Violent and troubled kids who are expelled to be sent to multi-million dollar new schools for rehabilitation
- Children who have been expelled from mainstream school to attend new classes
- Alternative learning settings are designed to help rehabilitate aggressive kids
- After a successful trial period in 2019, the schools will operate again for 2020
Children who have been expelled from school due to being persistently violent will be sent to multi-million dollar ‘Alternative Learning Settings’ to integrate back into the education system.
After a successful 2019 trial period, three ALS centres in Perth will continue to operate until at least the end of this year.
The facilities cost the state government $2.58million and the State School Teachers’ Union of WA president Pat ByrneIf said ‘if the need increases, we would be arguing for additional resources.’
The ALS centres took in 45 of the most challenging students in 2019.
They had been expelled for repeated offences before being transferred to the new centres.
At least 25 of those students were later placed back in either their original school or an alternative one.
Troubled children who have been expelled from school for behavioural issues will be sent to alternative learning centres to further their education
The facility caters to the most challenging youths and teenagers the state has to offer.
Most kids who are enrolled are only there because their violence, aggression or other behavioural concerns have led to them being kicked out of mainstream school.
Each facility can only hold 10 students at a time, with the pupils expected to move back to school once deemed capable.
Students are expected to attend the facility until they have been rehabilitated enough to go back to mainstream school
In 2019, 12 students returned to their old schools, seven moved on to new schools and six were sent to schools for students with special education needs.
Ms Byrne told WAToday that ‘clearly everyone benefits’ from the new centres.
‘The school is not needing to spend significant time and resources attempting to deal with very difficult students; teachers and other students are not subject to threats of, and actual, violence from these students,’ Ms Byrne said.
But Ms Byrne said further research would need to be conducted over a sustained period of time to see if the students involved in the program permanently improved.
‘Ideally we would all want to see these students assisted to the point where they can manage their schooling without resorting to violent or unacceptable behaviour,’ she said.