Young people detached from the school system

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education recently released a report titled “Those who disappear” which is a report on the estimated 50,000 “detached'' young people from the Australian school system. 

The report suggests there are multiple factors that lead to student disengagement which can then lead to total detachment from the school system including: bullying, relationships with teachers and peers, learning difficulties, identity issues, lack of financial resources, mental illness and family dysfunction. The report also includes estimates of the cost of disengagement. It finds that each early school leaver incurs social costs (loss of earnings, reduced quality of life etc) of $616 200 over their lifetime.

Eight recommendations are made including increasing access to early intervention for students at risk of disengagement in the early years, improved support for children currently detached from school, and more support for teachers and schools.

Go to “Those who disappear: The Australian education problem nobody wants to talk about” (1.3MB PDF)