ABSTRACT
The notion of transition implies that there is some destination that is being aimed for. In the school setting the destination is a pre-ordained one. It is certainly one that educationalists, politicians, teachers, parents or some combination thereof believe to be in the child’s best interests. It is almost certainly a destination that will have at its core such goals as self-reliance, autonomy, the development of problem-solving skills and socialisation. Despite this, when we speak of transitions in the school setting we are talking about coerced transitions. However sensitively handled and whatever mechanisms we put in place to assist children to manage, the transition is externally motivated and its goals are circumscribed by the artificial boundaries of the institution.
