Helpline to assist Kilkenny Leaving Cert families opens this week

The National Parents and Students Leaving Cert Helpline, which aims to assist Kilkenny students and their counterparts around the country, opens this Friday, August 25 and operates until Saturday, September 2.

The Helpline is a free-phone service provided to Leaving Certificate students and their parents / guardians to offer guidance during the period when the state exam results are released and CAO places are offered.

The service is staffed by qualified and experienced guidance counsellors who will deliver one to one support to parents and students. The guidance counsellors involved in the helpline are members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC). 

Minister for Education, Norma Foley said: "The National Parent and Student Helpline is an invaluable resource for students and their parents/guardians. This welcome resource runs from the release of the results to the end of the CAO first round and affords students and their families the opportunity to speak to qualified and experienced guidance counsellors, who can provide relevant information, reassurance and of course support about their current and future options."

Áine Lynch CEO of the National Parents Council added: "The NPC is delighted to support the National Parents and Students Leaving Certificate Helpline and encourage students and parents to use the service if they have any questions or concerns when they receive their results. Many doors may be open to students, some of which may not be so obvious and there are many routes to reach a destination. The guidance counsellors answering the helpline calls will be able to help students with the support of their parents navigate their choices ahead."

This year's Leaving Certificate results are due to be released this Friday, August 25 at 10am.