Study, work, rest and play : juggling the priorities of students' lives

The increasing costs associated with tertiary study in Australia coupled with limited government assistance for education have had a significant impact on the preparation of students for the early childhood sector. Increasing costs have meant that a greater number of students than ever before need to undertake full- or part-time employment (Kember, 1999), which, paired with family responsibilities, challenges the more traditional university experience enjoyed by students in the past. Today's students are less likely to enrol in university programs straight from school. Rather, by means of a range of pathways following college training at Diploma level, employment for several years, marriage and families, they enter university with very different skills and very different expectations regarding study from those of previous generations of students. This article examines some of the changing structures and competing priorities in students' lives, as part of a larger investigation around the use of alternate pedagogies in teacher-education programs. It notes how one university is modifying its early childhood teacher-education programs to provide more equitable but still workable solutions for students challenged by their multiple life-roles.