The construction and production of youth ‘at risk’

Abstract

This paper looks at policy discourse around ‘youth at risk’ (YAR) by asking two questions: First, how have problems and solutions related to YAR been constructed by Governments? And second, how do particular technologies of Government (differentiation of schools, programmes, and course streams, and the funding and identification of students with special needs) work to produce YAR? Interviews with educators at an alternative high school suggest that although policies to address YAR pay lip service to social justice concerns, technologies that serve to normalize and pathologize different groups of students present challenges to educators who are trying to disrupt the production of YAR within schools.

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the detailed comments provided by an anonymous reviewer.

Notes

1. This information is available in the ‘Fact sheet on child poverty in Alberta’ on the web site of the Edmonton Social Planning Council: http://www.edmspc.com. The child poverty rate in Canada in 2001 was 15.6%.

2. According to a 1999 City of Edmonton census question, 97% of students in Edmonton were enrolled in schools within the public and Catholic school districts (i.e., fully‐funded sector).

3. The Integrated Occupational Program is a programme leading to a Certificate of Achievement for ‘at‐risk’ students aged 12.5 to 19 years of age.

4. The rate of child poverty in Edmonton was higher than the provincial average in 2001 (19.3% compared to 13.8%). Further, this rate differs across social groups in Alberta—for example, the rate was 35.8% for those reporting Aboriginal identity, 26.7% for visible minorities, and 33% for immigrants. This information is available in the ‘Fact sheet on child poverty in Alberta’ on the web site of the Edmonton Social Planning Council: http://www.edmspc.com.

5. Data about the number of people reporting Aboriginal ancestry (by province and city) are reported by Statistics Canada on its web site: http://www.statcan.ca.

6. As an accredited private school, ICA is eligible to receive 60% of the per student grant provided to public/separate schools in Alberta. However, it must bear all other operating costs as per the Alberta Government Education web site: http://www.education.gov.ab.ca.

7. For example, in mathematics, students with 80% or higher are encouraged to take IB, students between 65 and 80 should take Math 10, students with between 50 and 65 should take Applied Math 10, and students with less than 50 should take Math 14.