Education and Youth Exclusion

Individualizando la Violencia Escolar: Análisis de Prácticas Discursivas en una Escuela Municipal de la Región de Valparaíso

by Macarena Morales

Verónica López, Claudia Carrasco, Macarena Morales, Álvaro Ayala, Joedith López y Michelle Karmy

Este estudio indagó las prácticas discursivas que sustentan la alta percepción de violencia escolar en escuelas... more Este estudio indagó las prácticas discursivas que sustentan la alta percepción de violencia escolar en escuelas municipalizadas de Chile. Se realizó un estudio de caso en una escuela básica municipal de nivel socioeconómico medio-bajo de la Región de Valparaíso. Participaron estudiantes de 7° básico, sus profesores, apoderados, directivos, asistentes de la educación, auxiliares y otros informantes clave. Las técnicas de recolección de información fueron entrevistas en profundidad, observaciones no participantes y análisis de documentos. El análisis del discurso mostró formas de acción social orientadas a individualizar la violencia escolar, invisibilizar el rol de la escuela y externalizar las atribuciones de responsabilidad, desde el rol docente al equipo multidisciplinario, a través de la derivación interna de "niños-problema". Estas prácticas se retroalimentan para formar un ciclo de exclusión escolar que resta a los estudiantes oportunidades de participación en los espacios de aprendizaje al interior de la escuela.

‘Critical bureaucracy’ in action: Embedding student voice into school governance

by Anna Carlile

Article accepted in Pedagogy Culture and Society; please email for a pre-proofs copy

This article suggests a model for ‘youth voice’ based on a participatory research methodology, ‘Illuminate’. The... more This article suggests a model for ‘youth voice’ based on a participatory research methodology, ‘Illuminate’. The article reports on research into the capacity for ‘Illuminate’ to amount to ‘critical bureaucracy’. Critical bureaucracy is presented as an approach to governance activities (here, in schools and FE colleges) which is related to ‘critical pedagogy’ in its reflexivity and sensitivity to issues of policy, power and social justice. The article reports on the testing of the Illuminate model through projects at two schools and a further education college: one on the flexible use of time in the curriculum; another on safety in school students’ lives; and the third on widening participation in the creative arts. Drawing on Freire, Foucault, and Hart, these projects are analysed according to theories of emancipatory research methods, governance, participation, and critical pedagogy, assessing the Illuminate model’s efficacy in terms of a pragmatic approach to critical bureaucracy. The analysis reveals a tension in the adoption of the combination of post-modern theories of governance and an ethic of social justice.

Transitions of Truants: Community Truancy Board as a Turning Point in the Lives of Adolescents

by Kevin Wright

Johnson, Charles L, Kevin A. Wright, and Paul S. Strand (2012). "Transitions of Truants: Community Truancy Board as a Turning Point in the Lives of Adolescents." Journal of Juvenile Justice, 1(2), 34-51.

School dropout represents a major turning point in a person’s life that could be seen as an initial step on a... more School dropout represents a major turning point in a person’s life that could be seen as an initial step on a difficult pathway to reduced conventional opportunities. The challenge is to identify interventions that can successfully reintegrate students back into a school setting in a manner that encourages continued attendance and involvement. One such program is the West Valley Community Truancy Board in Spokane, Washington. In addition to the truancy board process, the program employs a court-appointed officer to mentor students and manage the overall process of identifying and attending to the risks and needs that promote truancy. Guided by Sampson and Laub’s (1993) age-graded theory of informal social control and Cullen’s (1994) application of social support to delinquency, the current analysis seeks to determine the overall effectiveness of the truancy board based on both quantitative analyses of outcomes and qualitative interviews with key actors. We discuss the implications for the ongoing theoretical, empirical, and policy debates surrounding truancy intervention.

Gang member undergrads: What are gang members doing in our colleges and universities?

by Carter Smith

Keywords: gang activity in college, street gangs in university, percent of students having gang association, gangs in college, gangs in universities, college gangs.

