the findings of the four strands of the review.