Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

PATHWAYS INTO LCA 31Some respondents were reflective about their social class and how thismay have impacted on their educational and occupational aspirations.When asked what type of area he grew up in, Jack described how hisupbringing and aspirations to enter the construction sector contrasted withhis friends at school:A lot of factory workers in the area and stuff like that, whereas I went to schoolwith young fellas whose mother and fathers owned the factory so it was differentkettle of fish and I suppose…they were probably well schooled along the line ofwhat they were going to be doing in ten years, whereas I was schooling myself andtelling meself what I was going to do, you know, so, the construction area, there isobviously money to be made but not on the scale that you could in more educatedroles such as lawyers and all this kind of thing, you know what I mean? (Jack,23, dropped out of LCA, employed)In terms of educational attainment at home, many respondents’ parentsand siblings had not completed second-level education or gone on tofurther education. Andrew’s parents left school when they were young:I don’t think they even have a second-level education, I think me dad left schoolwhen he was twelve or something, thirteen. (Andrew, 21, completed LCA,apprentice)Some of the respondents’ older brothers and sisters had dropped out ofschool after the Junior Certificate and started working in trades. Sarahthought it was easier for her brother to get a job after the Junior Certificate:Why did your brother leave school?I suppose he got a job as a carpenter and he just started doing his trade then.Was he glad he left?Yeah, he was actually, yeah. I suppose the Junior Cert’s enough for lads, isn’t it?Walk into jobs easy. (Sarah, 21, completed LCA, employed)Interestingly, a number of those interviewed were the youngest or thesecond youngest in their family where there seemed to have been a shift ineducational aspirations between the eldest and the youngest child. Jackieand her younger sister had always planned to do the LCE and go to collegedespite the fact that none of their older brothers and sisters had finishedsecond-level school:I'm the second youngest, I have a little sister after me that’s it. So none of myolder brothers or sisters they didn’t do their Leaving. They left after 3 rd year, mybrothers went out working and my sisters were like you know…So you were more dedicated?I was yeah, yeah me and my little sister were like really wanted to get into collegeand get you know you can get a good job. (Jackie, 22, completed LCA,home duties)All of Andrew’s three brothers dropped out of school so he was the firstboy in the family to complete second-level education. At the time ofinterview he was completing his apprenticeship: