Harrison, L., Angwin, J. & Shacklock, G. (2002) "Having a Baby and Being in School: Researching Pregnant and Parenting Young People and their Educational Transitions". Deakin University.
This paper introduced a study in progress on pregnant and parenting teens and education, and focused on the cultural assumptions made by the researchers in interviewing a sixteen year old mother named Jemma. The paper's researchers seem preoccupied to identify and disclose their own cultural baggage in order to get closer to some intangible, postmodern "Truth" about Jemma's story, but do touch on some issues that I hope to learn more about. Geoff Shacklock identifies what he calls three different storylines or narratives in Jemma's story: that of being a teenage parent, of being a student, and of finding an identity.
It is interesting to consider the 'storylines' in a teen parent's life through this lens, seeing three intertwining narratives that connect and affect one another. Jemma's struggle to come to terms with her pregnancy and her family's adjustments to accommodate her new baby and her live-in boyfriend become one narrative. Alongside this, Jemma's continuing engagement at school is becoming more and more interrupted, despite her evident desire to be just like everyone else. Finally her more complex narrative, that of finding an identity as "a mum, a student, a daughter, a partner, not to mention ... a 16 year old" highlights the intrinsic contradictions in her life. As Shacklock illustrates, these identities clash at times: "how can you be a good student if you miss class ... because you are tired from being up all night being a good mum to your sick child?" (Harrison et al., 2002).
Harrison et al's paper strays to far into self-reflection and postmodern pondering for my purposes, but it has given me a few other sources to follow up which may be of better use.
Showing posts with label case studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label case studies. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
RINE Research Journal 4: Teen Pregnancy
The Queensland Government has a state-wide Pregnant and Parenting Student programme designed to assist schools in providing equitable education to pregnant and parenting teens. Their website, http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=13245, includes some interesting statistics on the incidence of teen pregnancies in Australia.
Click image to enlarge
As is, unfortunately, so often the case, a cursory glance at the Northern Territory's figures is jaw-dropping. Whereas births to teenage mothers accounts for approximately 4% of all births, births to Indigenous teenage mothers account for a staggering 20% of all Indigenous births. The gap is heartbreaking.
The site quoted, as a Queensland authority, focuses on Queensland initiatives for pregnant and parenting students. However these initiatives, like those of the CCCares program in Canberra, provide an excellent benchmark and guide by which to orientate our inclusive programs for educating pregnant and parenting students.
The Learning Place outlines the pathways available to pregnant and parenting teens, which include continuing their schooling in a mainstream institution, studying by Distance Education, continuing at an alternative education centre which caters to their needs with on-campus support including child care, or enrolling in tertiary education.
The site underlines the importance of partnerships and flexibility in catering for pregnant and parenting teens. Partnerships may involve health care providers, counselling services, local charitable organisations, transport providers, vocational training institutions and many more members of the wider community. These partnerships allow the school more options in terms of the logistics of catering to a pregnant or parenting teen on a restricted funding budget.
An excellent example of using partnership and thinking outside the square, is the case of Geelong school Corio Bay Senior College (CBSC). Located in a disadvantaged area with a growing population of young parents, CBSC established an on-campus creche to care for the children of their students by creating a partnership with the local TAFE, who agreed to use the school campus as the site for its Certificate III Community Services (Childcare) course. Initiatives such as this illustrate the importance of flexibility, not just in curriculum delivery but in organisational planning, and shows what can be achieved when schools look beyond their own resources to the wider community for help.
Click image to enlarge
As is, unfortunately, so often the case, a cursory glance at the Northern Territory's figures is jaw-dropping. Whereas births to teenage mothers accounts for approximately 4% of all births, births to Indigenous teenage mothers account for a staggering 20% of all Indigenous births. The gap is heartbreaking.
The site quoted, as a Queensland authority, focuses on Queensland initiatives for pregnant and parenting students. However these initiatives, like those of the CCCares program in Canberra, provide an excellent benchmark and guide by which to orientate our inclusive programs for educating pregnant and parenting students.
The Learning Place outlines the pathways available to pregnant and parenting teens, which include continuing their schooling in a mainstream institution, studying by Distance Education, continuing at an alternative education centre which caters to their needs with on-campus support including child care, or enrolling in tertiary education.
The site underlines the importance of partnerships and flexibility in catering for pregnant and parenting teens. Partnerships may involve health care providers, counselling services, local charitable organisations, transport providers, vocational training institutions and many more members of the wider community. These partnerships allow the school more options in terms of the logistics of catering to a pregnant or parenting teen on a restricted funding budget.
An excellent example of using partnership and thinking outside the square, is the case of Geelong school Corio Bay Senior College (CBSC). Located in a disadvantaged area with a growing population of young parents, CBSC established an on-campus creche to care for the children of their students by creating a partnership with the local TAFE, who agreed to use the school campus as the site for its Certificate III Community Services (Childcare) course. Initiatives such as this illustrate the importance of flexibility, not just in curriculum delivery but in organisational planning, and shows what can be achieved when schools look beyond their own resources to the wider community for help.
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