Fears if troubled teens return to school

BY TOM HUNT

More than 1800 troubled teens who were removed from schools could return after a review of the alternative education system.

Principals fear the initiative will jeopardise good pupils' learning – and cause widespread disruption.

Confidential papers, obtained by The Dominion Post, reveal the Education Ministry has suggested returning the pupils – who include those repeatedly suspended, expelled or who are long-term truants – to mainstream schools.

Officials are investigating the best way to use $23 million a year in funding available for alternative education schemes, with figures showing each pupil costs the state about $11,000 a year.

A report for the Government, released under the Official Information Act, says alternative education has "weak links to schooling and delivers poor educational outcomes".

Research shows early intervention within mainstream schools can work better.

The ministry's report refers to 1820 pupils in alternative education, including activity centres. Alternative education is a last resort for pupils whose behaviour or truancy mean that conventional schooling is not an option. It includes Correspondence School teaching and life skills training.

Secondary Principals Association president Peter Gall said putting troubled pupils back into mainstream schools would "interrupt and disrupt the learning of heaps and heaps and heaps of students".

"I just don't think people realise how much resources these people take up," he said.

The group included pupils whose behaviour was too extreme for conventional schools "despite huge amounts of support and resources provided for them", Mr Gall said.

Post Primary Teachers Association president Kate Gainsford said sending the children back into the mainstream without a funding boost would change the dynamics of classrooms. There would be more disruptions, and more attacks on teachers, she said.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said funding for children in activity centres and alternative education would be protected, but it could be redirected back to schools to care for troubled students or into other initiatives such as fighting truancy.

The initiative was being considered to improve pupils' outcomes, not to save money, she said.

This month, the Government doubled truancy funding to $32m, to be spent during the next four years.

Wellington Activity Centre manager Jonathan Cobb understood the decision about whether to close centres was expected in the May Budget. He believed at least some of the $23 million funding for alternative education would be taken away from troubled youths. He said his centre had achieved remarkable results for its 13 to 16-year-old pupils.

ALTERNATE SYSTEM RESCUED US, SAY ACTIVITY CENTRE KIDS

Callum McInnes was smoking "about two tinnies" of cannabis a day, Koen Symes kicked his maths teacher, Kane Mourad sparked an armed offenders squad callout.

The three pupils freely admit they had gone off the rails at their mainstream schools, but say their experiences at the Wellington Activity Centre have rekindled their interest in learning.

Callum, 15, said he regularly wagged while attending Onslow College and was referred to alternative education five months ago.

"Here it's more chilled out. You still have to do work and stuff but they don't try to push you. A lot of people look forward to coming back here the next day but you still have to get down and do the work."

He planned to head back to mainstream schooling soon and believed that he would be a better pupil thanks to being at the activity centre.

Koen, 14, was expelled from school for "fighting, wagging, drugs". He sold the drug speed, smoked a lot of marijuana and once wagged for almost three weeks straight.

The final straw came when he kicked his mathematics teacher for an alleged racist comment.

In a recent series of mock exams, based on actual NCEA exams, Koen got straight As and now plans to train as a builder.

Kane's bad behaviour at Wellington High School included sparking an armed offenders squad callout for shooting at seagulls with a BB gun.

The 15-year-old said his nine months at the centre had changed his life. He now wanted to study law.

His mother, Anna Te Rei, said Kane had struggled in mainstream school and she cautiously applauded the centre's impact. "I think it's not the best place, but it's probably the only place for him. If places like this weren't there, then where would kids like this go?".

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

Set up in 2000 to cater for children alienated from secondary school.

Criteria for entry include multiple suspensions, long-term truancy or non-enrolment.

Funding for 1540 places at $11,100 per place.

Up to 3500 pupils use it each year.

Staff require no formal teaching qualifications.

Activity CentresSet up in 1977, for pupils not coping in mainstream schools.

280 pupils attend 14 activity centres, receiving $3 million government funding a year.

Each has two registered teachers paid for by the Government.

- © Fairfax NZ News