Alternative Education is a programme for young people who have become "lost" or alienated from the education system. Either they are unwilling to attend a regular school, or schools are unwilling to enrol them in a mainstream setting. For these young people there is either no access to an alternative learning centre (such as an Activity Centre), or they have already bypassed that sort of opportunity. Some may have been enrolled in The Correspondence School as the "school of last resort", but they have not kept up their work, and have dropped out.
Aim of the alternative education policy
The ideal outcome for these students is to re-enter the education system in a mainstream school. Once eligible (that is, aged 15 years and exempted, or aged 16 years), other positive outcomes would include entering a Youth Training Programme or a polytechnic course or finding a job and joining the workforce. Many students have significant barriers to learning and for them positive outcomes from the programme may include developing regular attendance and making progress with their level of literacy and numeracy.
Funding issues
From 1997, the Government has provided funding for alternative education programmes for young people who become alienated from the network of schools. In 1998, the Ministry established contracts with schools for places for 400 students in alternative education programmes. In the 1999 Budget, coverage was increased to 1,000 students. In Budget 2000, the Government again increased the funding. This enabled 1,820 students (aged 13 to 15 years) to be accommodated in alternative education programmes. The funding has not increased in subsequent budgets.
Funding through schools
Although community groups sometimes become involved in providing some form of alternative education, the Ministry of Education does not resource them directly. This is because there is a requirement in the Education Act 1989 that young people must attend a registered school from their 6th to their 16th birthday. This part of the Education Act should, among other things, ensure that students are taught in a safe place and receive an appropriate curriculum. Therefore, the Ministry provides the alternative education funding to secondary schools via a contract.
Because schools are mostly unwilling to have the young people on campus, they generally choose to work with a community partner. The school enrols the students, and maintains oversight, but passes on an appropriate part of the funding to their community partner who then provides the alternative education programme. Often community providers are better able to meet the needs of these young people, because the partner is part of the young person's ethnic or cultural community, or because the partner is able to use a non-school approach.
Schools often work together as a "consortium" to deliver the alternative education programme. Where this happens, one school becomes the managing school and takes responsibility for managing the contract with the ministry and with the provider.
Schools are responsible for the achievement of all enrolled students, and they are therefore responsible for the quality of the programme delivered to students by alternative education providers, and for the outcomes of students on the programme.
Funding amounts
Each student place is funded at $11,100 p.a. (GST inclusive), and each secondary school has a scheduled number of student places based on its roll and socio-economic decile. This funding covers all costs (staffing, operations, and property). If wished, part of the money can be used to purchase lessons from The Correspondence School.
Māori involvement
Because Māori young people are represented disproportionately among those alienated from the education system, the Ministry encourages Māori community groups already involved in working with such students to develop partnerships with schools. Appropriate alternative educational programmes better meeting Māori students' needs may be provided through partnerships that link schools and Māori communities. This is a way schools can develop their Treaty partnership.
Student eligiblity
To be eligible for alternative education, students must be verified as being alienated from school. A student is considered alienated when neither the young person nor the school is willing to have that young person attending a regular school setting.
Young people must be aged 13 to 15 years and cannot be re-integrated into regular schools. Younger students should be returned to regular schools. When identified, the young person is not enrolled, and schools locally are refusing enrolment, plus one or more of the following apply. The young person has:
been out of school for two terms or more; or
multiple exclusions (more than one school in urban; 1 plus other factors in rural); or
a history of dropping out of mainstream school after being reintegrated; or
dropped out of The Correspondence School after enrolment as an At Risk Student.
The Non Enrolment Truancy Service verifies each student's alienated status and acts as a "referee" or "gatekeeper".
The criteria above means that students must have been out of school for some time before they can be funded for alternative education. The criteria was recently amended to allow schools to enrol students in alternative education programmes without having to have them reach the "bottom of the cliff" first.
Amended criteria
The amended criteria for access to alternative education includes an additional pathway to allow access to students who are effectively alienated from mainstream school, meet the intent of the policy, and would benefit from alternative education provision.
Students may now be verified for access to alternative education through a decision made by a case management team. The team would include the school, at least one other agency that the student had been involved with plus a Non Enrolment Truancy Service adviser, and the alternative education co-ordinator.
Students must be aged between 13 and 15 years (inclusive) and may be considered for alternative education by the group when:
they have been absent for at least half of the last 20 weeks (for reasons other than illness) and the absence has meant that they are unable to maintain a mainstream programme; or
they have been suspended or excluded and risk further suspensions or exclusions. The school must be able to document genuine interventions that have been previously trialled and failed. The school must also have carried out a diagnostic assessment that defines gaps in behaviour or learning and desired outcomes for the student that will be addressed by an individual learning plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I become an alternative education provider?
The Ministry has contracts with schools to provide a number of student places in alternative education programmes, and schools contract with providers. If you are interested in providing an alternative education programme, contact your local secondary school to find out the local school that manages the programme. You may also contact your local Ministry of Education office.
How does a student get into an alternative education programme?
Alternative education is for students who are genuinely alienated from the education system. It is not available for students who want to try a different type of school programme, or for schools who find a student difficult to manage in a mainstream setting. Schools are expected to find other options for students who are at risk of achieving poor outcomes at school.
How do I know that my child is receiving a quality education with an alternative education provider?
Schools are responsible for the quality of learning programmes for all enrolled students, including those who are on an alternative education programme. Twice a year, schools provide a report to the Ministry of Education that shows that the programmes meet a required standard.
Do all alternative education students need to be enrolled in a school?
Alternative education students are under the age of 16 years. The Education Act states that all students under the age of 16 years need to be enrolled in a registered school. They may be enrolled in a school but receive their education at an alternative site.
How long can a student stay in an alternative education programme?
Students can stay on a programme until they are 16 years old. If a student has not completed their learning goals by their sixteenth birthday, they may stay on the programme for a little longer. In many cases the student will return to school when they are able to manage a mainstream programme.
What is the Non Enrolment Truancy Service (NETS) and what is their involvement with Alternative Education?
NETS are contracted by the Ministry to receive referrals from students who are possibly not enrolled. They try to locate the student and assist them to either enrol in a school, or if they are over 15 years of age, to get an exemption from school.
The other role of NETS is to verify that students are eligible to receive funding through the alternative education programme. NETS employ a team of education advisers who gather relevant information on the students and make a decision about their status for funding. The students are then known as "verified".
Can non-verified students work in an alternative education programme?
Schools may fill 20 percent of the allocated places with non-verified students.
How many student places does the alternative education provide and how are they allocated to schools?
There are currently 1820 student places available. The places were initially allocated to schools using a formula that took into account decile level and the school roll. Since the initial allocation, places have been moved to meet areas of strongest demand.
How often should a school pay a provider?
Schools and providers negotiate their own payment system. The system should allow providers to plan long term spending including employment of staff.
Should a school pay a provider according to students enrolled in a week, or pay for a base number of students?
The system should be negotiated. Paying providers on the basis of students enrolled in any week has most impact for providers with a small number of students. A provider needs a minimum amount of money to pay for staff and other resources and this should be considered in deciding the payment system.
