Opinion: Flexi Schools’ four principles to get wayward youths back on track

A network of special schools is aimed at intervening with disengaged youth to stop them lapsing or relapsing intro crime, writes Matt Hawkins.

With the current publicity surrounding youth disengagement and crime in Queensland, it’s easy to jump to conclusions about possible causes and solutions.

But behind the headlines, educators know that there are no quick fixes to this complex issue.

What we do know, is that flexible education offers a place where vulnerable young people can receive a second chance.

“Flexi Schools”, as referenced by Queensland Family and Child Commission principal commissioner Luke Twyford in The Courier-Mail, are secondary special assistance schools, and exist for young people who have disengaged from more traditional, mainstream school settings.

In my position as CEO at Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Schools Ltd, I oversee 23 Flexi Schools across Australia. We welcome a variety of young people through our school gates, with many of these young people having become disenfranchised for a number of complex reasons.

Many have experienced trauma, neglect, abuse, and significant family dysfunction which can often lead to crime.

We now know, through a growing body of significant research, that trauma seriously impacts a child’s brain development and in turn affects that young person’s behaviour and their ability to self-regulate.

In attempting to “manage” the behaviour of these young people, mainstream schools have traditionally utilised methods which inevitably lead to exclusion.

Rather than society’s hope that a young person’s schooling experience be defined by a sense of belonging, success and fun, for this cohort of young people, school has been characterised by exclusion, anxiety and failure.

When young people do not find a place of safety, warmth and belonging at home, they will seek those feelings elsewhere, first at school, and when that fails, they will look further afield.

In response, Flexi Schools, like those within our entity, attempt to change the narrative for these young people, and provide an educational experience defined by radical inclusion, hope, fun and opportunity.

We do this by providing a strengths-based, trauma-aware learning experience.

Our staff display an unconditional positive regard for young people, not just when young people’s behaviour is unproblematic, but especially when it is challenging.

We do not have a long list of school rules that we wait for young people to inevitably break.

Instead, our schools use an approach called “Operation by Principles”. Within this approach, young people and adults within the community agree to work, walk and learn together on common ground and within the four principles of respect, honesty, participation and safe & legal.

This approach of course requires significant training, support and perseverance. It is not easy work.

We do not pretend that every young person who attends one of our schools will experience a “Hollywood ending” where their life is turned around.

We do not pretend that they will never again have to experience trauma, abuse or neglect.

We know we can’t “fix” anyone, nor do we try.

Simply, our Flexi Schools are places where young people can choose to engage in a learning community where they are welcome, valued, supported and challenged to be the best possible versions of themselves they can be.

Matt Hawkins is CEO of Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Schools Ltd