Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
To identify and measure the major concomitants of early leaving, voluntary staying or transfer to technical college among 15 year olds. It compared teachers, parents and pupils in their perceptions of the aims of education and the interests of adolescents. The survey concentrated on pupils in their final year of compulsory education; their schools, parents, and teachers. The sampled data included parental attitudes to education, teachers' opinions on the curricula, resources and training requirements for Rosla, pupil attitudes to school, interests, evaluation of school objectives, abilities and attainments, rated educational behaviour, and home circumstances.
Main Topics:
Variables 1. Schools (completed by the principal) Number of boys/girls on current roll for 5th and 6th form, number of full-time staff (age and sex structure), number of teachers who left this year, number of full-time vacancies for male/female teachers, number of career teachers, number of school counsellors, number of remedial/special teachers. Follow-up of last year's leavers, cumulative record card for each pupil, information held on card, percentage of pupils receiving remedial education, organisation of remedial classes/ability ranges/required subjects and chosen options. External remedial classes/ability ranges/required subjects and chosen options. External examinations, percentage of fifth years taking GCE and CSE, timing of decision about pupil's ability to sit for external examinations. Regular meetings of staff/parents' association, provision for pupil participation, school prefects (how chosen), number of pupils receiving free/reduced price meals, proportion of pupils' fathers in various occupational categories/unemployed. School facilities, equipment and clubs. 2. Pupils Subjects found interesting or useful, reasons for finding some subjects boring, whether wished to do better. Respondents asked to agree or disagree with a number of statements about leaving school, friends leaving, school routine, school generally, teachers, subjects taught, discussion with parents about school, examination, age and sex of teacher preferred, particular dislikes about school, education needed from school (academic, practical skills, personal development, knowledge of life outside school). Whether spare time enjoyed, existence of regular girl/boyfriend, membership of local library, part-time paid employment, membership of school teams/clubs, membership of youth clubs outside school. Knowledge and opinion of the Youth Employment Officer, type of job sought, examinations taken, intended and preferred responsibility held at school, subjective assessment of popularity (with other pupils/teachers), success of work, games, clubs and social activities in the school, how intelligent respondents thought teachers considered them. Age intending to leave school/further education, reasons for leaving school at 15, reasons for going on to further education. Journey to school (time). Help given at home. 3. Teachers Position held, subject taught, sex/ability of pupils taught, problems/opportunities created by raising the school leaving age, careers education provided at school (information, advice, placing, preparation, follow-up). Education needed by those intending to leave at 15 (academic, practical skills, personal development, knowledge of life outside school), opinion of length of school day, value of practical work experience in school curriculum (for pupils and teachers), value of knowledge of pupil's home background/parents' visits, value of teachers visiting homes of pupils whose parents never or rarely came to school. Headteacher asked what equipment/accommodation or space/facilities were useful or lacking. Age, marital status, teaching experience (total and within present school). 4. Parents Opinion of school today; standard of work; interest of work; teacher-pupil relationship; attention given to basic subjects/pupils' needs/discipline. Most important subject after English and Maths, any subject considered unimportant, satisfaction with child's progress, education needed from school (academic, practical skills, personal development, knowledge of life outside school), opinion on length of school day. Events attended, reasons for non-attendance, reasons for visits to headmaster, opinion of arrangements made for parents to meet head and teachers, number of exams child is taking, right age to leave school, most important influences on child's decision to leave, knowledge of Youth Employment Officer, value of practical work experience in school curriculum. Parents' knowledge of child's priorities, help given at home, amount of time outside school child spends on school work, amount of reading parents do. Number of children, position of study child in family, number of children still at or below school age, number of siblings attending secondary or further education. Number of persons in household, number of bedrooms, type of dwelling, parental employment status, father's occupation, parental education, income of household, number of books, `maternal efficiency' (last three variables estimated by interview etc.).
Schools: stratified, random Pupils: constant proportion by age group from schools Teachers: constant proportion from schools Parents: systematic subsample from pupil sample
Parents: oral interview Pupils: group questionnaire Teachers: self-completed questionnaires
