Students starting Junior College this year who did not manage to book one of the 400 slots for guidance offered by the college can get career choice guidance from the Education Division's Guidance and Counselling Unit.

Due to demand, a spokesman for the Education Ministry explained, action was taken to increase the number of counsellors. She said students who need help about their choice of career should call the unit between 9 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

More than 1,600 students enter the Junior College every year. A number of parents contacted The Times saying their children wanted to make use of the counselling service offered by the college only to be told that the available slots had all been taken.

When contacted, Junior College principal Godfrey Muscat said that during a meeting held last month, prospective students were given a booklet which explained in detail the choice of subjects and gave in-depth information on the different subjects and courses that will open at the university in two years' time. "We told them that if they still had difficulties with their choice of subjects after going through the booklet they should fix an appointment," he said.

Mr Muscat said that although the college's guidance and counselling unit did not turn down any requests as long as slots were available, the objective of such guidance sessions was to help prospective students after they had thought about their choice as well as gathered information from the booklet.

The principal said that although 400 slots were available, about 700 students made use of the guidance facility since students tended to go in twos or threes for the guidance. He said that with two guidance teachers available, the college could not offer more than 400 slots of 15 minutes each.

He said the high request for guidance sessions would be kept in mind and next year the college would try to have more counsellors. He stressed that the people who gave advice to the students needed to be counsellors who knew what they were doing since it was imperative not to misguide the students.

The guidance sessions have been taking place since the college opened in 1995 and attendance was always good. Mr Muscat said the number of students seeking the service has increased to reflect the increasing number of students joining the college.

He explained that counselling should not be sought at the last minute and that it was available throughout the year.