ABSTRACT
In this chapter we examine how girls manage their schooling, exploring the concepts of survival and success. We report on girls’ aspirations and their expectations of school. We examine the pressure to succeed as well as the barriers, processes and procedures that need to be negotiated by students in order to survive the everyday experience of school. We consider how girls react when things go wrong, for example when they encounter problems of bullying, racism or difficulties in learning or in relationships. We report on the strategies which girls adopt and the people they turn to for help. Strategies such as withdrawal from learning and truancy are discussed, together with their consequences.
