Source: Education Review Office
The Education Review Office (ERO) has found that the number of students leaving mainstream schooling to learn in alternative settings has doubled over the past last decade.
ERO recommends major changes to keep them in school – and a new model for those who leave.
ERO Senior Manager Rebecca Bjarnesen says more than 8,000 12 to 16-year-olds are now learning in alternative settings – twice as many as ten years ago.
Many schools work hard to support students to stay in mainstream education. Schools that are most effective at retaining students build strong relationships, provide tailored support and create a sense of belonging to the school. But some schools are much more likely to refer students to alternative settings. About 60 percent of referrals come from just 12 percent of schools.
Students who aren’t in mainstream schools often get their education in alternative settings like Activity Centres, Alternative Education or the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway at Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura). ERO research has found these young people too often receive a limited education, leading to poor outcomes that can last through their lives.
“We found that students in these alternative settings make less progress than students in mainstream schools and four in five leave without any NCEA qualifications,” Ms Bjarnesen said.
ERO found that:
– students typically lose three months of learning while waiting to access an alternative setting. Fewer than one in six students return to mainstream school.
– not all students are taught by a qualified teachers – for example fewer than half of the teachers in Alternative Education have a teaching degree.
– students’ opportunities are limited by too few subjects and lack of access to formal qualifications. Almost half of students say there is no clear pathway for them when they leave alternative settings.
– worse education leads to worse lifetime outcomes for these students. Compared to similarly disadvantaged students, they are more likely to rely on benefits and more likely to enter the criminal justice system.
“We are failing the students who most need a quality education and missing an opportunity to change the lives of these young people. A step change is needed to reverse the trend of students disengaging from school,” Ms Bjarnesen says.
ERO is calling for urgent reform to strengthen mainstream schooling, so more students are supported to stay and succeed. ERO is also calling to put in place a new model of quality alternative provision so that all students in New Zealand receive a high-quality education, no matter where they study.
Notes
– Bridging the gap: How well do we support students learning in alternative settings? can be found on the ERO’s Evidence website: https://www.evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/bridging-the-gap-how-well-do-we-support-students-learning-in-alternative-settings-main-report
– ERO has also published insights for school leaders and school boards – these are available at https://www.evidence.ero.govt.nz/.
– ERO is the New Zealand Government’s external evaluation agency for the education system.