The role of alternative educational provision for young people disaffected with mainstream education

摘要

Over the last thirty years there has been considerable debate on the organisation and structure of the 14-19 education system in England. Although the proposals for a unified system have dominated academic research, successive government policies have failed to fully integrate the 14-19 phase in education. Instead, academic and vocational education remain divided and the number of young people aged 16-19 in the NEET category unchanged.ududThis study of an alternative educational programme (AEP) for students who experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) delves deeply into the problems that these young people are facing in an attempt to find solutions to motivate and engage them. This becomes particularly pressing in the wake of the raising of the participation age to 18 in 2015.ududThe study employs Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystems theory which concentrates on the examination of the impact of different ecosystems on young people’s development and progression in education. The case study incorporates a multi-method research strategy, which sought to gain the perspectives of different stakeholders on the effectiveness of the AEP and to examine its outcomes for students in terms of their academic, social and behavioural progress as well as their progression into the post-16 phase.udThe findings indicate that this type of provision within an FE college provides positive outcomes for disengaged students but they also emphasise the importance that these young people place on the well recognised curriculum offered in mainstream schools.udThe findings suggest that the English education system, which remains segregationist and divided, contributes to the widening of the socio-economic gap particularly in times of economic downturns and unstable employment opportunities.ududThe study recommends changes in different ecosystems, starting with 14-19 education which should offer a unified qualification structure that caters for all learners thus preventing these young people becoming NEET and socially excluded in their adulthood.