At the moment, permanent exclusion is a death knell for young people. But the ‘Youth Achievement Foundation’ in Macclesfield is trying to turn that around with its vocational focus. Eliza Vogel-Sharron reports.
Permanent exclusion from school can have a devastating effect on the life chances of young people already struggling to negotiate the demands of education with often complicated and troubled personal lives. Such exclusion dramatically increases the likelihood of young people falling into an existence where they are not effectively engaged in education, employment or training. An existence, of course, which can be hard to get out of.
Although recent figures published by the Home Office show a 6.4% decline in the average number of exclusions, the report also highlights the complex social, cultural and economic factors that lead to children being excluded from school. For example, children who are eligible for free school meals are three times more likely to be excluded, as are children from ethnic minority backgrounds such as Irish Traveller, Gypsy/Roma and Black Caribbean. The link between economic deprivation and exclusion is clear. Similarly clear is the link between exclusion and learning difficulties, with 75% of children in pupil referral units having special educational needs and, no doubt, a myriad of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Meeting the needs of such individuals in mainstream education, without jeopardising the learning needs of the rest of the class, can be a difficult balance to strike. So is finding an effective and economically sustainable solution outside the ordinary classroom, which does not alienate excluded pupils from their peers. John Bateman OBE, the Chief Executive of UK Youth, has spoken out on this issue saying: “Young people who are at risk of exclusion need access to a personalised curriculum that motivates them, together with support from teachers, youth workers and mentors who can provide appropriate support and guidance.” As the government’s white paper ‘Back on Track’ (May 2008) acknowledges, alterative educational provision has traditionally failed to provide excluded pupils with a suitable framework in which to complete their education and go on to access future career opportunities. However, this may be changing as the new Youth Achievement Foundation pathfinder initiative begins to take hold across the UK.
Youth Achievement Foundations