Abstract: With the growing presence of criminal street gang members in the United States, communities everywhere are... more Abstract: With the growing presence of criminal street gang members in the United States, communities everywhere are experiencing the damaging impact of their criminal behavior. A 2011 report by the National Gang Intelligence Center reported the number of gang members in the United States was conservatively estimated at 1.4 million. As these gang members evolve, are they using our nation’s colleges and universities to educate themselves? How will that affect our communities? This paper reports results of a survey of college students and campus police regarding their perception of the presence of gang members on their campus. Less than one in four students agreed there was a gang problem in the community around their campus, while two of three of the police respondents agreed with the statement.  Students and police agreed in similar percentages that there was a gang problem within the campus community.  At least half of both students and police thought gang members were responsible for less than 10% of crime on campus. About two of three students and police reported less than 10% of the students were active gang members. The Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciples were the top three gangs in the campus community for both groups. Drugs crimes, Assaults, assorted Weapons crimes, Robberies and Sexual Assaults were reported as gang-related crimes.

The Youth Participation in the Labour Market in Germany, Spain and Sweden

by Francesco Pastore

Co-authored with Floro Ernesto Caroleo.
In T. Hammer (ed.), Youth Unemployment and Social Exclusion in Europe, The Policy Press, Bristol, Ch. 7: 115-141.

Call2_Project Rendering the Real

by Sireita Mullings

Project Rendering the Real, is calling for participants for an interactive symposium and exhibition by project titled the “Fourth Moment”.

March 22nd – April 27th 2012.

www.renderingthereal.com

The intention is to interrogate the visual representations of art practitioners and their project participants, by way... more The intention is to interrogate the visual representations of art practitioners and their project participants, by way of papers, presentations, workshops and artwork.

The exhibition and symposium will run between
March 22nd – April 27th 2012.

Visit www.renderingthereal.com for more information.

School and failure: change is in the eye of the beholder

by Francisco Javier Ramos

Published in "Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 50, 99-112"

This paper aims at two different goals. First, at presenting some issues concerning the complexity of the school... more This paper aims at two different goals. First, at presenting some issues concerning the complexity of the school failure phenomenon. This task is justified by the fact that according to figures presented by the European Union, the percentage of the young that cannot achieve basic education is significantly high. Then, this article is aimed at researching the personal and social impact of school failure, while pointing out some ways to help solving this problem. It is fundamental to approach this issue from a realistic analysis and a realistic context, with the goal of proposing not only preventive actions but also palliative ones. In this sense, it is necessary that all the social agents assume their share of responsibility, and not, as it usually happens, to blame only one of the intervening agents. Educational centers must adopt innovative procedures, rescuing activities that interest the students. It is necessary that the family, besides being deeply involved in the educative process, makes an effort to establish and maintain rules and boundaries that will let their children learn how to assume responsibilities and know the consequence of not assuming such responsibilities. Finally, the young do not see the problems, mainly work problems, entailed by this situation because despite the fact that they do find jobs, the very nature of these will not allow them to follow a qualifying path. There are some strategies that are showing positive results. But it is mandatory that, if we resort to outstanding actions outside the educative system, these are carried out following the principles of continuing studies.

Hard to Reach Communities: Living in the UK, and Issues Facing British Muslims of Kashmiri Heritage Born & Bred in the UK

by Owais Rajput

In my presentation I will focus on British Muslim Communities living in UK; my main focus will be on the British local... more In my presentation I will focus on British Muslim Communities living in UK; my main focus will be on the British local community with Kashmiri heritage, as most of the time they are labelled in the media as “Home Grown Radicalised” Muslims, even if they are the fourth & fifth generation born & bred in UK.

I will also focus on Processes to Radicalisation in UK, in local communities, again particularly in the Kashmiri community.

