Thirteen Years Well Spent
What was school like for you? This podcast chats to young adults about what, from school they use in life and what they have learnt since. In the cumulative stories of real people, lets find out if school is doing as it claims - prepare young people for life.
Thirteen Years Well Spent
1 Bella
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Bella tells us about the value of social skills and practical knowledge like cooking. She discusses struggles with the school system, feeling overwhelmed by tasks and the pressure to compare oneself to peers. Bella emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and happiness, suggesting schools focus on personal growth rather than comparison. She advocates for more awareness and support for neurodivergent individuals in education. Bella looks forward to exploring different paths and finding what brings her happiness in the future.
I think comparing, I mean, it's in an ideal world, I don't know how realistic it is, but really we should be comparing ourselves to our past selves or um our grades have they improved since the last time? How have they improved? What helped you improve? So yeah, I think it's about personal growth and improvement rather than the definition of an ATAR, which is your number and your growth compared to other people's growth. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01We spend 13 years at school. Is it well spent? This podcast offers a platform to school leavers to tell us about how their 13 years at school has or has not prepared them for life. Guy Claxton wonders if young adults would say it is 13 years well spent. My hope is that this might reach the ears of all of us involved with school-based education. I'm Susan Taylor, a teacher of Japanese and leader of languages, but this is not about me or any of the organizations I am, have been, or might in the future be associated with. I invite any young people, 18 to 30 years, to contact me if you would like to share your experiences. Was it 13 years well spent for you? Simply email 13 years well spent as one word, with 13 as a word, not a number, at gmail.com. Before we start, some acknowledgments. I acknowledge the Gunai Kernai and Banerong people as the traditional owners of the unceded land where I live. I appreciate the knowledge and stories of all First Nations people and thank them. I would like to thank my partner, Gary Wakeling, for much joy in our life and for the beautiful intro and outro music. And I am most grateful to the stars of this podcast, the fabulous school leavers who have been willing to share their experiences and thoughts with such depth and vulnerability. And not least also to you, the listener, who has chosen to spend this time with us to understand and consider how these stories might mediate your thinking about school-based education. Today is our very first guest launching this new podcast, Thirteen Years Well Spent. I'm Susan Taylor, and I am ridiculously excited to be talking today with Bella. Bella is 22 and went to a government school in Outer Western Melbourne for both primary and secondary schools. Bella, do you think your 13 years in school-based education were well spent?
SPEAKER_00That is a very tricky question because I definitely wouldn't say I have regrets in terms of what I studied and who I met, but maybe in terms of what I've learned from school, maybe some more diversity in picking subjects maybe could have could have helped. But yeah, ultimately I don't have any regrets. But yeah, I think some changes could have been made.
SPEAKER_01Could you tell us a bit about your school experience?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I went to a mixed school, boys and girls, went there from year seven to year 12. Um, and I I honestly loved my school experience. A lot of it is trauma blocked out, which is a bit contrary to what I just said. Um, but yeah, I think um relationships with even teachers are really what I cherish most coming out of it.
SPEAKER_01Okay, can you tell us a little bit more about trauma blocked out if you're feeling comfortable sharing anything more about that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think as a uh neurodivergent person, I found completing tasks or the idea of a test or a final exam really overwhelming. And I always, from a very young age, struggled to finish things. Um sorry, I forgot the question.
SPEAKER_01Tell us a little bit more about why you feel like it's trauma blocked out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think the way that our school system is set up, you're forced to compare yourself to people, even like your peers that you enjoy spending time with. So that I struggled with and internally, and I think yeah, it led to um maybe not enjoying high school as much as I, as much as I could have because of that forced kind of comparative comparative nature.
SPEAKER_01Is that to do that comparison to do with grades and things like that? Or what are you thinking about?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think grades, social hierarchy, even um, yeah, it all kind of comes into play, even like who the teacher likes, who who they're spending more time with, because it's almost like they deem that person more worthy of certain information or certain attention. Um, and I think yeah, kids notice notice things like that. Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_01Could you tell me a little bit about what you learnt at school that you use in life? Now you're 22, you've been out of school for four years. Yeah. So what have you learnt at school that you use?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, um, not so much financial management. Honestly, you don't really get any of that in school. I'd say more the social um skills that I gained and also more um practical things like cooking class I found really valuable and still remember recipes that I learnt in high school to this day as an adult living out on my own. Um, but yeah, definitely the social aspects I think is the thing that I cherish most coming out of school.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Okay. What have you learned since school?
SPEAKER_00Hmm, that's a very good question. I think learning who I am and learning what makes me happy is something that I wish I knew in high school because I feel like I know myself so much better now. Um and yeah, I think just finding yourself knowing what you enjoy, knowing what you love to do is like how you find happiness in the end. And I don't think high school or the system that we have at the moment gives room or allows room for people to figure themselves out because you're kind of forced into one um yeah, schedule or box.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Um can you explain a little bit more? So imagine the Bella in high school and what she thought of happiness and self-image and the Bella now. Could you contrast those two for us?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think my entire yeah, view on what what's important and what you know what's important in life is completely different. In school, I thought education and making money pretty much were was the most important thing and ultimately what leads to happiness. But I think, yeah, just giving myself room to try out different things, creative things, academic things, whatever it is, just dipping my toes in um yeah, in different ventures. Um and yeah. Sorry, I've kind of forgot the question halfway through.
