Success in Alternative sites - Funding

We need to identify and support the children who are currently detached from education to re-enter the education system and to successfully complete their education. To do this effectively, we must guarantee the rigor and effectiveness of all current alternative and flexible schools, and to ensure that suitable options for students at risk are available to all students across the country

Those who disappear – Jim Waterson & Megan Oçonnell
Recommendation 8

Over the last decade we have seen flexible and alternative sites move from precarious underfunded provision for young people detaching from school to a well-funded part of the educational landscape.  There is considerable evidence that in these schools and sites young people find a place where they fit in where they feel safe and where they can learn. It is far from certain that these schools do serve the future needs of the students.  Now we have the funding we need to have the systems in place to ensure that the schools do offer a way forward for young people to participate in education that is “rigorous and effective” and leads to accreditation and articulated pathways to work further education and training.

At the end of the 20th century, as school leaving ages increased and the youth labour market collapsed, schools looked to find alternative curriculum and, in some cases, alternative placements for students who were not pursuing entrance to university.  Further changes in the youth labour market the subsequent rise in school leaving age and the pressure on schools to manage their image saw an expansion of alternate sites as young people jumped or were pushed from mainstream schooling.   All states had provision for young people under the age of compulsion to continue their education in non-mainstream sites in variously named Learning Choices of Flexible Learning Options. Ad hoc arrangements were codified  - most notably in South Australia under the umbrella of the ICAN -FLO program. Alternative provision outside of the government schools were auspiced by community and faith-based groups.  They were underfunded and their future precarious reliant ongoing commitment from the parent organisation.

The issue of underfunding came to an end with changes to the schools assistance act in 2008 and 2014.   This change released funding for schools that were recognised as catering mainly for students with “behavioural, emotional or learning difficulties” This new funding enabled the expansion of alternative education in the independent sector.

From their beginnings as charitable institutions supported by the community, SAS as independent schools  are now eligible for considerable amounts funding from the Federal Government (80%) and the State Government (20%) supplemented by Nationally Consistent collection of data (NCCD) funding to ensure that schools can make adjustments to ensure students with disability are able to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers.  This funding has put SAS on a firm footing, but it has also contributed to a growth that has been faster than the systems ability to ensure that the system is rigorous and meeting the needs of the students.

In 2021 there were 113 schools registered as Specialised Assistance Schools, but even that number is problematic as a “school” can have a range of diverse campuses.  Around a hundred of these have been established in the last twenty years less than five years old.  Some are individual schools started by community organisations others are multi campus schools with an overarching umbrella organisation. 

Funding for SA SAS

In South Australia funding per SAS student from around $44,000 through to $60,000, which reflects the complexity of the students that the schools enrol. This is nearly double and triple funding for similar cohorts in state government funded century college. 

One of the SAS in South Australia has three campuses and is under the umbrella of a large SAS provider-based interstate. This provider grew from 63 students in 2014 to some 3,500 across 200 campuses in all states 2025.  With a budget of some $154,000,000 it had a surplus of some $38,000,000.

A further two SAS, over three campuses, come under a Catholic provider of SAS   which goes back 40 years and now has 2,500 students in 26 sites across Australia.

The other schools are independent with one school supported by Catholic Education SA.  They all were established after 2014 and changes to the school’s assistance act.  They have all grown enrolments, expanded their campuses and have plans for farther expansion.

All this is to show that what was once a precarious section of the schooling sector has now a firm foundation due to the generous funding aimed at young people with social; emotional and learning difficulties as well as young people with disability. The sector is no longer underfunded and doesn’t have to fight for its position in the educational landscape.

There is considerable anecdotal evidence that the cohort of young people is changing, where many of the SAS started to meet the needs of young people with “behavioural”” difficulties there are now an increasing number of students with ASD, ADHD and those with “emotional and learning difficulties”.  This raises issues about inclusion and separation that need to be addressed and our need to ensure that all young people can access schooling that is supportive and meets their needs.  But given that we have now secured funding for these alternative schools what should we ask of them?