FEATURE: It's Never Too Late to get and Education

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
5 March 2010

A mother and daughter turned to education as a way to kick-start their lives and put their troubles behind them Consigned to the scrapheap at 15, life can turn out tough for the young tearaways who leave Lothians schools with nothing. But, just like the stars of STV's new television series on adult learning, many are finding out that "It's Never Too Late" to catch up, as Mark McLaughlin reports

ONE thing is certain about Viki O'Donnell's school days: she and her teachers simply didn't see eye to eye. The former teenage tearaway and her mum Beth have different recollections today of exactly how it all ended up going so badly wrong

but both agree that those days were an unmitigated disaster.

"I was never at school," admits Viki, 27, as she recalls leaving St Augustine's High at the age of 15 after years of truancy.

"I originally went to Craigroyston but I moved school when I was 13. I was diagnosed with dyslexia so I always had trouble reading, and I was told that I was a couple of years behind the rest of the class, but I just didn't feel the teachers were giving me the support I needed, so I wanted out."

Beth, 56, remembers things differently. "The change of school was a last resort. There was just nothing I could do to get Viki to go to school. You can't drag a 13-year-old down the street by the hand and throw her into school, although I did try. I thought maybe if she went to a different school she'd take an interest."

But the truancy continued and mother and daughter soon found themselves in front of the children's panel. "They threatened to put me into care but I didn't believe them," says Viki. "I knew that it was just an empty threat."

Eventually, Viki was allowed to leave school at 15 and within a few months she left home.

"I thought I was all grown up and ready to make my way in the world," adds Viki. "I found a hostel on North Bridge that would take you in if you could prove that your parents had thrown you out, so I had to get my mum to sign a letter saying she'd disowned me.

"It was a bit unfair on her but she knew that if she didn't sign it I'd throw a tantrum, so she just let me get on with it."

Eventually, she found a flat in Davidson's Mains and took on a series of dead-end jobs, as well as volunteering for after school clubs and a disability charity.

Viki became pregnant aged 21 but her baby died at just three days old, and she spent the best part of her early 20s battling anxiety and depression.

Today, Viki has woken up to the fact that there are few prospects without qualifications. Her mother realised this many years ago, after falling into a succession of low-paid jobs when she left Queen Anne's High School, Dunfermline, at 16 with no qualifications.

Mother and daughter have both now embarked on a new life of learning together, after enrolling first on an English course equivalent to standard grade English.

"I used to hate writing at school," says Viki. "Because of my dyslexia I was scared to write because I was worried people would laugh at my spelling, but one thing my tutor has taught me is that it's not the spelling that's important but the ideas behind it. I'm not embarrassed when I misspell a word now."

Beth's experience is similar. "Most of the jobs I did throughout my life didn't involve much reading or writing," she says. "I worked in restaurants, as a live-in chambermaid at the Caledonian Hotel, and as an au pair.

"I used to shy away from any job that involved paperwork because I didn't have confidence in my reading. When I reached my 40s I started volunteering for a few charities, manning helplines.

"There was quite a bit of paperwork involved in some of these jobs, and I'd often be setting up appointments for people with difficult names, so I got used to using the phrase, 'can you spell that for me'. I'm not afraid to say that now, whereas in the past I'd be worried people would think I was stupid.

"I took a few classes to help me with the work, such as relaxation classes, and I finally realised I wasn't as stupid as people made me out to be.

"Now I enrol in any course I have time for. I've done a psychology course, a counselling course and a childcare course. I suffer from spina bifida so I doubt I'll have the energy to put all of these courses to use in the world of work, I do it for the love of learning."

Viki, meanwhile, has even embarked on creative writing. "I used to write poems when I was really depressed, and I've started writing my first book," she says proudly. "It's about a dancer in New York City who has an accident and loses her leg, and has to rebuild her life from scratch."

The story of mother and daughter rebuilding their lives is one father-of-three Steven Gaffney, 28, from Haddington, can relate to. He too is embarking on journey of personal discovery after years of jail, alcohol and drug misuse.

His problems started at school. He would regularly bunk off at Dunbar Grammar to smoke cannabis with his friends.

"My mum would get me dressed for school and off I'd go, but I would meet up with my mates and smoke weed, kick a ball around the park or go shoplifting.

"I was hauled before the children's panel a few times but I was young so I didn't realise how serious it was. I was just counting down the days until I was 16 and I could leave school."

Steven enrolled in an NC business course at Jewel & Esk Valley College but it felt like school, and his interest soon waned.

He started worked for a landfill creation company but struggled with alcohol and drugs.

His chaotic lifestyle landed him prison several times, for breach of the peace, possession of an offensive weapon as well as several charges for non-payment of fines and failure to attend court.

"I'd been wasting my life so much, and doing so many physical jobs, that I decided to sort myself out and use my intelligence for a change," he says. "I now take maths classes on a Monday morning, and English classes in the evening. Unlike some people, I'd always been able to read quite well but I never had the qualifications to prove it. You don't realise when you're younger how important that piece of paper is.

"The classes are nothing like school, where you're under pressure to learn. You walk into a friendly atmosphere where you can learn at your own pace, and you have a cup of tea and a chat in the break, and it's all really positive.

"I'm going to enrol in an access course at Newbattle Abbey College, and after two years I'll be able to enrol in university. I've not decided what I'm going to do, but there are interesting options such as history, politics or sociology.

"One job I'd really like to do is become a drug and alcohol counsellor. I think I'd be well suited to that with my background."

It's Never Too Late is on STV on Thursday at 7.30pm

FREE HELP AVAILABLE

TWENTY-THREE per cent of adults in Scotland have difficulty with reading, writing or using numbers - around 800,000 people.

As well as limiting opportunities to find a job or to get a better job, the problem can also affect personal relationships.

Many people are embarrassed to talk about it or to ask for help. The Big Plus is Scotland's campaign to promote the free help available.

When people call The Big Plus number - 0808-100 1080 - they are put in touch with tutors in their area.

The support the tutors offer is based on what the individual wants to achieve. This could be help with application forms, their kid's homework, or how to deal with household bills.

It's not like being back at school and it's not a course. It's relaxed and friendly and it can take just a couple of hours a week - which can be arranged to suit work or personal life.