The aim of the guidance and counselling programme is to ensure that our students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their academic, personal and social development and supporting them in making educational and career choices in accordance with the Education Act (1998).
The guidance process aims to help students to develop an awareness and acceptance of their talents and abilities by allowing them to explore possibilities and opportunities. We aim to support them to grow in independence and to take responsibility for themselves allowing them to make informed choices about their lives.
Counselling is a key part of the schools guidance programme. This is offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process as well as at times of personal crisis. Counselling has as its objective the empowerment of students so that they can make decisions, solve problems, address behavioural issues, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties that they may be experiencing. We hope to help to develop life-long resiliency.
A professional relationship involving confidentiality is at the core of the schools counselling service. The guidance counsellor does not act in a disciplinary capacity and this frees him to deal with students at a more personal level.
Our guidance counsellor often refers students, with the consent of parents, to outside agencies for more intensive and focused therapy. Issues such as depression, suicide ideation, self-harm and eating disorders all need outside professional intervention. The guidance counsellor offers counselling support to the student before and after the referral but not while the outside intervention is taking place.
Most counselling appointments are made by the students themselves but sometimes they are referred by a parent or teacher.
There are a number of ways that a student can seek counselling:
The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university scheme that offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. HEAR has been set up by a number of colleges and universities, as evidence shows that socio-economic disadvantage can have a negative effect on how well a student does at school and whether they go on to college. HEAR applicants must meet a range of financial, social and cultural indicators to be considered for a reduced points place and extra college support.
For more information please go to www.accesscollege.ie
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third level alternative admissions scheme for school leavers whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers who, as a result of having a disability, have experienced additional educational challenges in second level education.
DARE is for school leavers with a disability under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2021, who have been educationally impacted as a result of that disability. Applicants to DARE can present with an Irish Leaving Certificate, A-Levels and other EU qualifications.
For more information please go to www.accesscollege.ie
If you have one or more of the disabilities listed below and your disability has had a negative impact on your second level education, then you should apply to DARE.
To be eligible for DARE, you must meet both the evidence of disability criteria and educational impact criteria.
If you apply to DARE and meet the application criteria (that is, are deemed eligible for DARE), you may be offered a place even if you do not have enough Leaving Certificate points for your preferred course. Each participating college and university has a reserved number of places to offer eligible DARE applicants at lower or reduced Leaving Certificate points.
An example of a reduced points offer is that the Leaving Certificate points for a particular course is 366 points. An eligible DARE applicant could be offered a place with a lower points score, e.g. 356 points. This applicant would also, like all other applicants applying to college, need to meet the minimum entry requirements and any specific programme requirements before being considered for a DARE reduced points offer. The reduction in points for DARE places can vary every year.
The number of points a particular course is reduced by is dependent on a number of factors, such as
Information on the number of reduced points places available per course and the method used by colleges for selecting eligible DARE students for those places is available on HEI websites and on each of the participating colleges’ page on this site.
Research has shown that students with disabilities from disadvantaged backgrounds face the greatest obstacles when it comes to progression to higher education. In order to increase the numbers of students facing this ‘double disadvantage’, colleges participating in DARE and HEAR have agreed to prioritise this group when allocating reduced points places.
Research has identified that students with physical and sensory (Blind/ Vision Impairment and Deaf/ Hard of Hearing) disabilities are particularly underrepresented in higher education in Ireland relative to all students with disabilities. In order to increase the numbers of DARE students with physical and sensory disabilities being admitted to higher education, the DARE colleges have agreed to prioritise these two groups when allocating reduced points places.
You don’t have to be eligible for DARE to get support in college. All students with a verified disability, regardless of whether they come through DARE or not, can avail of a variety of academic, personal and social supports while studying at third level.
Applying to DARE and applying for a language waiver are two separate processes. Therefore, DARE applicants who require a language waiver but haven’t yet applied for one need to apply to the relevant authorities (e.g. National University of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, etc.).
If there is a language requirement in the specific programme requirements for your chosen course, you must have that language.
To view the government’s action plan for apprenticeships please click on the link below:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0879f-action-plan-for-apprenticeship-2021-2025/
For further information on apprenticeships, please click on the following links:
Students applying to DARE are encouraged to find out more information on the maintenance grant. Additional information on other sources of financial assistance for third level students is available at:
https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/
For detailed information on financial support and student grants when going to third level, log on to www.susi.ie.
