1. Young people at risk : pedagogies for re engagement
In line with other OECD countries it is identified that retention rates in our secondary schools system are rapidly decreasing. Young people are now more than ever before disengaged from the schools system and in many cases disengaged from their local community. Government recognises that a major challenge for the future in Australia is to have a well educated society able to live healthy, productive lives, this is essential for Australian’s economic future through a community who can participate and contribute to society and the nation’s workforce.
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2. Over the past 8 years my research has focused on Equity and Access and the role of VET for re engagement. The research has concentrated on the use of ACE and VET pedagogies and alternative community/learning spaces used by secondary school enrolled students who have disengaged from mainstream school. The research has been primarily interested in how these alternative non secondary school teaching spaces and pedagogical approaches re-engage students back to school, learning or work.
Recent preliminary findings from an ARC linkage project
Findings from a Ballarat university funded project
Young Mothers program
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3. BARRIERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE…
Young people can face a myriad of barriers that can impact their ability to connect to school:
Literacy and numeracy issues
External issues
Bullying
Mental illness
Pregnancy
A quick search of the ABS, World Health Organisation or the OECD shows that young people who drop out from schooling are more likely to be affected by
Health issues including mental health
Social Isolation
Exclusion
Long term unemployment
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4. Statistics (2009 ABS)
Fifteen % of young people aged years in Australia are classified as disengaged from education and training.
For those aged years, 25.3 % are ‘at risk’
At the national level, the teenage fertility rate in 2009 was 17 babies per 1,000 for women aged years in 2009 (ABS, 2009). This is around 11-12,000 babies born to teenage mothers every year.
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5. What we know…
Young people who are at risk from dropping out of schooling are more likely to be connected through programs such as…
programs
ACE/VET pathways
Community VCAL
Out of school programs
School VET pathways
VET in Schools programs
General Education programs
School based apprenticeship programs
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6. Skills Based Outcomes Back to school Pathway to TAFE or ACE programs
Apprenticeships
Jobs
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7. Hands on vocational training opportunities Access to TAFE courses
Ownership of learning
Hands on vocational training opportunities
Access to TAFE courses
Access to ACE courses
Local industry
Community involvement
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8. What are the key messages from the research?
A pedagogy that mixes welfare and education approaches
Health professionals
Welfare workers
Secondary teachers
TAFE teachers
Community
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9. Key researchers Smyth & McInerney, 2007; Prosser, 2007
Hattam, R., & Smyth, J. (2003). 'Not everyone has a perfect life': Becoming somebody without school. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 11(3),
Smyth, J., & Hattam, R. (2002). Early school leaving and the cultural geography of high schools. British Educational Research Journal, 28(3), doi:
Wyn, J. (2006). Youth transition to work and further education in Australia. In J. Chapman, P. Cartwright & E. McGilp (Eds.), Lifelong learning, participation and equity (5th ed., pp ). Dordrecht: Springer.
Wyn, J., Stokes, H., & Tyler, D. (2004). Stepping stones: TAFE and ACE program development for early school leavers. ().NCVER.
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