‘Education comes second to surviving’: parental perspectives on their child/ren’s early school leaving in an area challenged by marginalisation (original) (raw)

A Contemporary Study with Early School Leavers: Pathways and Social Processes of Leaving High School

Canadian Journal of Family and Youth / Le Journal Canadien de Famille et de la Jeunesse

This article provides an account and discussion of research processes used in a contemporary study of early school leaving in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Early School Leavers Study was conducted in conversation with 193 young people who left school prior to graduating, their educators and parents. The study was informed by a review of international literatures which point to the need for innovative social approaches and youth-attuned methodologies in the study of early school leaving. We present our research processes as informed by this literature and then present new analyses that illustrate critical social processes in early school leaving. The findings present unique data to show three pathways to early leaving and a constellation of risk and protective situations encountered by these young people along the way. Risk situations included the daily social workings of poverty, low socioeconomic status, the need to take on early adult roles, “place”, academic and social disengag...

The right to a second chance: lessons learned from the experience of early school leavers who returned to education

Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria., 2020

Based on a holistic perspective of education that articulates school pedagogy and social pedagogy, the main goal of this paper is to identify effective ways to ensure the right to education to vulnerable and marginalised young people who have dropped out of school. The research leading to this paper was part of a European research project which investigated how young people's responses to conflict can provide opportunities for positive social engagement. This specific study explored early school leaving and school re-engagement from the point of view of a group of 20 Portuguese young early school leavers who later returned to school through Second Chance Education. Through a qualitative approach using individual in-depth interviews, participant observation and focus group, the study sought to offer a comprehensive reading of early school leaving and school re-engagement by addressing the diversity of motivations, experiences, factors and consequences associated with them, as well as the role that educational policies and school factors can play in it. The study's findings revealed that, for many socially and economically vulnerable youngsters, mainstream schools are places of individual failure and interpersonal conflict where they don't feel welcomed and from which they stop expecting positive outcomes. This favours a progressive disengagement from education that reinforces social marginalisation. However, the findings also showed that by engaging in second chance education projects, youngsters develop greater commitment to education and identify relevant positive changes in terms of personal and skills' development, behavioural adjustment and establishment of life goals. According to the participants' experiences, the holistic and individualised socio-pedagogical approach of such projects is particularly apt to respond to their needs. Community-based educational eISSN: 1989-9742 © SIPS. [Filipe MARTINS, Alexandra CARNEIRO, Luísa CAMPOS, Luísa MOTA, Mariana NEGRÃO, Isabel BAPTISTA & Raquel MATOS] SIPS-PEDAGOGÍA SOCIAL. REVISTA INTERUNIVERSITARIA [(2020) 36, 139-152] TERCERA ÉPOCA Copyright © 2015 SIPS. Licencia Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (by-nc) Spain 3.0 approaches, practical and participatory learning environments, and the emotional investment and support from teachers and staff are shown to be the most effective socio-educational features when trying to re-engage vulnerable young people in education. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: abandono escolar precoce envolvimento escolar educação de segunda oportunidade relações de suporte inclusão social RESUMO: Partindo da articulação entre pedagogia escolar e pedagogia social, o principal objetivo deste artigo é identificar formas eficazes de garantir o direito à educação a jovens vulneráveis e marginalizados que abandonaram a escola precocemente. A pesquisa que levou a este artigo fez parte de um projeto europeu que investigou como as respostas dos jovens ao conflito podem oferecer oportunidades para um envolvimento social positivo. No presente estudo explorou-se o abandono e o re-envolvimento escolar a partir do ponto de vista de um grupo de 20 jovens portugueses que abandonaram a escola e que mais tarde a retomaram via projetos de Educação de Segunda Oportunidade. Através de uma abordagem qualitativa, utilizando entrevistas individuais, observação participante e grupos focais, o estudo procurou uma leitura abrangente do abandono e do re-envolvimento escolar, abordando a diversidade de motivações, experiências, fatores e consequências a eles associados, bem como o papel das políticas educativas e dos fatores escolares nestes fenómenos. Os resultados do estudo revelam que, para muitos jovens social e economicamente vulneráveis, as escolas regulares são lugares de fracasso individual e de conflitos interpessoais onde não se sentem bem-vin-dos e dos quais deixam de esperar resultados positivos. Isso favorece um distanciamento progressivo da educação que reforça a marginalização social. Por outro lado, os resultados também mostram que, ao envolverem-se em projetos de Educação de Segunda Oportunida-de, os jovens demonstram maior comprometimento com a educação e identificam mudanças positivas em termos de desenvolvimento pessoal e de habilidades, ajuste comportamental e estabelecimento de objetivos de vida. A abordagem sociopedagógica holística e individua-lizada da Educação de Segunda Oportunidade demonstrou ser particularmente adequada para responder às necessidades destes jovens. As estratégias educativas baseadas na co-munidade, os ambientes de aprendizagem prática e participativa e o investimento emocional de professores e funcionários revelaram-se os recursos socioeducativos mais eficazes para re-envolver jovens vulneráveis na educação. PALABRAS CLAVE: abandono escolar temprano participación escolar educación de segunda oportunidad relaciones de apoyo inclusión social RESUMEN: Partiendo de la articulación entre la pedagogía escolar y la pedagogía social, el objetivo principal de este articulo es identificar formas efectivas de garantizar el derecho a la educación de los jóvenes vulnerables y marginados que abandonaron la escuela temprano. La investigación que condujo a este artículo fue parte de un proyecto europeo que investigó cómo las respuestas de los jóvenes al conflicto pueden ofrecer oportunidades para una parti-cipación social positiva. Este estudio exploró el abandono y la reincorporación escolar desde el punto de vista de un grupo de 20 jóvenes portugueses que abandonaron la escuela y luego la reanudaron a través de proyectos educativos de segunda oportunidad. Con un enfoque cualitativo, utilizando entrevistas individuales, observación participante y grupos focales, el estudio buscó una lectura integral del abandono y la reincorporación escolar, abordando la diversidad de motivaciones, experiencias, factores y consecuencias asociadas con ellos y el rol de las políticas educativas y factores escolares en estos fenómenos. Los resultados de lo estudio han revelado que, para muchos jóvenes social y económicamente vulnerables, las escuelas convencionales son lugares de fracaso individual y de conflicto interpersonal donde no se sienten bienvenidos y donde ya no esperan resultados positivos. Esto favorece un dis-tanciamiento progresivo de la educación que refuerza su marginación social. Por otro lado, los resultados revelan que, al participar en proyectos educativos de segunda oportunidad, los jóvenes muestran un mayor compromiso con la educación e identifican cambios personales positivos de desarrollo personal y de habilidades, ajuste de comportamiento y establecimien-to de objetivos de vida. El enfoque socio pedagógico holístico e individualizado de la educa-ción de segunda oportunidad ha demostrado ser particularmente apropiado para satisfacer las necesidades de estos jóvenes. Las estrategias educativas basadas en la comunidad, los entornos de aprendizaje prácticos y participativos y la inversión emocional de los maestros y el personal han demostrado ser los recursos socioeducativos más eficaces para volver a involucrar a los jóvenes vulnerables en la educación.

