National Training Conference for Alternative Education Providers, Hamilton, “Moving Forward with Pride”

Thanks for inviting me to speak to you today.

I note from your conference literature that this meeting has an ambitious range of objectives.

You are setting out to provide training, to create networking opportunities, and to share information among providers.

The meeting will also identify new trends in alternative education, suggest some practical solutions and remedies, and work towards setting up both a national body and national database.

These are objectives that are to be applauded.

The increased numbers of Alternative Education Centres is highlighting the need for community partners - and the Ministry - to join forces and establish common approaches.

Today I want to talk about where the Ministry is coming from in this important area, to discuss some of the evaluation work underway, and to look at where we are doing well – and where we could do better.

Mounting concern over recent years about large numbers of young people missing out on education led the Ministry to shape a range of policies for providing Alternative Education.

The aim of the policies is quite clear: the Government wants alienated students to re-enter mainstream school, to enrol in a training programme, or to join the workforce.

As most of you know, the Alternative Education programme targets 13 to 15-year-old students who cannot be integrated into regular schools.

The programme applies to a young person who - when identified - is not enrolled and who has been refused enrolment by local schools.

They may have been out of school for two terms or more, or faced multiple exclusions.

They may have a history of dropping out of mainstream school after being reintegrated.

They may have dropped out of The Correspondence School after enrolment as an At Risk Student.

The Non Enrolment Truancy Service confirms each student’s alienated status and acts as a “referee” or gatekeeper”.

So what kinds of student numbers are we talking about?

The Ministry currently funds 1820 places at a annual cost of $11,100 per student.

The total amount of funding allocated to Alternative Education is $20.2m per annum.

So we are talking about quite a substantial chunk of public funding.

Schools work with community partners to provide the alternative education programme.

We are finding that community providers are often better able to meet the needs of the young people because they are able to use a non-school approach.

I want to turn now to the various evaluation processes in place for Alternative Education programmes.

The National Research Bureau (NRB) has recently carried out work in this area.

The report on the first phase was completed in 1999 and the second in 2000.

The NRB evaluation noted that the programme was in the early stages of development.

It found that many schools and providers were still in the process of developing an approach to learning that met the needs of the both the school and the learner.

Most centres had succeeded in creating a learning environment that meant students attended regularly.

Students had improved their attitude and behaviour and most had made progress in developing literacy and numeracy skills.

We plan to carry out a further evaluation of the programme to determine the quality of outcomes achieved for students.

We have contracted the Auckland College of Education to look at what is being achieved here and overseas.

This work should help the Ministry evaluate the programme on the basis of the identified outcomes.

The Auckland College of Research project is due to be completed in November 2001.

So where are we doing well - and where could we do better?

We know that current programmes are providing a learning environment that is encouraging students to re-engage in education.

We know that programmes are providing literacy and numeracy programmes to meet students’ individual needs, and are helping meet their pastoral and welfare needs.

But we need to do better in areas like tutor training and professional development.

Improvements here will help us fine-tune the delivery of the regular curriculum where this meets a student’s learning programme.

We also need better processes for minimising hazards in outdoor education and other out of school programmes.

The Ministry approach to working with the Alternative Education programme is a strategic one.

It is working hard to support regional offices and providers to enhance the quality of programmes.

It is ensuring that places are distributed to cover areas where demand is highest, and that resources are used to maximise value for money.

As I said at the start, our common desire is to ensure that every alienated student gets a chance to re-enter mainstream school, to enrol in a training programme, or to join the workforce.

Community partners have a vital role to play in providing the education and other support for this needy group in our community.

By working together we can make a difference to the lives of these young people – and ensure that they really do get a chance to move forward with pride.

My being with you today is more of support and listening, than telling.

You are the forgotten group – and there is a danger in that. My ideal would be that mainstream schools would be so great, so flexible, so focused on meeting individual learner needs that you were not needed.

Because, when you exist, and when you succeed, you can remove the pressure on schools.