I will also focus on design and delivery processes so far used by authorities in de-radicalisation processes and the results so far, and why we need to change those design and delivery processes, especially when we focus on the British Diaspora with Kashmiri heritage, the fourth & fifth generation born & bred in the UK.

A Note on Youth Unemployment in the EU

by Francesco Pastore

Co-authored paper with F.E. Caroleo,
Annals of the University of Petroşani, 27, 7(1): 37-52.

This short note aims to provide a theoretical framework to think of the youth unemployment problem and a... more This short note aims to provide a theoretical framework to think of the youth unemployment problem and a classification of EU countries according to the way they address it. The key factor to explain youth unemployment is what we call the youth experience gap. To help young people to fill their experience gap and smooth school-to-work transitions every country provides a mix of policy instruments, including different degrees and types of labour market flexibility, of educational and training systems, of passive income support schemes and fiscal incentives. Five different country groups are detected whose outcomes in terms of youth unemployment are dramatically different: a) the North-European; b) the Continental European; c) the Anglo-Saxon; d) the South-European; e) new member states. The Lisbon strategy provides well-targeted guidelines, but is costly and hard to implement.

Returns to education of young people in Mongolia

by Francesco Pastore

Post-Communist Economies, 22(2): 247-265.

Relatively little is known about the youth labour market in Mongolia. This paper studies returns to education of... more Relatively little is known about the youth labour market in Mongolia. This paper studies returns to education of 15-29-year-olds by taking advantage of a recent ad hoc School to Work Transition Survey. Based on augmented Mincerian earnings equations, education and work experience appear to be important determinants of earnings. Vocational does not provide higher wages than compulsory education. Factors bearing wage gains include: living in the capital city and in urban areas in general. Factors bearing wage penalties include: gender, informal work, training, using informal job search networks, herding. Union membership, being a migrant, the civil status are wage neutral.

Canduela, J., Chandler, R., Elliott, I., Lindsay, C., Macpherson, S., McQuaid, R.W. and Raeside, R. (2010) ‘Partnerships to support early school leavers: school-college transitions and winter leavers in Scotland’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 23, No. 4, 339-362.

by Colin Lindsay

This article explores the characteristics, destinations and progression routes of early school leavers – specifically... more This article explores the characteristics, destinations and progression routes of early school leavers – specifically ‘exceptional entry winter leavers’ – in Scotland. Exceptional entry allows students to enter college in the term before their statutory school leaving date – such young people attend college while formally remaining the responsibility of their school. Such arrangements represent an innovative model of supporting transitions to further education among a specific, potentially vulnerable client group, while also offering lessons for the development of school–college collaboration in other areas. Based on an analysis of official data, new survey research with schools and colleges, and in-depth case studies, this article identifies how schools and colleges work in partnership to support these early school leavers. We find that schools and colleges have developed a range of innovative approaches to engaging with winter leavers, and that the majority complete their programmes or achieve other positive end-of-year outcomes. However, the most disadvantaged young people remain least likely to progress. The article concludes by identifying lessons for good practice in school–college partnership-working and considering implications for policies to prevent young people from finding themselves not in employment, education or training.

'We just talk things through and then she helps me...…': Relationships of trust and mediation

by Martha Radice

Coldron, John, Mike Coldwell, Angela Logie, Hilary Povey, Martha Radice and Kathy Stephenson (2002) '"We just talk things through and then she helps me…": Relationships of trust and mediation.'
Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the British Educational Research Association, University of Exeter, England, 12-14 September 2002

The development of supportive relationships between individual young people attending secondary school and significant... more The development of supportive relationships between individual young people attending secondary school and significant adults there is important in a variety of ways. In this paper, we report what young people and, in some cases, their parents had to say about such relationships. Interviews were conducted as part of the evaluation of an intervention project, funded by the Home Office, intended to reduce truancy, school exclusions, bullying and offending behaviour. The schools chose to employ a wide range of strategies but a common theme to emerge was the positive effect of key relationships with 'friendly adults'. They might be with teachers, social workers, youth workers, police officers or a range of other professionals employed in the interventions. We highlight two of the positive effects promoted by the trust and attachment generated and examine them in order to consider why the relationships are so important and how they relate to the project's aim of reducing unwanted behaviour. We conclude by considering implications for practice.

