Alternative Youth Education

02 Dec

Alternative Youth Education

By Wellington City Mission Charity

Our Alternative Youth Education Programme exists to meet the needs of secondary school students who are suspended or facing suspension, persistent truants, those not presently attending school and those who cannot to be catered for within mainstream education for other behavioural reasons.

When options available to a school and its support agencies are unable to bring about positive changes to a student, enrolment in our Alternative Education is a positive alternative. To retain those students with behavioural problems in regular secondary schools is detrimental to themselves, their peers, teaching staff & their families.

• Service is available for 14-17 year olds from the Greater Wellington area
• Many come from dysfunctional families. Some struggling financially with a poor quality of life – others from high socio-economic families
• Only 20% have the care and support of both parents
• Many have suffered from various forms of abuse – emotional, physical, sexual.
• Many have been seriously under-achieving academically and socially. Mainstream education hasn’t worked for them with mainstream schools not equipped to deal with their special needs
• Most have been in serious trouble in mainstream schools due to anti-social behaviour and/or alcohol or drug abuse.
• Some have dropped out of school entirely with nowhere to go during the day
• Most have lost their self esteem and have been looking for new ways of being