Youth Disengagement

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. A growing number of young people are disengaging from mainstream schooling each year. An alarming report, “Those Who Disappear”, (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 2019) describe an estimated amount of 50 000 school age young people detaching completely from any form of education across Australia at any one time. There are a variety of reasons for disengagement, however the report suggests that the key factors include:

• Boredom, identity, school connectedness, academic motivation, sense of belonging, low self-esteem.
• Socio-economic status.
• Family dysfunction, mental illness, disability
• Race, ethnicity, gender
• Attendance
• Participation
• Behaviour
• Difficulties in literacy/numeracy
• Relationships with teacher, parents, peers, bullying.

Students become disengaged, or at risk of disengagement, from mainstream schooling and seek enrolment at Ohana college for a variety of reasons. These are listed below:

• Mental Health reasons (anxiety/depression)
• Learning difficulties (including working 2 years or more below year level)
• EAP verified disability under Education Adjustment Program
• Family circumstances (low socio-economic backgrounds / previous family history)
• Behavioural (suspension or expulsion from previous schools due to behavioural issues)
• Previous bullying (victim and perpetrators)
• Low attendance

• ICP Individual Curriculum Plan - 2 or more years below their chronological year level academically
• EAP verified disability under Education Adjustment Program - Individual Education Programs - targeting specific goals for young people
• Complex case management - psychologists' counselling and referrals
• Responsive Behavioural Plans & Reflective practice
• Re-engagement strategies through a variety of student-centred programs (PBL, The Arts, ABL, SEL)
• Community engagement opportunities (Rosie's Outreach, Bleach Festival, Home Visits)

• Recent data suggests that, in Australia, as many as 40% of students are consistently disengaged during class or unproductive in any given year (Goss & Sonnemann, 2019).
• 1 in 80 students disengaged from mainstream schooling and enrolled in Queensland Independent Schools (ABS, 2019).
• in 2019, more than 16.8% of young Australians between the ages of 15-24 were not involved in any form of work or study (ABS, 2019).
• Mission Australia Survey (2019) and consistent with their findings from 2018, found that 41% reported a mental health issue; a doubling since 2016 (21%).
• Upwards of 50,000 students are unaccounted for across the country (Watterston & O'Connell, 2019).