2026 Volume 32 Pages 133-148
This paper is to examine how young people who shared the context of an Educational Difficulties school give meaning to the interpersonal relationships formed there within their post-high school lives.
To answer this question, this paper focused on “recalled school experiences” based on qualitative research with graduates of a upper secondary specialized training school (hereafter referred to as School X).
Analysis revealed two key findings. First, while the shared context and close student-student and student-teacher relationships within X School served as resources supporting a sense of security and self-affirmation during enrollment, they generated normative conflicts and misunderstandings in post-graduation workplaces or further education settings. These were interpreted as sources of hardship and feelings of inferiority. Second, when facing such difficulties, the “recalled school experiences” concerning relationships at School X were also found to be reinterpreted as a source of support for overcoming challenges in social life. Specifically, relationships formed at School X continued after graduation, mediating emotional stability and access to institutional resources.
Thus, it became clear that supportive relationships at School X carry an ambivalent meaning: while they can potentially hinder graduates’ social independence, they can also serve as a foundation bridging them to public support agencies when facing life difficulties.
