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Examining post-school plans and aspirations A study completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Smith Family has found that family wealth has a weak affect on students' post-school plans. Gender, ability and vocational orientation are the most important factors influencing post-school plans. The study, Post-School Plans: aspirations, expectations and implementation forms part of the Smith Family's research program into understanding how children and young people from low income families overcome financial disadvantage in making a successful transition from school into the world of work. The Report describes the post-school plans of a group of young Australians in the late 1990s; the factors associated with the development of these plans; and associations between the types of post-school plans and a student's predisposition towards lifelong learning. The study used data collected by ACER for the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) projects. Students participating in the LSAY study were surveyed in Year 9 and asked what their plans were for their first year after leaving school. Most young people (around 60 per cent) planned further study. A fifth of students did not know what they would do in the first year after leaving school while 40 per cent of students did not know what their parents had planned for them after leaving school. Family wealth or socio-economic status was found to have a weak effect on post-school plans. However, young people from low-income families find it harder to realise post-school plans for university study. A little over 60 per cent of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds who planned to go university had achieved their goal. This compares with 80 per cent of students from the highest socio-economic backgrounds. Financial disadvantage was not seen as a barrier to post school study when students opt to study at TAFE or pursue other vocational options. Girls were more likely than boys to plan post-school study - either full-time or part-time - and nearly twice as many boys (40 per cent) as girls (20 per cent) had no plans for any study. A student's vocational orientation also had an affect on their post-school plans. For example, a high proportion of students who enjoyed working with their hands had no plans for post-school study. In contrast nearly all students who had a preference for abstract thinking, particularly of a scientific nature intended to study full-time. Family wealth also does not appear to be associated with having an orientation towards lifelong learning. No association could be found between the wealth of the family and levels of effort and perseverance by students at school. There was some suggestion that where material resources are needed to support an orientation to lifelong learning, family wealth has some impact, but it is otherwise not an important factor. The results from this study indicate that young Australians have a good understanding of their own interests and abilities and make their post-school plans accordingly. Policies designed to enhance student outcomes, by encouraging the development of a positive lifelong learning orientation and encouraging students and their families to formulate post-school plans, may need to consider the gender, interests and abilities of young people. This may mean acknowledging that, typically girls have different interests from boys and that most young people have a good idea of their abilities and what they expect that they can reasonably achieve. In response to these findings, the Smith Family has called for the establishment of a national mentoring strategy to ensure students from low income families have the skills, role models and personal support they need to go on to TAFE or university. More effective career counselling in schools to ensure that students are well informed when it comes to making decisions about their post school options is also needed. Further findings and information can be found in the report, Post-School Plans: aspirations, expectations and implementation, by ACER researchers Adrian Beavis, Martin Murphy, Jennifer Bryce and Matthew Corrigan. The Report is available through The Smith Family's website. « Back to eNews
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A study completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Smith Family has found that family wealth has a weak affect on students' post-school plans. Gender, ability and vocational orientation are the most important factors influencing post-school plans.

The study, Post-School Plans: aspirations, expectations and implementation forms part of the Smith Family's research program into understanding how children and young people from low income families overcome financial disadvantage in making a successful transition from school into the world of work.

The Report describes the post-school plans of a group of young Australians in the late 1990s; the factors associated with the development of these plans; and associations between the types of post-school plans and a student's predisposition towards lifelong learning. The study used data collected by ACER for the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) projects.

Students participating in the LSAY study were surveyed in Year 9 and asked what their plans were for their first year after leaving school. Most young people (around 60 per cent) planned further study. A fifth of students did not know what they would do in the first year after leaving school while 40 per cent of students did not know what their parents had planned for them after leaving school.

Family wealth or socio-economic status was found to have a weak effect on post-school plans. However, young people from low-income families find it harder to realise post-school plans for university study. A little over 60 per cent of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds who planned to go university had achieved their goal. This compares with 80 per cent of students from the highest socio-economic backgrounds. Financial disadvantage was not seen as a barrier to post school study when students opt to study at TAFE or pursue other vocational options.

Girls were more likely than boys to plan post-school study - either full-time or part-time - and nearly twice as many boys (40 per cent) as girls (20 per cent) had no plans for any study.

A student's vocational orientation also had an affect on their post-school plans. For example, a high proportion of students who enjoyed working with their hands had no plans for post-school study. In contrast nearly all students who had a preference for abstract thinking, particularly of a scientific nature intended to study full-time.

Family wealth also does not appear to be associated with having an orientation towards lifelong learning. No association could be found between the wealth of the family and levels of effort and perseverance by students at school. There was some suggestion that where material resources are needed to support an orientation to lifelong learning, family wealth has some impact, but it is otherwise not an important factor.

The results from this study indicate that young Australians have a good understanding of their own interests and abilities and make their post-school plans accordingly. Policies designed to enhance student outcomes, by encouraging the development of a positive lifelong learning orientation and encouraging students and their families to formulate post-school plans, may need to consider the gender, interests and abilities of young people. This may mean acknowledging that, typically girls have different interests from boys and that most young people have a good idea of their abilities and what they expect that they can reasonably achieve.

In response to these findings, the Smith Family has called for the establishment of a national mentoring strategy to ensure students from low income families have the skills, role models and personal support they need to go on to TAFE or university. More effective career counselling in schools to ensure that students are well informed when it comes to making decisions about their post school options is also needed.

Further findings and information can be found in the report, Post-School Plans: aspirations, expectations and implementation, by ACER researchers Adrian Beavis, Martin Murphy, Jennifer Bryce and Matthew Corrigan. The Report is available through The Smith Family's website.

Examining post-school plans and aspirations