From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

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From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School
Interviewer: And what kinds of things would you cover?
Mostly college, PLC courses and that.
If you want to do a trade, it’s no good.
Because they don’t talk about trades really.
They don’t talk about trades really you have to go and do that yourself.
(Dawes Point, boys’ school, working-class intake)
Similarly, students in Lang Street students felt that the guidance counsellor
spent all their time on preparing students for college:
I’m not going to college either so I didn’t get any attention. (Lang
Street, boys’ school, working-class intake)
Some of those interviewed mentioned the option of taking the ‘back
door’ into certain careers or courses, either as a mature student or
through intermediate courses. Some students appeared a little frustrated
by the lack of options for them if they were not successful in getting
adequate CAO points:
They don’t tell you about all the back doors into courses … Like if
you don’t get the points. (Argyle Street, coed school, mixed intake)
Some students felt that the onus was on them to get all the information
they needed. They felt this was time consuming and would have liked
their teacher to help them:
Spent the whole lot of the first three classes looking for like forms,
application forms for colleges to do hairdressing. (Belmore Street,
girls’ school, mixed intake)
Even where students intended on going to college, many felt that far too
much time was spent on completing the CAO form. They felt that this
was a simple exercise that did not merit the amount of time given to it in
class:
Even when we do have it, it’s useless, they do nothing for you….
Interviewer: What kinds of things do you cover in the class?