Support for graduation from secondary schools and technical-professional schools

Abstract

This article explores the institutional dimension of young people's transition from secondary school to the world of work and/or higher education. It is based on interviews with eight school principals in the city of Paraná (Entre Ríos, Argentina) from state-run and private pre-university institutions, both oriented and technical-vocational, and from diverse locations. The article analyzes institutional priorities in preparation for graduation, the curricular approach to graduation (focused on a specific area or transversal to the entire curriculum), and the type of activities developed for this purpose. The results show that the type of school—oriented secondary or technical-vocational—is a discriminating variable in the analysis. While the former prioritize access to non-university or university-level higher education institutions through participation in career fairs and educational-vocational guidance programs, technical-vocational schools emphasize young people's experience of the workplace through internships and simulated professional practices. In the first case, preparation for graduation is carried out through the Educational Practices area, while in the second, it is addressed through the Professionalizing Practices area, which is presented as transversal to the entire training.