School as experienced by early school leavers

2018

This research aims at shedding light on the experiences of Early School Leavers and their families; experiences which are very often disregarded or merely neglected when tailoring policies and strategies to combat Early School Leaving (ESL). This research seeks to qualitatively obtain information related to the causes and consequences of ESL, extrapolate data on the background of Early School Leavers and their families as well as give voice to their feelings, prospects, perspectives and experiences, whilst eliciting pertinent recommendations. The semi-structured interviews identify several shortcomings in the local educational system, including the focus on knowledge-based subjects, with little opportunities to opt for vocational subjects. In this research, the vast majority of interviewees advocate for the traditional trade schools. Furthermore, while the working-class parents interviewed feel that they lack the necessary skills and confidence to actively involve themselves in thei...

How do vulnerable youth complete secondary education? The key role of families and the community

Journal of Youth Studies

How do vulnerable youth complete secondary education? The key role of families and the community This article demonstrates how the engagement of families and other community members in decision-making processes in a school may prevent early school leaving among vulnerable youth and simultaneously increase their enrolment in secondary education. Based on a large-scale, EU-funded study, this article focuses on the case of one school located in a deprived area inhabited mainly by Roma people-one of the vulnerable populations most affected by early school leavingwhere a specific egalitarian participatory process of Roma families was implemented. According to the analysis of the collected data, this participation contributed to a reduction in student dropout rates during primary education, led to the implementation of compulsory secondary education in the same school, and increased the numbers of students who graduated from secondary school. These achievements transformed the educational and social prospects of vulnerable youth who were following the path to failure and who now dream of continuing their studies. Furthermore, these youth are acting as role models for younger children in primary education, helping to prevent school dropout and early school leaving from early ages. The case shows how the community participation in decision-making processes transformed the climate and expectations regarding education in the neighbourhood.

