From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

Guidance and Decision-Making in Sixth Year 137
In some working-class schools, many of the students wished to enter the
labour market directly when they left school. This group felt their teacher
gave them ‘ideas’ and tailored the class to suit students’ needs:
Done a load of work [in class], you know, like gave out a load of
sheets and you’d to write about what we are going to do. Just a few
ideas.
A 1 to 10 in jobs. You put down like what kind of job you’d like to
do like, and she’d give you the points.
Yeah, the points.
Tells you want kind of a person, what kind of a person you are,
whether you are working or indoors or likes using your head or stuff.
(Lang Street, boys’ school, working-class intake)
Many students commented on the personal commitment and helpfulness
of their guidance counsellors:
If you wanted the information all you have to do it to ask Mr. [name]
and he would have got you the prospectus.
Yeah, he would, he’s good like that.
He’d get you the prospectus for the colleges.
Yeah, he’s one of the best teachers in the school. (Dawes Point,
boys’ school, working-class intake)
Our teacher, he’s really good and whatever you want he’ll help you,
so if you want something specific he’ll just get it for you, he’ll do it
like, give it to you no bother.
…You could ask in class and he’d have it for you the next day.
You could ask him in class for something and he’ll show it to you
like. (Park Street, boys’ school, mixed intake)
Students appear to respond well when they are provided with all the options
through information leaflets and college prospectuses. For students
in Belmore Street, the guidance counsellor prepared a monthly newsletter
to advise them of any changes or more up-to-date information: