Are you thinking of giving uni a miss" Charlotte Phillips speaks to a mother whose three children have achieved career success without the need for higher education
When mother of three Amanda Christie mentioned to a casual acquaintance at a party that her daughter, Florence, wouldn?t be going to university, the reaction came as a surprise.
?She looked at me and said, ?Oh, how terribly brave,? and I thought ?What are you on about, why are you thinking I?m brave"? She was treating me as if I had a serious illness. For a moment I thought she was about to stroke me.?
Admittedly this all happened in London, one of the most education-obsessed places in the world, where deviating from the conventional trajectory can virtually stop traffic (not that it moves very fast at the best of times). Nationwide, the picture is the same. Higher education remains the default option for over 90% of independent school leavers, the final station stop on the one-track education express; the catnip that no top employer can resist.
Alternative Route
While it?s a wonderful achievement that shouldn?t be downplayed, it can make the 10% or so of 18 year olds who elect to do something different with their lives feel second best in comparison.
?Schools are so geared towards university that they can find it hard to guide you down another route,? says Amanda. ?That?s why so many children feel this peer pressure that they have to follow suit so they don?t miss out.?
Enter Amanda Christie?s ...