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Ivan & Mary Searston
searstons@bushnet.qld.edu.au

The Mainstream Myth is the name given to a school curriculum and career counselling orientation that encourages students to select 'traditional' subjects and set their sights on further fulltime, usually university, study post-school. Research conducted by one of the authors in schools in his local raea confirm 'mainstream' is a core focus of local schools. Evidence exists that it is also prevalent in other places. Despite cogent argument that this orientation has little foundation in the reality of the labour market, or in lack of alternative opportunity for students, many educationists pursue the myth that the mainstream curriculum is the most suited to the majority of students.

This paper looks at reasons for the Mainstream Myth being so resistant to change, identifies where the challenges are coming from, where and who make the barriers and keep the gates against such change, and draws attention to newer forces in society that will increase the pressure for schools' moving to a wider focus that the Mainstream Myth.

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