The voice of the learner

Citation

(1999), "The voice of the learner", Education + Training, Vol. 41 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.1999.00441dab.001

The voice of the learner

The voice of the learner

Keywords Career planning, Further education, Young people

Teenagers should not have to make firm choices between work and study at the age of 16, says Dr Martin Bloomer, of the University of Exeter.

Dr Bloomer, co-author of a report that examines the real experiences of young people in post-school education, said: "At 16, people do not know what they will be like at the age of 19. People's teenage years are an age of discovery and the late-twentieth century is a time of great uncertainty. It should be no surprise that people change their mind about education and careers."

Professor Phil Hodkinson, of Manchester Metropolitan University, is co-author of the report. He believes that late admissions procedures to colleges can contribute to students leaving courses before they finish. He said: "Young people who do not achieve the qualifications needed to take up their original choices often make decisions while they are under stress." The report shows that this is particularly true of students who fail to get the results they need to join A-level or advanced GNVQ programmes.

Professor Hodkinson continued: "College admissions procedures mean that these students have to make quick decisions, often with inadequate information. These students are in danger of leaving a course early."

The report highlights the fact that teenagers' everyday lives have a big impact on the decisions they make about education after they leave school. Dr Bloomer said: "Their family life, personal relationships and financial situations have a large influence on how they meet the challenges of learning. This includes decisions about how to study, what to study, whether or not to stay at college and complete a course or go to university."

College Life: the Voice of the Learner, is published by the Further Education Development Agency.