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Regret was a dominant theme towards the end of the interviews. Many of the young people we spoke to expressed regret at leaving school early, irrespective of what activity they were engaged in after school. Brian and Ian expressed regret at leaving school early. Both indicated that they should have stayed in school to complete the Leaving Cer- tificate because of the limited range of choices available after leaving school due to a lack of suitable qualifications.

And do you regret leaving school at all?

Yeah.

Why do you regret it?

I have nothing else to do, I haven’t got a job or nothing. I should have stayed in school and done my Leaving.

Do you think that would have made a difference?

Yeah. I just would have being able to go to college with the Leaving Cert. (Brian, Dixon Street, Junior Certificate, Unemployed)

Do you think life is easy after you leave school?

No not at all, a struggle.

And what do you mean when you say ‘struggle’?

Like getting a job like they turn around and say ‘no you need your Leaving Cert for this’, you just get, you get the stupid jobs. (Ian, Dixon Street, Junior Certificate, Unemployed)

Brian’s advice to others was to stay in school or obtain employment before leaving school.

Stay in school or manage to get a job before leaving. (Brian, Dixon Street, Junior Certificate, Unemployed)

Like many of the other early leavers we spoke to, George regretted leaving school, regretting not having the qualification in particular.

So do you regret not doing your Leaving Cert?

Yeah, big time. Like, if you have your Leaving like, you can go on and do anything, do a lot like, with your Leaving. Not doing your Leaving fucks up your life a bit too much like. Junior Cert will get you in nowhere, you have to have the Leaving for everything. (George, Dawson Street, Junior Certificate, Youthreach)

For some of the girls, regrets centred not only on the lack of qualifica- tions but their exclusion from some of the ‘rites of passage’ (such as debs dances) which mark the transition to adulthood.

Do you regret leaving school?

Yeah definitely I really do, I really, really do. I could have had a really good education like you know then I could have done my Junior and got a job. I could have even have my Leaving Cert done now you know what I mean. I could have been going on my debs or something you know. (Emma, Dixon Street, No Qualifications, Unemployed)

Yeah. I regret it, I do regret it, because like me sister and that done their Leaving and done their debs and I’m thinking why did I leave school, I could have learned more. (Clare, Dawson Street, Junior Certificate, Youthreach)

Many of the early leavers we spoke to had regrets but argued that they would make the same decision again. This was the case for Isobel, who expressed regret at the lack of qualifications needed to get a job and the signal it gives to employers. However, she felt that, because of her disadvantaged circumstances, even if she had a Leaving Certifi- cate, it would not make a difference.

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Do you regret leaving school?

Yeah. Now I do.

Why do you regret it?

I don’t know now, it’s just because I haven’t got my Leaving Cert or anything. I didn’t even do that in FÁS. So I do kind of regret it. Sometimes I wish I was still in school but my years are gone now, sixth year and all is gone so I would have been finished school anyway. I know I’m not getting jobs and all like but I don’t think it would make my life any better if I had a Leaving Cert.

So why do you regret it?

Just to have it there when you are getting jobs and all. And just to show that you done your Leaving Cert. (Isobel, Barrack Street, Junior Certificate, Unemployed)

John argued that while he regretted not having the qualifications, he did not regret leaving school because he had not wanted to be there.

So, do you regret leaving school?

I don’t really regret it like, I would like to have the paper work but I didn’t want to do it. I don’t regret not being there but I, I regret not having the qualification like. You see it is a lot easier to get a job if you have a Leaving Cert. It means a lot like, if you have it, you’re nearly guaranteed to get a job like, even to get a job in Dunnes, you have to have some qualification so. (John, Hay Street, No Qualifi-cations, Unemployed)

This was also the case for Lisa who had been bullied at school and for Louise who reported high levels of psychological distress.

So do you regret leaving the school?

So, in a way you do, because …?

Because I want to do my Leaving Cert, my proper Leaving Cert and now I can’t do it.

And in a way you don’t, because …?

Because like, least I know I’m not getting bullied anywhere else. (Lisa, Dawson Street, Junior Certificate, Youthreach)

I wish I’d stayed in, but I’m happy I’ve left as well but I wish I hadn’t, like you know I had stayed in to do my tests and everything because it is very hard to get a job without having the qualifications like but I am happy that I left as well because I don’t have the stress anymore, I’ve calmed down a lot since I left school which is better for me like.

…

It was bad, I’d say it was a bit bad but I’m happy like, I’m a lot more, less stressed and everything and more laid back than I was when I was at school and I didn’t want to be there anyway, so I think it is better off that I did leave because even though I don’t have the qualifications that I want, I still, you know I didn’t want to be in school so. (Louise, Belmore Street, No Qualifications, Unemployed)

For Colin, it was a case of just getting on with it now that the decision was made.

Yeah like I just, I’m happy where I am like, you know I’m not complaining or anything, I’m just getting along like, doing what I have to do. (Colin, Dawes Point, Junior Certificate, Employed Full- Time)

It was interesting to note that many of the early leavers expressed a de- sire to go to college or to further their education. As a result, some of the young people we interviewed expressed the view that they would have to

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go back to school in order to gain entry to college. This was the case for Clare, who could see a distinction between the value of a Leaving Cer- tificate obtained through Youthreach and a Leaving Certificate obtained in school.

You get more places [with a Leaving Cert], people ask like, did you do your Leaving, you’re like no, and they’re probably thinking, oh a girl like you should settle down and do her Leaving. (Clare, Dawson Street, Junior Certificate, Youthreach)

It was also clear that many of the early school leavers we spoke to placed a value on education, indicating that leaving school early is ‘a stupid thing to do’ and that if they had younger brothers or sisters, they would encourage them to complete their second-level education. We asked young people whether hypothetically they would like their own children to leave school early. All of the early leavers we spoke to agreed that education was important and that they would encourage their children to complete second-level education, even when they were aware that they were contradicting themselves.

I’d try yeah, I’d try yeah, I would like them to have something maybe I didn’t have, I’m not saying that I’m not happy, I’m happy the way I am now but I just, maybe I’d just like to see them have something I didn’t have like, I’d be happy like if they had something, you know what I mean I’d be happy like if they had it, yeah. (Colin, Dawes Point, Junior Certificate, Employed Full-Time)

However, not all of the young people we spoke to placed a value on education. It was often articulated to us in the interviews that clear evidence of the value of education was not apparent in their social network.

So do you feel now you have enough choices or do you think you have fewer choices?

I think I have less choices than what I would if I was in school but I wouldn’t know until, you know I’d see someone who would come out of school with a proper education and got into a big

lawyer firm or something, because I don’t know that. I’ve never seen like anybody you know get far with their qualifications because I don’t know. I’d say I’d have a few more choices if I’d stayed in school but I’m still happy that I left. (Louise, Belmore Street, No Quali-fications, Unemployed)

Such views were in direct contrast to those who could see the value of education in their everyday lives. Elaine could see how education paid off for some of her friends. When talking about her friends, she indi- cated that she admired them for sticking with school and for making it to college.

Yeah, one of them, I’m very proud of a young fella on me road, he left, or he did his Leaving and now he is in college and he has a job and all like, so it is pure good for him like, I’m delighted for him and he hated school as well. But he stuck to it, I wish I did, just go to college and all.

Would you like to go to college?

I’d say I would yeah to train for a mechanic, I love cars. Love cars, I’m a pure tom boy, I would have love’n to do that. (Elaine, Dixon Street, Junior Certificate, Unemployed)