The changes in education policies in Aotearoa, New Zealand, since the 1980s have significantly affected guidanceand counseling in secondary schools, leading to variations in provision and effectiveness. Issues being faced byschool guidance counselors were identified in “Guidance and Counselling in New Zealand Secondary Schools:Exploring the Issues,” which represented a call for an external government authority who understood guidance andcounseling and their value in schools to create national guidelines and standards for this work (Crowe, 2006). This2014 article revisits the issues and reports on the findings and recommendations of a 2013 evaluation of guidance andcounseling in Aotearoa, New Zealand secondary schools. The government requested the evaluation in response to theneed to provide good guidance and counseling for young people at risk of developing mental health issues. Theresults and recommendations from the evaluation have highlighted the issues being faced by guidance counselors,other guidance staff, and their schools. The effectiveness of guidance and counseling in schools in Aotearoa, NewZealand will depend upon the implementation of the recommendations made in the report to the Ministry ofEducation, and, in particular, the review of the guidance staffing formula and the establishment ofguidelines/expectations for schools/wharekura regarding the provision of guidance and counseling.


Corresponding Author
Ada Crowe, Guidance Counsellor Otago Girls High School
Tennyson Street Dunedin 9016 New Zealand.
Email: Ada.Crowe@otagogirls.school.nz