Maps to interrupt a pathology: Immigrant populations and education

by Lisa Patel

Violence in Schools and Representations of Young People: A Critique of Government Policies in France and England

by Audrey Osler

Oxford Review of Education, 31 (2): 195-215 2005 co-authored with Hugh Starkey

This paper examines media discourses in France and in Britain relating to young people, violence and disaffection in... more This paper examines media discourses in France and in Britain relating to young people, violence and disaffection in schools, setting these within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasises young people's participation rights. It analyses policy initiatives developed since 1997 in each country to address concerns about young people, disaffection and violence, examining these in the light of research evidence. It considers how public policies are variously shaped by research findings and by media representations. In France, attempts to reduce violence in schools have been accompanied by recognition that schools structurally produce disaffection and violence. In England there has been a shift in policy discourses. In 1997 the primary emphasis was social inclusion, but greater weight has since been given to the need to combat crime. (Male) youth disaffection is linked to crime. Policies addressing standards and achievement have been prioritised over policies to combat social exclusion. In both countries researchers and the media give particular attention to urban communities where minority ethnic communities live. Individual schools are labelled as failing and large numbers of young people are excluded or marginalised. In both countries minority ethnic students are over-represented among those formally excluded from mainstream education and in the least popular, most stigmatised, schools and classes. Violence and disadvantage are effectively institutionalised. Discourses in each country are racialised and disaffection is associated with minorities. Yet both countries offer universalist rather than targeted policy responses. Opportunities for student participation in school decision-making are limited.

Youth Music Outcomes and Impact 2009-2010

by Luke Dickens

Youth Music asks all its funded partners to report on the outcomes of their work.  This paper presents evidence... more Youth Music asks all its funded partners to report on the outcomes of their work.  This paper presents evidence from Youth Music funded projects that closed in 2009/2010.  Results are presented according to Youth Music’s four strategic priorities: Early Years, Children in Challenging Circumstances, Encouraging Talent and Potential, and Workforce Development.

The analysis reveals important developments in each of these areas and outlines significant impacts on the beneficiaries of Youth Music funding (including children and young people, communities, the music workforce and delivery organisations).

Creative Apprenticeships & Future Jobs Fund: An analysis of stakeholder experiences

by Luke Dickens

This report centres on a stakeholder analysis of the Creative Apprenticeship and the Future Jobs Fund schemes.... more This report centres on a stakeholder analysis of the Creative Apprenticeship and the Future Jobs Fund schemes. Discussion is based upon five in-depth interviews with Youth Music Action Zone (YMAZ) directors and managers about the key benefits and challenges of their participation in the schemes.

The report also makes a series of recommendations for what Youth Music and wider policy making circles might now consider in light of the research findings. The report will be of use to those implementing (or thinking about implementing) similar employment offers to young people in the music and wider creative sectors.

Exclusion from school: a gendered story of behaviour

by Audrey Osler

Osler, A. (2004) Exclusion from school: a gendered story of behaviour, in H. Claire (Ed.) Gender and Learning in the School Years 3 -19. London: Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

More information on my research into school exlcsuion can be found in these 2 books: (1) Girls and Exclusion: Rethinking the Agenda
(2) Not a Problem: Girls and School Exclusion

Docile bodies or contested space? Working under the shadow of permanent exclusion

by Anna Carlile

Finding Space for Agency in Permanent Exclusion from School

by Anna Carlile

The causes and effects of permanent exclusion from school: Policy and practice in an urban children's services department

by Anna Carlile