Guidance services in the education sector are focused on support of education and training; provision of psychological, special-pedagogical, diagnostic, educational, guidance and preventive care; as well as provision of information from the area of career guidance for pupils. Guidance services are provided by schools or educational counselling and prevention centres:

• counselling and prevention centre,
• specialised counselling and prevention centre.

Academic guidance

Academic guidance is provided directly in schools. During the educational activity, it is primarily the class teacher/teacher who is responsible for the coordination of activities which support the creation of a positive climate in the class, resolving conflicts between children/pupils, creating healthy relationships, identification of needs, barriers and risks, and search for resources to overcome them. The support considers children’s/pupils’ needs and barriers and is implemented in the form of simple adaptation of education methods and forms in school and at home. The support is provided to each child/pupil who needs it based on pedagogical diagnostics.

In addition, counselling services in schools are provided by educational counsellors. This role can be performed by pedagogical or professional employees who completed specialisation education or have been continuously performing this specialised activity for at least ten years. 

Educational counsellors provide counselling in pupils' personal, educational, and professional development. They perform activities in this career position along with their pedagogical work. These include pedagogical diagnostic, and individual and group counselling.

If necessary, educational counsellors will arrange pedagogical, psychological, social, psychotherapeutic, re-educational and other services for children and their parents, which they coordinate with class teachers. They closely cooperate with the school support team and professional employees from counselling facilities.

Psychological counselling

Psychological counselling is provided to children, parents and school employees in schools and school facilities through school psychologists or psychologists to develop their healthy personal development and mental health.

Psychological counselling is provided by professional employees from the school support team. It is mainly the school psychologist who performs individual and group counselling and consultations in schools. The counselling aims to get acquainted with the children’s/pupils’ current situation, provide them with support, target and adjust efficient measures focusing on optimisation of mental experience, communication and behaviour of children/pupils in their closest social environment in connection with the educational process and the objective of providing support within the school. Furthermore, they carry out universal and selective prevention. The focus is primarily on supporting the mental health of children and pupils and fostering positive personality development. This includes various areas of risk behaviour prevention, prevention of school and educational problems, strengthening successful student adaptation to school, and developing career management skills as part of career education. They may also conduct orientation diagnostic activities and, if necessary, intervention activities after relevant training. The school psychologist collaborates with other professional staff members of the school support team and counselling and prevention facilities.

Counselling and prevention centres provide complex psychological counselling through psychologists working in the centres. The centres provide:

• counselling to children/pupils/parents in the area of children's/pupils' cognitive development, school readiness and the related compulsory school attendance,
• counselling that focuses on emotional development, behaviour disorders connected with physiological disorders and somatic factors in childhood, risk behaviour identified in a child/pupil, and neurotic and stress-related disorders. behaviour and emotional disorders originating in childhood, relationship disorders, career guidance,
• counselling in psychologically difficult and stressful situations, in relation to social-pathological phenomena and socially undesired activity, family relationships,
• counselling in terms of professional assistance and providing expert information, procedures, support and interventions, which can direct children/pupils to mitigate symptoms of their problems and achieve greater mental satisfaction and self-possession to integrate into professional and social life adequately. 

Psychologists in counselling and prevention centres perform diagnostic, intervention, prevention, reeducation, coordination and therapeutic activities.

Specialised counselling and prevention centres provide professional services to disabled children including children with developmental disorders aiming to achieve optimal personal development and social integration. 

Psychological counselling focuses on supporting families when coping with the trauma of finding out their child was born disabled child or serious health issues appearing in the course of the child's/pupil's development. It also focuses on the assistance in the process of accepting a child's/pupil's disability (and its consequences) and the support of family unity. Counselling also focuses on providing a positive life perspective. It also includes the creation and guidance of parent support groups, and education within multidisciplinary cooperation with professionals from different sectors. Psychological counselling within multidisciplinary cooperation includes: 

• counselling in the selection of the appropriate form of education and career,
• provision of necessary information on diagnostics, treatment and cooperation with professionals from healthcare and social affairs,
• cooperation with schools and assistance to families in transition of children/pupils to kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools,
• support of the development of social skills of children/pupils with disabilities,
• support of inclusion and social integration of children/pupils through experience programmes with peers

Psychologists in specialised counselling and prevention centres perform diagnostic, prevention, coordination and therapeutic activities. 

Career guidance

Career guidance in schools

All primary and secondary schools are recommended to create their career education and career guidance plans. Activities proposed in the plan can be implemented as a part of prevention educational activities: 

• Kindergarten: primary and secondary school activities below adapted for the kindergarten children
• Primary school, secondary school: SWOT, motivational lectures (focusing not only on the work activities but also moral and ethical aspects of work, models for overcoming obstacles, determination, etc.), field trips (clearly planned with reflection after the field trip), activities focusing on self-knowledge, realisation and development of one's strengths, interests and values, ability to be aware of one's emotions and manage them, reflection and self-reflection, readiness for change and ability to react to it, ability to come to terms with oneself, different life challenges and demands of the society, ability to get along with other people, build relationships and express empathy, ability to set realistic goals and achieve them.

Implementation of career guidance activities is primarily the responsibility of the career advisor. 

Career advisors or persons delegated to perform the career advisor's role (e.g. educational counsellor, school counsellor, school special pedagogue) help and support teachers to implement career education and career topics into the school educational programmes.  In schools and school facilities, career guidance focuses on educational, counselling and information activities. Career advisors working in schools identify pupils' strengths, potential, motivation, interests, values, etc. in cooperation with class teachers. Diagnostic and coordination activity is performed mainly in counselling and prevention centres. 

Career advisors are members of school support teams. School support teams mostly support and cooperate with teachers so that the teachers gradually become able to provide support to pupils in classes. Career advisors, in cooperation with teachers, create career education and career guidance plans for each grade. They coordinate and assess the plans and propose changes. Career advisors provide consultations focusing on the support of the implementation of prevention educational activities and methods from the career education and career guidance plan.  

The career advisor's final report at the end of the school year (created in cooperation with class teachers) contains: 

• implemented prevention activities and programmes from the career education and career guidance plans
• summary overview of individual career guidance

Educational counsellors perform educational counselling, i.e. counselling in personal, educational, and professional/career development. They are teachers at primary and secondary schools and special schools (or school facilities where appropriate) who help pupils and parents deal with different problem situations or guide pupils in the selection of professional careers. Educational counsellors are professional counselling employees at schools and perform their role alongside their pedagogical work. They act in connecting schools with professional facilities and other childcare facilities. 

Career guidance in counselling and prevention centres

Career guidance also constitutes one of the counselling and prevention centres' core activities. It can be provided either individually or in groups.

Career advisors working in these centres perform the following tasks:

• diagnostic assessments related to career development and skill management, focusing on identifying strengths, potential, academic performance, motivation, interests, values, motor skills, creativity, communication skills, social skills, competencies, position in a team, work independence, and the degree of function loss due to health disadvantage.
• counselling, especially addressing the individual situation of a child/pupil experiencing difficulties in career development or decision-making. This typically includes children/pupils with special educational needs or those facing health disadvantages in specific life situations.
• preventive activities, particularly programmes aimed at supporting transitional periods.
• Act as client coordinators, convening consultations, coordinating professional activities involving the child/pupil with various specialists within the counselling and prevention centre, and providing relevant information and procedures to parents and external institutions concerning the child/pupil.
• information dissemination about study opportunities, requirements, and conditions at secondary schools and higher education institutions, labour market, etc.