No time on their hands: Children and the narrative architecture of school diaries

Diaries are elements of a school's documentary reality. They possess a complex ‘narrative architecture’ and serve multiple functions. In addition to playing an important role in inducting students into the adroit chronometry of contemporary work, the school diary is also a manual of self-government, given that much of it deals with goal setting, managing health and conflict resolution. On the grounds that it ameliorates communication between the school and parents, the diary, unlike its adult counterparts, is subject to regular inspection. As such, it is part of the machinery of surveillance and accountability that are features of neo-liberalist schooling.