SPEAKER_01That's completely fine. And we were just comparing what did Bella in school think of happiness and the purpose of life compared to Bella now. So you've kind of given us the school one. And what does the Bella Now see as that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think just knowing what makes you happy is is something that I'm grateful for. Having passions because I know a lot of people struggle to find things that fulfill them. But I think, yeah, having relationships as well that fulfill me is yeah, really what makes me happy. And um, yeah, just the people around me, I would say. Amazing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is there anything that you think schools could be teaching but aren't? Or anything that they are teaching but could be taken out?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think financial management is so important. Um, bills, taxes, or maybe even like social security, um, not getting scammed. Uh, because even with AI, the rapid growth of AI, even people my age are getting like scammed or getting um yeah, getting fooled online. And so I think maybe like cybersecurity could be really important. Um and yeah, I think what they not so much what they're teaching, but um again, I think that comparative nature that's in high school is just so taught throughout every year. And I think going back to your question before, what makes me happy, I think breaking that kind of who am I compared to other people, how's my life going compared to other people? Because that's so prevalent in high school. But really just like breaking that barrier and just yeah, figuring out what makes me happy. Um, I found really important.
SPEAKER_01So if high schools didn't have a comparative thing, what would they do instead?
SPEAKER_00I think comparing, I mean, it's in an ideal world, I don't know how realistic it is, but really we should be comparing ourselves to our past selves or um our grades have they improved since the last time? How have they improved? What helped you improve? So yeah, I think it's about personal growth and improvement rather than the definition of an ATAR, which is your number and your growth compared to other people's growth. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Is there anything that could be taken out of schools in terms of what's taught?
SPEAKER_00Hmm, that's a good question. Again, trauma blocked. I'm trying to think about what I would even learn in school.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, I'm not sure to be honest. Okay, no worries. What would you like to say to teachers, leaders, curriculum designers, and school policy makers?
SPEAKER_00I think my biggest thing, and not just speaking for me, but family and friends, is maybe being more open-minded and more educated on neurodivergent people, no matter what that looks like or no matter what scale. I think it's so important to make everybody feel like they're in a safe space to learn and grow and be vulnerable and be honest, because the only way you can grow is through being honest and making mistakes and feeling like you're in a space where that's allowed and that's okay. Um, from both, yeah, I think just lack of judgment from teachers would really, really make a big difference to not only neurodivergent people, but yeah, kids everywhere. I think. Even dealing with mental health issues, which is more prevalent today than it ever has been. So yeah, I'd say I think that kind of awareness and education is really, really important. Amazing. What's next for Bella? That's a very hard question. Again, I think just continuing what what to figure out what makes me happy, what I want to do. Um, I would love to go back to uni. And I think I'm I'm very lucky because there are so many things I can see myself doing that would lead to happiness, so many things that I'm passionate about. So I feel like the world's my oyster in a way, and I'm just really excited for the next few years to kind of figure out what path works best for me.
SPEAKER_01Wow, that's amazing. Your world's the world's your oyster. Exactly. Thank you so much for chatting today. I really, really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much. Had the best time.
SPEAKER_01Schools, nearly all, somewhere in their mission statements or values, talk about preparing young people to thrive in the world. Yet when we educators look for indicators of success, we tend towards ATA, NAPLAN, and other tests that create leaderboards of some variety. Where is happiness in life in that sort of measure? I've noticed that there is some interest in the qualities employers look for in our young people, which orientate the schools to audit the teaching of those qualities. Where is happiness in that sort of measure? Curiously, Bella says she did learn about the social skills at school. However, her understanding about happiness seems to have come opposed to the school. She describes relationships and understanding passion and purpose as providing the foundations of happiness. Bella generously told us about her experience as a neurodivergent person in the school system, which does not sound like it was great. I was disappointed to hear that some teachers seemed to not consider her worth giving information or attention to. She said she felt unworthy of their time. I loathe to think that teachers contributed to this to Bella and anyone who might have felt unworthy from a teacher. I'd like to say sorry. Bella asked teachers to be more open-minded and more educated on neurodivergent people, no matter what that looks like, or no matter what the scale. That is such a clear call to action. My hope with this podcast is that educators will hear the feedback in the voices of actual people and make changes to their practice. Bella has told us how will we act? Will we, in Bella's words, make everybody feel like they're in a safe space to learn and grow and to be vulnerable? I'd like to thank Bella again for being my very first guest for being vulnerable and also being clear with ideas for improving education. And I thank you, the listener, for giving thirteen years well spent at the podcast your time. If you found it interesting, please let others know about it too. What in this episode resonated for you? What actions might you take as a result? I warmly invite educators or anyone to share their thoughts by emailing me at 13 yearswellspent at gmail.com. That's thirteen as a word, not a numeral, and all lowercase in oceans. Also, if you are between eighteen and thirty and would be willing to share your story, please also get in touch via email. Thanks for listening. I hope you'll tune into the next episode too. Bye for now.