Youth Engagement Education Reform package

The Department of Education is implementing a $288 million Youth Engagement Education Reform package to support educational engagement for a range of students, including those needing additional support to remain engaged or become re-engaged in learning and those involved in youth justice.

The integrated package will combine intervention and prevention initiatives to support students to remain engaged in a structured, supportive learning environment in a format that meets their needs.

Initiatives under the package include:

• $45.5 million to create an additional 50 new FlexiSpaces in schools with high need, each with a dedicated teacher, to provide extra support for students who need engagement support
• $120.9 million to expand the Queensland State Pathways College from 6 campuses to 12 across the state, providing more places for vulnerable students in Years 10 to 12
• $27.3 million to be invested in specialised alternative learning programs, in partnership with non-government organisations (NGOs), in priority locations across the state
• $56.9 million to employ 78 new intensive education case managers to work directly with students who are excluded or repeatedly suspended from school
• $8.6 million to employ additional court liaison officers and field officers to support students appearing before the Childrens Courts to get their education back on track
• $29.1 million to be invested in additional engagement and attendance programs specifically for First Nations young people
• development of an alternative curriculum for use in alternative settings for young people that need tailored learning options.

FlexiSpaces​​

Many students experience significant challenges at various junctures in their school life and for most, remaining at school provides their best chance of success. Building school capacity to engage and re-engage students in education is a key priority. One successful initiative has been the establishment of FlexiSpaces in schools.

FlexiSpaces are high-quality, bespoke built environments in schools that help shape innovative pedagogy and facilitate flexible learning opportunities for students. They are staffed by dedicated teachers that provide students with uninterrupted access to the Australian curriculum and high-quality teaching.

Under the Youth Engagement Education reform package, the department is investing $45 million in an additional 50 FlexiSpaces in high-needs schools across Queensland. Further to this investment, the department has provided funding for 8 new FlexiSpaces to be established in schools that are part of the Partnership Initiative.

On 1 May 2024, the first round of 34 new FlexiSpaces was announced. Onboarding has been completed and program planning and refurbishment design is now underway. 

On 1 August 2024, a further 24 FlexiSpaces were announced, taking the total of new FlexiSpaces commissioned to 58. These additional 58 spaces will build upon the existing 52 schools that are already delivering, or planning delivery for their FlexiSpace program.

In an exciting expansion to the program, primary schools will now be included for the first time to assist with earlier intervention strategies. A number of secondary and primary schools have also elected to operate their FlexiSpace collaboratively in a cluster arrangement, which will provide additional support for students transitioning to high school.

Students typically access the FlexiSpace for some core curriculum subjects but remain in class with their peers for elective subjects and all other school activities and routines. The FlexiSpace is just one of schools' many strategies and approaches for supporting students who are not thriving, or at risk of disengaging from education.

Queensland Pathways State College expansion​

Queensland Pathways State College (QPSC) is a senior transition program for people aged 15 to 17 years to continue their education, return to mainstream school or transition to further education, training or employment. Students at QPSCs generally have more complex social, educational and health needs and may face significant barriers in accessing mainstream education.

QPSC teaching staff work collaboratively with students to develop individual learning goals and provide differentiated learning to help students succeed and build literacy, numeracy and wellbeing (social, work, emotional and life) skills. Students are still able to work towards achieving a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) while at QPSC.

QPSC currently supports students at the following campuses:

• Coorparoo
• Mount Gravatt
• Goodna
• Bundamba
• Bracken Ridge
• Toowoomba
• Townsville.

As part of the Youth Engagement Education Reform package, more than $120 million will be invested to increase the number of QPSC campuses to 12 by 2027.

Additional locations have been identified in:

• ​North of Brisbane
• Mount Isa
• Central Queensland
• Logan
• Cairns.

The expansion of the QPSC has already delivered on its first milestone with the opening of the Toowoomba campus​ on 18 March 2024. Located at the Denise Kable Youth Services Centre, this campus is a modern space that includes a classroom and outdoor courtyard. On campus students have access to a commercial kitchen and sporting facilities.

QPSCs supports the priorities under the Equity and Excellence education strategy​ to maximise learning days for every student; and contributes to preventing youth justice involvement by strengthening engagement with schools and supporting students to experience success in learning.

Intensive education case managers

The department has committed $57 million to a new statewide program that will support children and young people to stay engaged with education. Intensive education case managers (IECMs) will work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary regional teams to deliver intensive case management and provide transition supports. The IECMs will manage education, intervention and prevention initiatives relating to students who are at risk of disengagement, already disengaged or at risk of becoming involved with the youth justice system.

The IECMs will deliver best practice case ​management and integrated support to improve educational outcomes. They will strengthen engagement with schools through intensive engagement with families, education providers, community organisations and other key stakeholders. They will provide a connection back to our schools when young people are on long suspensions and will ensure that excluded students are supported to move on to their next step successfully.

A total of 78 IECMs will be appointed across the state.

Education Justice Initiative​

The Education Justice Initiative (EJI) is an information, referral and advocacy service that supports vulnerable young people involved with the youth justice system to re-engage with education and training. The EJI is delivered by court liaison officers (CLOs) and youth transition officers (YTOs) who provide services for young people coming before Childrens Courts across the state. The EJI targets young people of compulsory school age between the ages of 10 to 15 years, however, the program can also support young people aged 16 to 17 years in the youth justice system.

Education is an important protective factor for young people involved with the youth justice system. The EJI is a critical safety net for children and young people who may have complex needs and aims to:

• connect/reconnect young people in the youth justice system with appropriate education or training pathways
• engage in cross-agency collaboration (government and non-government)
• support all stakeholders (internal and external) to understand systems, policy, processes, responsibilities and accountabilities with a goal to improve education outcomes for children and young people involved with the youth justice system
• track transitions of young people known to the youth justice system and provide ongoing support to that young person until transition is secure.

The EJI offers a variety of supports to young people exploring their educational options and refers young people to external experts (government and non-government) as necessary for non-educational support.

The EJI has now expanded to include funding for 21 CLOs and 16 YTOs to service young people in all of the 8 departmental regions​ across the state.

Specialised alternative le​​arning programs

Under the package, $27 million is being invested to establish new specialised alternative learning programs to be delivered in partnership with not-for-profit NGOs.

The programs will be designed to respond to local needs for disengaged and vulnerable young people, with a focus on those in contact with the youth justice system. Programs are expected to support a younger cohort who will transition to further education settings and an older cohort who may also transition to training or employment pathways.

The programs will be offered in the priority locations of Cairns, Townsville, Ipswich and Mount Isa. Expressions of interest will be open to NGOs via QTenders​ when available.

Alternative learning c​urriculum

Some students need tailored programs and educational support. Supporting these students to receive relevant Australian Curriculum mapped learning is a priority for the department. The department is currently developing an alternative curriculum to be available for use in alternative learning settings. The alternative curriculum will be mapped to the Australian Curriculum but designed to meet students where they are and help them gain the essential skills they may have missed earlier in their education journey.

The alternative curriculum will also be available to non-state alternative education settings who choose to use it.

First Nations attendance and engagement

The department funds a number of initiatives to improve educational outcomes by focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement. Under the package, $29.1 million over 5 years is being invested to expand attendance and engagement programs for First Nations students. This expansion will increase access for First Nations students to support their engagement and attendance in schooling and learning, and contribute to closing the gap.

The department commenced consultation in Term 1 2024 in Cherbourg, Murgon and Beaudesert to identify the supports students need to attend and engage at school and complete Year 12, with a tender for support programs due to open during Term 2 2024.