<p>
	Teenage pupils are suffering an even greater loss of school counselling services as the impact of a budget cutback bites deeper.</p>
<p>
	The hours spent on guidance and other counselling are continuing to fall drastically, as a result of a cost-saving measure introduced in September 2012.</p>
<p>
	On average, guidance counsellors are now spending only 41pc of the time on one-to-one counselling of pupils that they did two years ago.</p>
<p>
	That is a further deterioration from last year when it had dropped to 49pc of the pre-2012 level, according to a new survey by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), the results of which have been seen exclusively by the Irish Independent.</p>
<p>
	Overall, the time that counsellors are devoting to their specialist area compared with two years ago has dropped to 76pc -- a further slip from 79pc last year.</p>
<p>
	The revelation comes as thousands of Leaving Certificate candidates prepare to fill in CAO forms indicating their college preferences.</p>
<p>
	Counsellors provide not only crucial advice on careers and college courses, but also play a vital role supporting pupils experiencing personal difficulties.</p>
<p>
	As well as working with class groups, an important part of a counsellor&#39;s work is one-to-one sessions with pupils.</p>
<p>
	The overall reduction in hours translates into the equivalent of one in five counsellors -- a total of 168 -- back in the classroom full-time, in a traditional teaching role.</p>
<p>
	While the brunt of the cut was felt in 2012/13, a new IGC audit of schools and colleges of further education shows there has been a further erosion this year.</p>
<p>
	The survey results paint a picture of an uneven and disjointed service with the most disadvantaged pupils suffering the greatest loss, while pupils of fee-paying schools are least affected.</p>
<p>
	The stark reduction in service is very evident when a comparison is done on the actual number of hours spent on this specialist work in schools between 2011/12 and the current year.</p>
<p>
	Two years ago, the total amount of hours devoted to guidance counselling in 191 schools that responded to the survey was 24,541 -- and that is down 24pc to 18,716.</p>
<p>
	In the same year, 2011/12, guidance counsellors in those schools spent 12,023 hours in one-to-one sessions with pupils, which is now down 59pc, to 4,956 hours.</p>
<p>
	For every hour spent on guidance/counselling two years ago, the average guidance counsellor is now spending 47 minutes; and for every hour devoted to one-to-one counselling, the average guidance counsellor is now spending only 25 minutes.</p>
<p>
	BULLYING</p>
<p>
	The cuts arise from the removal of the ex-quota allocation for guidance counselling, which means that schools must provide the service from within their general allocation of teaching hours.</p>
<p>
	The continuing deterioration in the service is tracked in an audit conducted for the IGC since September. It follows a similar audit last year.</p>
<p>
	Counsellors deal with issues such as bullying, self-harm and low self-esteem on a daily basis and, according to the IGC, many students are unable to access the assistance of a guidance counsellor when most needed.</p>
<p>
	Guidance counsellors will be lobbying their parents&#39; councils and politicians nationally to seek a reversal of the cuts.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/pupils-left-without-vital-help-as-counselling-hours-cut-even-further-29910016.html">http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/pupils-left-without-vital-help-as-counselling-hours-cut-even-further-29910016.html</a></p>
