Background of students in Alternative Education: Interviews with a selected 2008 cohort

8. Students’ strengths, future hopes and aspirations

Just cause you had a bad life doesn’t mean that your life is over. [Samantha]

Resilience

Samantha’s statement sums up the highly resilient attitude we encountered with many of the AE students. In spite of many of them coming from less advantaged backgrounds, engaging in at risk behaviours and having negative learning experiences at some stage in their mainstream schooling, most of them were “bouncing back” and trying hard again with their learning at AE. Their second chance had instilled more hope for the future.

We were impressed with the way most students showed vitality, enthusiasm, and a sense of humour in the interviews. Most had a sparkle in their eyes. A few did not, and these turned out to be the students who had experienced severe trauma. In narrating her story for example, Rose (the young alcoholic) spoke in a dead-pan voice, but even so she showed a mature acceptance of her life situation, and was able to speak positively of how she had resolved certain things and was looking to the future.

Future Aspirations

Many young people spoke to us of rediscovering confidence as learners and seeing more options for their futures as a result of attending AE. The majority of these young people spoke about people encouraging them through positive reinforcement of their strengths, skills and talents. Frequently they had found or received information about how to reach their goals whether they were related to short-medium term study or long-term career options. Some had re-evaluated what they thought was possible and had set themselves some ambitious goals such as re-returning to mainstream schooling and even attending university. One young man told us how he was able to think about fulfilling the wishes of his grandfather by attending university. He had started to talk to people at the centre and plan how he could achieve this.

My granddad supports me and he would love someone to go to university from our family because no-one from our family has been to university. So through school I can work on getting to university. I want to go back to school and AE is on to it now. The church and AE have contributed 50/50 to me coming through. My goal is to get to university—I want to achieve it for my family—to see them happy. I have talked to people here to get the steps sorted out to get to university. People here believe I will get to university and keep telling me so. [Sam]

The next young woman also aspired to reach university. Her desire to succeed was driven by wanting to make her family proud and support them as best she could.

I'm going to go back to school (college)… it'll be a good opportunity for me to do better than what I did before. My dream is to go to university. Mum and dad will be proud. I'll be the first generation to do it. I always wanted to be a policewoman, but not anymore. I want to do something else. I want to look after my family, get a good job that pays good money so that I can take care of my family when they get sick and stuff, look after the little ones [Kitty].

Another young man’s aspirations related to getting himself back into school to allow him to pursue becoming a mechanic. He was optimistic about his reintegration into mainstream schooling and was confident that he had a plan that would work for him:

I want to be a mechanic—plan to leave school and go to engineering school. I can do that locally. I want to stay to school till 18 (7th form) and then do the course. I’ve got it stuck in my head that that’s what I want to do. It can take me a while to get it in my head but once I do, I’m on it. I’m working on getting back toward full days. I do full Wednesdays now and will be starting full Thursdays soon. Other than that I do half days. It rotates with the school timetable so I do full days when I have the subjects I really like. I’m looking forward to getting back to full time at school but I’m doing it over time. [Anaru]

The following young man also wanted to return to school. In his case he would need to be living with his extended family and seeing less of his parents. This was something he was willing to do to get himself back into school:

I want to get back into school next term. I want to go to another college. I’d have to go live with aunty and see my family in the weekends. I reckon I can handle not seeing my parents for 5 days a week. It will be good for me to get back into school. [Tom]

For Tom to be successful in this goal however, there should be a transition plan developed , as the onus should not be on him to manage the transition. For some young people these goals or aspirations for the future involved further learning and training yet not necessarily at school. Most were reasonably modest targets and focused on a current interest or passion.

