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

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning 65
Teachers don’t really mind, like you know it’s up to you.
It’s up to yourself.
Which is pretty bad because you can’t really work unless the teachers
are pressuring you. (Park Street, boys’ school, mixed intake)
For some students, therefore, this lack of pressure meant that they did
not work as hard as they felt they should:
It’s much more optional … teachers are kind of like oh well we’ll
give you these exam questions, if you want to do them you can hand
them up. If you don’t, they don’t care. It’s kind of up to you more
this year.
… You don’t do as much as you should. (Harris Street, girls’ school,
middle-class intake)
In contrast, other students found that increased autonomy actually motivated
them as they wanted to live up to the high expectations set by their
teachers:
Our Irish teacher, he doesn’t really say anything if you don’t do the
homework.
… You almost feel disappointed if you don’t give it to him like. (Argyle
Street, coed school, mixed intake)
Although interactions between teachers and students are reported as being
more positive than negative, some groups of students felt that teachers
were still far too strict. A particular concern was teachers’ emphasis
on enforcing what were seen as arbitrary or trivial rules:
Too strict.
Giving out over nothing.
Don’t have a sense of humour. (Dawes Point, boys’ school, workingclass
intake)
It’s over stupid things like if you’re wearing a fleece like because it’s
cold you have to take it off because it’s not the school jacket. (Belmore
Street, girls’ school, mixed intake)