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Alternative Education Engaging Indigenous Young People: Flexi Schooling in Queensland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2015

Marnee Shay  and
Deborah Heck
Marnee Shay*
Affiliation:
School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Deborah Heck
Affiliation:
School of Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Marnee Shay, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia. Email: ms.shay@qut.edu.au
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Abstract

This article will discuss some of the findings from a qualitative research project that explored the connections between alternative education and Indigenous learners. This study investigated how flexi school leaders reported they were supporting Indigenous young people to remain engaged in education. The results of the survey provide demographic data focusing on Indigenous participation in this sample of flexi schools. The results revealed that a high number of Indigenous young people are participating in flexi schools within this sample. Furthermore, a high number of Indigenous staff members are working in multiple roles within these schools. The implications of these findings are twofold. First, the current Indigenous education policy environment is focused heavily on ‘Closing the Gap’, emphasising the urgent need for significant improvement of educational outcomes for Indigenous young people. The findings from this study propose that flexi schools are playing a significant role in supporting Indigenous young people to remain engaged in education, yet there remains a limited focus on this within the literature and education policy. Second, the high participation rates of Indigenous young people and staff suggest an urgent need to explore this context through research. Further research will assist in understanding the culture of the flexi school context. Research should also explore why a high number of Indigenous young people and staff members participate in this educational context and how this could influence the approach to engagement of Indigenous young people in conventional school settings.

Keywords

alternative schoolingflexi schoolsAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peopleIndigenous studentsIndigenous educationlearning choices
Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 44 , Issue 1 , August 2015 , pp. 37 - 47
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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