It’s pretty good knowing that you’re the healthier student here, I’m probably going to go further than anyone else here because they’re smoking and doing drugs and drinking, not really focused on their future. But at the moment, I’m really trying to get a good job. I want to be an undercover security guard or a security prison guard. You must be at least 21 though. I’ll do a job or go on a course in the meantime. Then I’ll go into a security course, get a security guard certificate. [John Doe]

Other young people had realised that they could be successful learners. One young man had started to develop more confidence in his ability and was considering future study that related to his interests:

I thought it would be harder to get level 1 than this. I’ve already get 10 credits banked and won’t be starting full year 11 work till next year. I’ve realised that I do need to do the work even if there is heaps of it. Even if I don’t think I can handle it I just give it a go and see what happens. Been quite surprised at how much I can do when I actually try. I’ve found that out through doing work at Alt Ed. I would definitely do more study if it related to my interests, cars and sports. [Matt]

The next young man had several possible options for future jobs/careers and knew what he was interested in. He had received positive feedback from his family and friends about his talents in this area:

I’d like to be a mechanic, panel beater or a fisherman. I like trying to make things. My dad works for a wreckers company and he brings home screens and electronics. I can put a CD player into a car. Friends would say that I’m good with electronics—family would ask for his help with it at home [Tom Lee]

Another young man spoke of wanting to achieve something with his life. His aspirations revolved around finding a job that suited him and avoiding particular outcomes in his life. He was aware that he might need to work even harder due to the repercussions of his past behaviour.

I want to do something with my life. I don’t want to sit around; I want to get a job. I’m planning to get what I need at Alt Ed and then go. I don’t want to be like my family. I want to get out and get a job...I’ve got a criminal record so have to work hard to keep job options open. [Reuben]

For some young people goals for the future related to having a family. In these cases young people expressed a desire to avoid the mistakes they saw their parents/whänau make in looking after themselves and their family.

I want to have kids. And don’t want to go through what my mum went through with my dad. Don’t want my kids to go through what I went through. As a parent, I’ll make sure I’m with someone that will stay. Not be violent. Dad was really violent to mum. [Polly]

Some young people’s goals were relatively short-term such as getting a licence and thinking about employment. At times it was evident that these young people had not yet started to think about the future in any great detail. The goals or aspirations they voiced tended to relate to getting away from their current situations and were referred to as ‘dreams’.

I hope to be going for my restricted and maybe working and maybe level 1. I dream of travelling overseas, just wherever. Haven’t really thought of who I want to be when I’m an adult. [Method]

The goals of this student were perhaps unrealistic, but they indicate that he was more positive about his potential future as a result of attending AE:

Will stay here til I’m 16…might get back into secondary school. I’d like to be a Judge and I know about the courts! I’d have been a bum if I didn’t end up here. [Whitebait]

Students who were less optimistic about their futures

There were a few students who showed mature realism and understanding of their situations, but who were rather more pessimistic about their likely futures, such as the following:

I can imagine when I’m older, I would be in jail. Will try to control that, try to change. But it’s hard because it’s the way I’ve been brought up. But if I do go to jail, I’ll see my real dad in jail. I haven’t seen him since I was 11. [E-Rep]

Some students’ self esteem was very low, such as this young man, who remained unconvinced that he had any particular strengths:

Don’t know what I’m going to do in the future. Caregiver’s son has tried to talk to me. He talked to me about the army, building. Some sound interesting. Don’t know what skills I’m good at…I don’t think I’m good at nothing. Can’t remember anyone telling me I’m good at anything…Want to be in school next few years, but not “X”. Don’t really see school as important. When I’m an adult, I want to have my own family, will do things differently. Take them out. Don’t know what job, just any job, except for those grocery jobs. [Nate]

Students’ ideas about what they don’t want to do in the future

Sometimes it was easier for students to tell us what they didn’t want in their future lives, rather than what they did want. Having children was a common theme with the young people, especially at an early age.

I wouldn’t have a baby—it’s not worth it, where’s your money going to come from—its all that responsibility [Pam].

I don’t want babies cause I don’t want to be walking past the bros with a pram. I wouldn’t have freedom any more—would have to watch the baby and the missus every day and put food on the table at a young age. [Jerry]

Poverty was something these students knew well and they wanted to avoid that it they could.

I don’t want to be poor but I don’t mind if I am a solo-mum—I can handle it. [Tweety]

Doesn’t want to be a bum, you don’t get much money and have a boring life [Tom Lee]

Finally, one student had decided to give up at risk behaviours.

Don’t want to be drinking, smoking… I want to be a positive person [Kitty].