The Indie School will offer year 9 and 10 students who are unable to complete their studies in mainstream curriculum through a smaller learning environment.

Client engagement coordinator at the Riverina Community College Lisa Douglas recognised a gap in the current services provided outside of the education system. 

“We specialise in adult community education and students have to be over 15 and have left school for us to be able to work with them,” she said. 

“For disengaged students under this age then there is definitely a gap that needs to be met.

“These support services are really important to set the adults up for further education or straight into the workforce, because otherwise they face a difficult future if they’re unable to get reengaged.”

The Western Riverina Community College in Griffith opened an alternative school for disengaged youths earlier in the year. 

The head teacher Lyn Multz said the school has been a success and she has already noticed a difference in the students’ engagement. 

“We’ve had a really positive response from the beginning with only seven students to now 20 and the school is currently taking in enrolments for next year,” Ms Multz said. 

“Many of our students at the beginning were totally disengaged and some hadn’t attended school for up to 18 months. 

“Now our students are attending on a regular basis, because of the flexibility and independence with their schooling and also our high teacher to student ratios.” 

Similar to the proposed Indie School in Wagga, the Griffith school is an adult learning environment for only year 9 and 10 students. 

However a Wagga parent is not convinced and raised concerns over alternative ‘schools’.

Linda’s son suffered from mental health issues from mainstream schooling and as a result he became “lost within the school system”. 

“My son became disengaged and really started struggling with school from being severely bullied, which resulted in a range of mental health issues and then a total refusal to go,” she said. 

“I enrolled my son at RCC and since then he has a hospitality certificate and has secured an apprenticeship, but because he is under 17, his previous school won’t sign off the apprenticeship form.” 

Linda argued that mainstream education should not have the power to dictate whether her son can do an apprenticeship. 

“My son initiated his own work and then secured an apprenticeship, which his previous high school is refusing to sign off because he is four months too young. 

“The school legislation is letting kids down and it is becoming a real barrier for young people who not only have struggled in mainstream schooling, but have got back on their feet to be told that they can’t undertake an apprenticeship.”

Linda said waiting the four months until her son turns 17, means he will likely lose the apprenticeship and it will be harder to secure another. 

“It has been really hard and it was absolutely shocking to find support services to reengage my son and only through connections with RCC, I was able to get him in,” she said. 

“I’m concerned with these alternative schools because they have become institutionalised by the education system, hindering the option for alternative education streams.”