Norbert Elias's Lost Research by John Goodwin Henrietta O'Connor

Author:John Goodwin, Henrietta O'Connor [John Goodwin, Henrietta O'Connor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Sociology, General, Business & Economics, Labor
ISBN: 9781317086826
Google: dgmrCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-03-03T06:01:28+00:00

Leaving School

One of the key sections included in the original interview focused on education. The responses to this set of questions are central to this analysis as they serve to illustrate the way in which aspects of the future career trajectories were often put in place at this early stage, prior to any formal guidance from careers advisors or the gaining of any formal qualifications. The responses show that many had already decided that school was not of any long-term benefit and they had taken the initiative to prepare for their futures, not through education, but by seeking employment well in advance.

Respondents were asked a series of questions about their experience of school and to reflect on their feelings about school with the hindsight of at least one year in paid employment. This section of the interview began by asking the young people to consider how they had felt about school before they had left. The majority recalled that they had been keen to leave:

I didn’t like school very much. It just was a bore, dragged on, just didn’t suit me at all.

Couldn’t bear school – hated it. Disliked everything – I was fed up every minute I was there. I was really glad to leave.

I wanted to leave. I didn’t like school and wanted to go to work.

Not all had such negative reflections on their experience of education; some had enjoyed it and had been less keen to leave:

It were lovely at school. Let’s face it, I were really good and top of the school and somebody, but now I’m at work.

If I’d have stayed I’d have got a better education. I liked school tremendously, I didn’t want to leave.

For others there was ambivalence at the thought of leaving school, almost an unquestioning acceptance of the next stage of the life cycle:

I didn’t sob me socks off, or put the flags out, just took it that I was leaving, said goodbye and left like.

Didn’t want to do it at first – quite liked school and thought about all the lovely holidays you’ve got. But just have to think … got to leave at sometime might just as well get used to the idea.

Many felt that school had become a ‘waste of time’ in their final year and that they were largely being taught subjects which were irrelevant to their lives ahead. Most had already secured future employment, for which qualifications were rarely required, and were therefore confident that further education was not a worthwhile investment of their time:

I wouldn’t have wanted to stay on for GCE. It would have been a wasted year really.

Because I’d learnt what I wanted for this job – I couldn’t have learned anymore for the job itself – I’d only have learned more Geog. & History and you don’t need it really.

I was sorry to leave my friends, but I didn’t like school – felt as though I was learning a lot of things that I didn’t need to know.

I don’t know, I didn’t like school.

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