Traditional high school life doesn’t suit everyone. Large classes and busy teachers mean that some students can get left behind. If they’re left unaided for too long, these students can be alienated from a society where qualifications, social skills and career path are the measures of acceptance. Fortunately, the Hinterland has one of the few state flexi schools where motivated students can be guided back towards a meaningful future.
One-on-one support can make all the difference. Teacher John Mays with Jaimi
THE MALENY Flexi School is located in the town’s new Neighbourhood Centre. It has the support of Education Queensland which provides teachers for the school as well as access to Maleny State High School facilities and resources. The school also relies on services and resources provided by the community.
Flexi School students can opt for subjects through distance education, link to the high school, complete programs developed at the Flexi school or develop independent projects. Teacher Brad Owens is also embarking on a mentor program in conjuction with United Synergies so that young people can gain some knowledge of potential career and job prospects from locals with experience in the workplace.
Flexi School students, RikkLee and Bryce are working on individual programs according to an agreed work rate calendar.
On the day that the Hinterland Times visited the Flexi School a group of students was having a barbecue and meeting representatives from United Synergies, an organisation running programs to support people facing challenges in entering or re-entering the workforce.
Tasmin is a Year 10 student who has just started at the Flexi School. After a year away from formal study she has decided to try again – through the Flexi School.
“I just wasn’t getting on with the people at high school. None of the teachers wanted to help me and I ended up doing no work. So I quit school. Then I decided to come here. I thought it would be better for me.
“There are better opportunities here,” adds Tasmin. “Teachers listen better. They help you more and they have more one-on-one contact with you. I am starting out with easy Maths and English and then I can work up.
Brad with Carol (right in red) and Flexi School students.
“I may come back here next year or get a job – maybe get a traineeship or apprenticeship in hospitality. You need good maths for measurements and so on in cooking.”
Brad Owens is the head teacher at the Flexi School which over the last 12 months has provided support for more than 40 students. Brad is assisted by part-time teacher John Mays and teachers’ aid Carol Ferriday. The school is very much a part of the Maleny High School system and they have a lot of support from the high school teachers. They understand that Brad and his team are providing a service which makes their job a lot easier.
“The majority of students here realise that the Flexi School is another chance for them”, says the quietly spoken Brad Owens, who is clearly the antithesis of a heavy-handed authority figure. “The ones who find it hard here are those who have no idea where they’re going,” adds Brad. “So we provide a safe environment where they can continue to do schoolwork while they’re still sorting themselves out.”
The new Flexi School provides a comfortable space for students and staff to work together.
Part of the Flexi School rationale is that students who have dropped out of the high school system need to be coaxed back to study via a sense of security, and having their personal learning needs met. The Flexi School provides that place where students can get the attention they need, and, as Brad says, they do not simply disappear off the radar.
Since the start of 2010 RikkiLee has been at Year 12 level. She is another example of someone falling through the cracks of the traditional school system.
“I didn’t get along with the teachers at my previous school], says this articulate young woman who feels she is now on a better life track.
“The teachers here haven’t got so many students so they can help you more. I want to finish Year 12 now and not muck around. I want to do a childcare course at TAFE in Maroochydore and I need Certificate 3 to get there.”
“There is a point where some kids give up,” stresses Brad.
“It’s usually when they are not understanding something or can’t keep up with what’s going on. Sometimes it can be that a one-on-one session can get them past that block. But it is difficult when you are in a system to get the personal attention when you need it.”
Each student at the Flexi School has to agree to an individual learning contract. Attendance requires a minimum number of hours a week and the need to get work material completed. There is a calendar for every student so they can quickly see whether they are up to date. The focus at the school is to get each student through their particular program.
Brad says Flexi School success is measured by having some kids simply attend, particularly those who have a history of truanting. “It’s then a matter of how well they progress in terms of their academic studies, but also in terms of the bigger picture of having some idea or plan of their immediate future,” he adds.
“One thing I have learnt is that all kids are different,” says Brad. “Here they have no sense of group identity common in the traditional high school. They are very much individuals, and they all have their reasons for coming here.
“Some are very dramatic and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Others are very quiet. They are a reflection of their home life. I like to think that despite what happens outside of the Flexi School, they are able to feel good about being here.”
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