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new Transitions Vol 12. N^o. 1, 2008

In January 2008 the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) put out a call for papers under the topic, From Disengaged to Re-engaged - Young People's Right to Education and Training.  Simultaneously we we also invited young people to submit their ideas via the 'Re-engage This!' multimedia competition.  The outcome of these initiatives is this special, public edition of new Transitions.

This edition of new Transitions - the Re-engagement edition - features some excellent writing and art from an eclectic group of people in the youth sector - youth workers, young people, academics and program coordinators.  The papers below range from workers opinions based on years of practice to detailed discussion of programs that are working today to maintain or re-engage young people in education.

We hope you enjoy reading the May 2008 edition of new Transitions - The Re-engagement Edition...

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In this paper, Rosalyn Black proposes that Australian education systems be rebuilt around deep, collaborative networks that bring together schools and other sectors to address the systemic and structural barriers to educational engagement and success.

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By Adele Rice

Adele Rice, principle of Milpera School,  discusses the particular issues facing young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.  Milpera is a state secondary school which provides English language, an intensive and settlement services to prepare newly arrived immigrant and refugee students for participation in secondary schools around the Brisbane area.

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In this opinion piece, Wendy Pope argues that we need to build more opportunities to capture the "untapped manual dexterity, the active problem solving, the divergent thinking, the persistence and the energy" of young men that have disengaged from education.

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By  Shannon Yeatman, Eboni Pydde, Nathan Sutton, Mitchell Williams, Dylan Makings, Teigan Wright, Katie Marrapodi, Michael Pearce, Kacee Manning, Jess Forsyth, Loki Jukes, Maggie Bright, Mikaela Fenner and Nathan Smith.

NB: Due to copyright restrictions we are unable to broadcast the soundtrack that accompanies this short movie.

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by Daniel Surgenor
(click the image to the right for full size veiw)

This is a mock comic book cover. Daniel explains that the image "represents how young people can break free from the 'diamond hard' casing of adult sheltering."

Click the image below to view the full size.

* The Re-engage This! multimedia competition was open to young Queenslanders aged between 12 and 25 years. This is one of 6 entries (the winners) that were chosen for publication.

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by Sharaya Bond
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When I first started high school it was harder than I expected. The first high school I attended was Salisbury East, which is in Adelaide. The first semester was hard to settle in. The schoolwork was harder than primary and I was ashamed to raise my hand. I thought the other kids would laugh and might think that I'm dumb because the primary school was learning at your own pace. I felt I hadn't learnt enough to be at this new school.

The students at this school were snobby rich kids who thought they were ‘all that'!

My Aboriginal counsellor was good at first and helped me settle in, but then I started slacking off at school and she would hassle me to come to school and would say things like, ‘Your grades are low'. I told her the reason why I was missing school was because my Mum had an accident and had hurt her leg. My counsellor told me that wasn't a good enough reason.

Mum healed up and I started coming back to school, but I was behind in all my schoolwork and I would ask the teacher if I could do extra work at lunchtime, but he rejected the idea and said it was my fault for missing out on school. My home grade teacher was also my SOSE teacher and that was about the only class I passed, which was very good.

Later that year I had trouble with a student who was being very racist towards me. He was calling me racist names, but I wouldn't dob and tell the teachers, so I gave it back to him. It started to get very serious so then I decided to tell the teacher. When I told him he told me not to worry about it and to sit back down. Feeling really angry I reacted and cracked. I started to yell and be very aggressive, I grabbed my stuff so I could go and talk to my Aboriginal counsellor. She was at a meeting so I caught the bus and wagged school for the whole day.

When I first came to Southside I was nervous and thought I would be the only indigenous girl, but when I went to my first class I saw two other girls and I felt comfortable. My big sister came to this school, but has graduated. The youth workers are very helpful and have helped me through my problems at home and at school which has helped a lot to keep my head up at some points. I felt useless because of all the stuff that was happening and didn't want to come to school anymore. I started slacking off class and getting very bad grades, but then, with their support I snapped out of it and started to catch up, which was a relief to all the teachers, and me!

Now that I am at Southside, I feel I can do anything and can be whatever I want if I just put my head down. I'm so glad that I am at this school and I just want Colleen and Lorraine to know that there is no better school and thank you for being there for me and my family.

* The Re-engage This! multimedia competition was open to young Queenslanders aged between 12 and 25 years. This is one of 6 entries (the winners) that were chosen for publication.

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by Norma Fisher
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When I started High School it was hard but I did go to every class. Then when I met other girls I was not doing well because I was following them and not going to class, but I did go to some classes. My family had some really sad things happen as well.

By the end of the Term 3, I was doing better and not following the other girls. I now get on with my work and don't fight with other girls. My Sister Myisha and my Cousin Sammy Jo tried their hardest to get me to class but they were a bit too rough. Still I should have listened to them.

Even though I didn't go to all my classes, my school let me play touch football and netball at night, and do the cultural dancing. They never stopped me from doing the things I really like. This helped me a lot.

My sister Myisha has attended Southside for three years and is now studying a certificate in Youth Work at the school. This will be a great opportunity for Myisha and our family. She has a little boy called Jayden who goes to the school crèche.

