Alternative Education Needs Champion

A report on National Radio on May 29 about early school leavers shows how an alternative system can meet the needs of young people where mainstream school has failed, says Youthline.

Youthline National Spokesperson Stephen Bell says there are systems already in place, such as Alternative Education, that could do even better with more funding.

The Alternative Education (AE) network is designed for students who have been excluded from mainstream schooling.

“What the Alternative Education system needs is for the Ministry of Education to champion it rather than knock it,” says Bell.

Youthline in Ponsonby has run an AE School for the last six years, taking students from central secondary schools.

Students stay at the school from one term to two years and cover academic subjects and interpersonal skills.

The Youthline programme also includes counselling for the student and regular linking with the family, while a sector workgroup is currently working to integrate the programme with other existing health and social services.

The programme is highly successful, says Bell, with most students returning to school, entering tertiary training or finding a job.

“It is not about putting together a bunch of young thugs to egg each other on, as is feared by some, or about segregating students who are deemed too ‘difficult’. “The school creates a positive environment modeling good boundaries and the smaller class size means that there is room to address whatever has not worked for the student in a mainstream setting.”

However, Bell says with adequate funding of in-school programmes, many may not even reach the point of exclusion from school.

“Youthline has a number of programmes available for at-risk youth, which could address a lot of issues. Unfortunately a lack of funding limits our ability to provide these in schools.

“It is an incredibly difficult experience to be excluded from school. It is certainly preferable to support the young person before they reach this point.”