Guidance matters: a pupil perspective on guidance within a Scottish Council

In early 2003, a Council commissioned a research project involving four secondary schools to get a pupil perspective of the Guidance system. The context for the project was the implementation of the McCrone agreement and, in particular, discussions about the future role of Guidance in secondary and primary, schools. The evidence from the project was to inform the discussions going on within the Council. The timescale for the completion of the research was tight: the project was to be undertaken and the report produced within three months. As has been demonstrated by previous studies, young people have insights to offer on the way schools organize educational experiences for them. For the most part, their views of Guidance are positive. However, they have clear suggestions to make about what is worth keeping and what needs to change.