Autonomy as Anticipation of the World of Work at School

Schools are under increasing pressure to prepare students for the transition to post-compulsory education and vocational training. Beyond the support of the students’ professional orientation, the focus is on students’ learning of soft skills. Based on an ethnographic study in schools of the lower secondary level, the article discusses how in school, autonomy is anticipated in school as a central requirement of the world of work. The analysed counselling interview reveals a narrowing of autonomy to the self-responsible execution of orders.