ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the barriers to achievement that girls face. It draws on the perspectives of professionals as well as a range of perspectives from girls themselves. We examine the links between informal and formal exclusion, truancy and absenteeism. We focus on aspirations, caring responsibilities, pregnancy, sexual vulnerability and peer relationships. Service providers highlight girls’ limited access to support systems and argue that while these meet the needs of some girls, they fail to address the needs of others. We argue that unless we identify the varied but specific needs of girls, policies and practices which attempt to reduce school exclusion, truancy and disaffection are unlikely to have a significant impact on the wider problem of social exclusion.
