Students in Rhode Island say they’d like more direction at school when it comes to things like college and job planning. Those are just a couple of things that students say they want from their education.  The students spoke out as part of a report from the children’s advocacy nonprofit Rhode Island Kids Count.

Students from high schools in Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Providence took part in a series of discussions facilitated by the community organization Young Voices.

Many students said they rarely met with guidance counselors, and had few discussions about college or their goals after high school.

Amelia Lopez is a junior at Classical High School in Providence. She’s one of more than 50 students who contributed to the discussions.

“I think that school definitely owes me a way to explore different career options that go beyond what we learn in core classes, and I also feel that we should get relationships, get connections for the future,” said Lopez.

Some students quoted in the Kids Count report said they didn’t feel they had a teacher they could reach out to.

The state education Department of Education requires students to receive regular guidance about school and their plans for the future. But students say how those regulations are carried out varies greatly from school to school.