Count us in: Tackling early school leaving in south west inner city Dublin: an integrated response

2007

This report aims to identify those individual and environmental factors, which militate against school completion by young people in the catchment area of the South West Inner City. It identifies key issues for appropriate interventions with regard to school completion. Adopting a solution-focused, child-centred approach, the research is the largest survey to-date of children and young people in the local area. 5th and 6th class pupils, 1st, 2nd and 5th year students, attending schools in the local area, were surveyed. Other key stakeholders locally, including early school leavers, family support services and schools, were also interviewed in order to develop the central parts of a strategic plan for overcoming early school leaving in the area. Key findings: Willingness to complete secondary school: 100% of pupils in some local primary schools stated that they want to stay on at school until Leaving Certificate, in contrast to a different local school where 29% of 5th and 6th class ...

To stay or to go? 'At risk' young women speak about their influences and experiences in making decisions about post-compulsory schooling

Acsa 2003 Conversactions Conversations and Actions, 2003

In this paper we discuss aspects of a research project designed to investigate young women and early school leaving. The project develops a biographical and cross-generational methodology to explore the gendered experiences, consequences of, and decisions about early school leaving. It identifies themes and issues in the experiences of several different groups of young women who have been either identified as 'at risk' of early school leaving, or who have actually left school before completing year 12.

It all hinges around background doesn't it?' : the experiences of pupils in grammar schools who are considered to be from disadvantaged backgrounds : a mixed methods study

2020

The present government suggests that grammar schools are a means of achieving upward social mobility (USM) for young people identified as both disadvantaged and high academic achievers (Gorard & Siddiqui, 2018). It appears keen on extending the current grammar school provision based upon this rationale, as evidenced by the creation of the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (DfE, 2018). Existing literature that examines adults who have experienced USM concludes that whilst conferring some benefits it can also result in psychological stress (Friedman, 2014, 2016, Manstead, 2018, Reay, Crozier & Clayton, 2009, 2010). Research thus far around grammar schools has focussed primarily upon whether those identified as disadvantaged have as much chance of attending as ‘non- disadvantaged’ peers, or upon the academic outcomes of attendance. Less has been explored concerning the first-person experiences of disadvantaged students who access grammar schools, and potentially experience USM. Using el...

Between consensus and conflict: Schools and parents negotiating the educational trajectories of students at risk of early school leaving

Revista Española de Sociología

There is a vast amount of literature which locates the home-school relationship as a keystone to improving academic outcomes and preventing school dropouts. It is not always sufficiently clear, however, how these relationships are established and function and how they impact on students’ school engagement. This paper draws on the concepts of familial habitus and institutional habitus to better understand how home-school relationships are formed and how they are deeply class-biased. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with parents and teachers from four public secondary schools in Barcelona, this paper examines the factors explaining more and less harmonious relations between these two agents. This article will help shed light on the challenging relation between home and schools, taking into account different sociocultural contexts mediating this interaction and suggesting some implications in terms of educational policy from a social justice perspective.

‘The world is out to get me, bruv’: life after school ‘exclusion’

Safer Communities, 2010

Increasingly, punitive policies on 'problematic' pupils are implemented in poor-performing UK urban state schools. While some are permanently excluded and referred to local authority educational alternatives, others are unofficially 'excluded' and referred to other forms of off-site educational centres, where pupils receive a significantly reduced timetable, undertake unchallenging courses and are unlikely to return to school. Based on an ethnographic research project with 20 excluded young people in one south London borough, this paper will discuss what happens to these young people after their 'exclusion' from school. I will suggest that this form of unofficial 'exclusion' has significant life implications for these young people, contributing not only to their social exclusion, but also to their increased exposure to crime and victimisation. Moreover, their life options are truncated despite the efforts that they may make otherwise.