Pj. Dwyer, DISJUNCTURE BETWEEN PATHWAYS POLICY AND STUDENT OUTCOMES - EXPERIENCEOF EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS, Australian journal of education, 39(3), 1995, pp. 265-278
The shift in public attitudes and government policy on retention rates
has led to a preoccupation with post-compulsory education at a nation
al level. Consequently those who do not continue with their education
now find themselves in a policy vacuum. The policy is framed in terms
of 'pathways', but the experience of these early school leavers is one
of 'uncharted territory'. This article reports on the findings of a r
ecent longitudinal study of early school leavers and its implications
for policy formation. It draws attention to misleading assumptions and
expectations written into the policy frameworks, which point to disju
nctures between policy goal-setting and the actual outcomes for the cl
ient groups subject to those policies.