If I ever have to go to another school I know I will be always welcome back here at this good school where we get help from good teachers. It's just that when I was growled at by my family, at school, l I didn't like it.

This year I am going to try hard because all the teachers here say I will then do very well.

* The Re-engage This! multimedia competition was open to young Queenslanders aged between 12 and 25 years. This is one of 6 entries (the winners) that were chosen for publication.

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by Nadia Horvath
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When I found out I was pregnant, I was so sad and very scared. I didn't want to have this baby. I didn't think I was ready to be a mum. All I could do was cry. Then all I could do was be angry with my partner. I screamed and yelled abuse at him.

Then I apologised. I started to talk to him about how I felt.

We both broke down and cried. I went for my first ultrasound a few days later. I saw our baby's tiny heart beat up on the screen. That was all I needed. How could I be so selfish? Now that there is a life growing inside, I had to be better and fit for it, physically, emotionally and mentally.

I came back to school, started to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Then and only then inside I felt proud of the things I had achieved. Each day as our baby grows, I get more and more excited. I can start to feel it moving and sometimes it gets annoying but I suppose it's all part of the package.

My partner and I are looking for the perfect home to bring up our child. We both can't wait till we're parents. When we go out, everywhere we look there are couples and mums and grandparents with babies, and inside I just melt.

In a way, I'm glad that this baby unexpectedly came along. I feel like a better person. And I am grateful that I have the love and support from my family, friends, teachers and school.

* The Re-engage This! multimedia competition was open to young Queenslanders aged between 12 and 25 years. This is one of 6 entries (the winners) that were chosen for publication.

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by Benita Terrancciarno
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Not having a family home to go to at night it makes it hard to focus on study.

Being in care and protection makes life extra hard.

I have to wait several weeks before I can speak to someone - let alone get any help.

It would be great if my family service officer (F.S.O.) was available when I needed help.

I have asked for access to my files 6 weeks ago, but I have had no response about this matter either.

In 2002 I got very ill and most of the time I wished that I could be taken away, with no one really there for me when I really needed someone.

I will be leaving care in less than a year and so far no one is helping me to prepare.

I am worried about this.

It seems to me that the government needs to put more money into helping children and young adults.

There are so many government departments and so many wealthy politicians around; yet many young people are living on the streets with no help from anyone.

The good thing about Southside Education is that young adults are treated with respect and people really care about everyone in the school.

* The Re-engage This! multimedia competition was open to young Queenslanders aged between 12 and 25 years. This is one of 6 entries (the winners) that were chosen for publication.

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Sharlene Chadwick outlines the value of peer-support programs in improving mental well-being of young people in schools and reducing the rates of disengagement.

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Independent Students and Economic Disadvantage as a barrier to participation in education

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In this article Renee Mills discusses a micro savings program that has helped to address one of the most significant barriers for independent young people who want to engage in education - a low income.

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Peter Roguszka describes the approach of Port School, a small independent school in Fremantle, Western Australia, that specialises in working with disengaged teenagers having difficulties in 'mainstream' schooling.

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A model of service delivery as articulated by Deception Bay Community Youth Programs

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Nicole Wright outlines a comprehensive model of service delivery for working with young people at risk in flexible learning settings.  The model was developed by the Deception Bay Community Youth Program, a youth service situated 40 minutes to the North of Brisbane.

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Michael Ireland writes here about the specific issues and needs of young carers in education.

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By Susanne Koen and Phillipa Duigan
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Susanne Koen and Phillipa Duigan discuss the Innovative Community Action Networks (ICAN) in South Australia.  ICANs have  been working with schools and local community partners to develop innovative and flexible ways to engage and retain young people who have dropped out of learning pathways.

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By Kitty te Riele
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In this paper Kitty te Riele examines the contributions that 'non-traditional' schools can make to our efforts to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to gain an education.

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The problem of students dropping out of secondary education and training

By John Crozier
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In this paper, John Crozier examines the factors underlying young people's disengagement from education and training.

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By Ilena Young
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Here, Ilena Young describes the "Caring for Kids" program that was designed to attract young women back into education by considering the barriers faced by young parenting or pregnant women.

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By Pauline Haber
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Pauline Haber ("a young person whose for young people") contends that we need to strip our syllabus 'naked' in order to light young people's fire and spark them up to re-engage in education.

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By Dr Geoff Plimmer
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In this article Dr Geoff Plimmer outlines how a particular model of teaching emotional coping and social skills (Socio-Emotional Learning) has helped to improve academic achievement and reduceng truancy and cutting anti-social behaviour in New Zealand.

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By David Burck
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David Burck suggests that to give young people the best chance of re-engaging successfully in education we need to redouble our efforts to develop and put in practice coordinated case management models.

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Barbara Eccles is the coordinator of the Sunshine Coast Flexi school.  In this interview she shares her views on what needs to be done to ensure all young people get a fair go in education.

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Dr Bob Grandin, University of the Sunshine Coast
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In this paper Dr Bob Grandin argues that the failure of a significant group of young people to engage with the process of education is the logical outcome of a 1-size fits all approach to education that disenfranchises young people from the process of learning.

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