Resourcing And Support For Careers Advisers In Secondary Schools In Canterbury, New Zealand.

Abstract

Fifty-three careers advisers in Canterbury secondary schools in New Zealand were asked to complete a questionnaire, assessing their perceptions regarding current levels of resourcing and support for careers advisers in secondary schools. Forty-five returned completed questionnaires, of which ten respondents were male and 35 were female. All were registered teachers. Although there was overall agreement that resourcing had improved over time, the respondents were evenly divided in their opinion that current levels of resourcing were adequate for them to effectively perform their job. Larger schools, in terms of pupil numbers, were better resourced. They had more teaching and ancillary hours for careers. The single most restrictive factor, which was identified as hindering careers advisers from completing their jobs satisfactorily, was time. An analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data has been used to examine present conditions in careers centres in Canterbury secondary schools.