GUIDANCE counsellors in Cork will brief parents this month on cutbacks that will deny their children access to careers advice and one-to-one supports.
A meeting has been called for Tuesday, October 16,  in the Rochestown Park Hotel to highlight the impact of last year’s budgetary changes on the role of guidance counsellors.
Concerns have been raised that vulnerable, young students are being put at greater risk by cuts to the amount of hours of guidance available in secondary schools. Before budget 2012, a full-time guidance counsellor was to be provided for every 480 pupils in a secondary school.
But guidance posts must now be counted within the mainstream staffing schedule, meaning many guidance counsellors are now teaching regular subjects like English and Maths.
The changes have begun to “hit home” since schools returned in September.
Guidance counsellor at Coláiste Chríost Rí, Frank Mulvihill, a former president of the  Institute of Guidance Counsellors, said: “We have undertaken a snapshot survey in the Cork area and the preliminary results show that provision of guidance has been reduced in more than half of secondary schools. This will have huge affects on students in terms of careers advice. Leaving Cert students in particular may not get the one-to-one advice they require.  There is also the loss of counselling hours for students in trouble. Guidance counsellors performed a preventative role, trying to address problems that students may have before they escalate.
“It could be a case now that students may have very serious issues before they are detected.”
Meanwhile, guidance counsellors attended an open day in University College Cork  yesterday to receive updates on the changes to courses.
Mr Mulvihill said it was noticeable that the turnout for the event was down on previous years.
“A lot of guidance counsellors simply couldn’t get away from their schools to attend. How can the latest information on courses be passed on to students if counsellors can’t even attend?” he added.