Alternative Education gives Hamilton ākonga a sense of place, purpose

Mentors are a key part of the Alternative Education programme.

Dave McNulty, manager of the Alternative Education (AE) consortium in Hamilton says they provide a space where ākonga can reconnect and engage with learning and access support services.

“Alternative Education allows students to reflect upon their educational journey and provides them with the opportunity for a second chance in an environment which is designed to meet their needs better than mainstream schooling.

“It gives them a sense of place and for some, a sense of purpose. There’s more one-on-one and we can target their needs more easily, although we are desperately short of funding so it could be of even more value if we were resourced properly at the level these students need.”

Fairfield College is currently working as the managing school of the Alternative Education consortium in Hamilton. The contract is overseen by principal Richard Crawford and deputy principal Sarah Summerfield.

Dave, as manager, works to engage with the education and workplace providers and he supervises the programme delivery alongside Jane Healey, who is the pedagogical leader.

The consortium is made up of 16 kura in and around the surrounding Hamilton area and three alternative education providers. Its goals are simple but important:

• Improve ākonga engagement and attendance with education
• Help create pathways for ākonga to transition back into their enrolled schooling
• Boost their confidence through work experience
• If mainstream schooling is not appropriate, then they endeavour to direct students into further training opportunities or employment.

No ‘one size’

The programme is seen as a pathway, not a destination.

Dave says they are working to “ensure our ākonga are provided with an environment that encourages their reintegration back into a learning environment, which will provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge as a pathway back to school, into further education, or into the workforce.”

Fairfield College is currently working as the managing school of the Alternative Education consortium in Hamilton.

Many ākonga are not wanting to reconnect with school as it has not worked for them, and they have experienced failure or limited success.

“However, when students understand that they can achieve and have successes they are determined to get back into the mainstream pathway,” says Dave.

“The learning programmes are diverse and can be constructed to suit the needs of the individual students.

“We set goals that are achievable and collaborate with the students and whānau on the best possible options for their tamariki. The one size fits all model does not apply in this space.”

Holistic support

Prominent Alternative Education researcher and academic Adrian Schoone, says the ‘chalk-and-talk’ pedagogy will not simply work with most AE students – rather, a relationship of trust between the teacher and student is essential.

The programme is holistic, offering students a blanket of support across a range of different areas.

Alongside academic learning, kaiako provide opportunities for students to engage in sport and fitness, as well as team building, says Dave.

Those students in Year 11 will be provided with some NCEA learning, and there is also a focus on work experience and pathways, with ākonga taken on trips to a variety of tertiary providers.

The Hamilton team have appointed a specialist careers person who identifies work placement opportunities for the Year 11 students.

“Our focus is to ensure students have a positive experience when involved in work experience, and understand they have the capacity to achieve and have success. We want to instil in students they have opportunities available to them,” says Dave.

Adrian says data, such as reading comprehension ages and numeracy levels increase “markedly” for students in AE.

“AE is effective for laying the foundations for future learning and living,” he says.

The programme also helps students with social skills, time management, confidence, and other life skills.

Mentors and counsellors are also available to work with ākonga for continued support in their school attendance and engagement.

Funding was made available for the Alternative Education consortium earlier this year. As part of this, a new initiative was created called the ‘Present Me’ digital CV tool. Ākonga use the tool to identify their own strengths and experiences, which they then use to create a video presentation to show future connections.

Transition support

Alternative Education engages ākonga with a number of education and vocational training pathways.

While students work on changing their behaviours and relationship with their enrolled school, Dave says there is also a responsibility on the enrolling school to review its environment, ensuring the student is not set up for failure again upon their return.

“The students have complex needs and complex lives and sometimes just getting through a day is a success. Most students have experienced some form of trauma in their lives which significantly limits their ability to engage in education.

“They often can’t see forward to their future as their role models often haven’t succeeded at school or in employment. We are dealing with generational issues.”

The consortium provides transition support for students when they re-enter schooling through mentor meetings and follow-up meetings with whānau.

“However, it is grossly under-resourced in this area, something which is a problem as these kids need the connection for longer than most,” says Dave.

This is where he wants to see more support and he is working closely with the local Ministry to look at possible solutions to the challenges they experience.

Lasting relationships

The Alternative Education consortium is seeing great success in Hamilton. Dave says 12 students returned to school last year or at the beginning of this year and they are all still engaged in mainstream education.

Engaging with several different providers allows the consortium to help best meet the diverse needs of each student.

“Our strength is in the strong, committed staff we have working with students. The key to success is building strong, lasting relationships,” says Dave.

In terms of what other schools can do when engaging their own students with Alternative Education programmes, Dave says they must, “provide a safe, engaging learning environment which is designed to meet the individual needs of each student.”