ABSTRACT
Young people who graduate from high school are more likely to transition into further study or training, get a job and earn higher wages. However, many young people with the highest needs leave or become excluded from mainstream school settings and some complete their education in alternative education contexts. This paper shares reflections from Flexi School graduates on their experiences of alternative education, demonstrating their commitment to employment and integration into their communities, because their alternative education enabled them to gain a sense of belonging. Graduates assert the significance of their alternative schooling experiences in improving their outcomes and helping them overcome disadvantage and marginalisation. We contend that alternative schooling can help marginalised young people attain the skills and qualifications required for further study or training by giving them proficiencies, confidence and attitudes that help to generate positive opportunities and outcomes.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Annabel Moffatt
Annabel Moffatt is an educator with interests at the intersection of inclusion, literacy and wellbeing. She holds an MA from Middlesex University in London and a MEd in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Southern Queensland. She lived in seven different countries before finding her forever home in Australia.
Stewart Riddle
Stewart Riddle is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland. His research interests include social justice and equity in education, music-based research practices and research methodologies. He also plays bass in a band called Drawn from Bees.