A Sydney program that addresses youth violence and marginalisation is showing results, but a lack of funding means it hasn't been able to expand into other regions where it may also be beneficial, including in St George and Sutherland Shire.
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The Alternative Suspension Program, which offers hopes for vulnerable youth, is offered in Western Sydney. It was launched by Y NSW in February 2023, and aims to give young people a pathway to reintegrate back into the school environment successfully.
Executive Leader of Purpose and Impact of the Y NSW, Louise McKay, says managing disruptive behaviours can also be overwhelming for educators, and a catalyst in driving them to leave the profession altogether.
"Asking schools to deal with an issue that is often well beyond their capacity or scope is unfair. It's challenging enough to be a teacher with 30 students, let alone dealing with children and young people creating disruption," Ms McKay said.
The program offers skills development, therapeutic support and referrals to additional services students need to successfully re-engage with school and give them a better chance of completing their education.
"We need our systems and policies to have a focus on supporting the whole child, their families and our teachers," Ms McKay said.
"We need a focus on supporting the well-being of young people rather than using exclusionary practices that further marginalise children and young people."
Y NSW states that 85 per cent of its participants learnt new coping, anger management and communication skills as a result. Upon completion of the program, 94 per cent of the cohort of participants returned to school.
"It's been inspiring to see the incredible outcomes this program has achieved. The case studies and preliminary evaluation results to date are compelling. Every week I'm hearing positive stories about the life-changing impact the program is having on young people," Ms McKay said.
In the report Suspensions and Expulsions in NSW Government Schools (2005-2022) - Semester 1, 2022; NSW Education Data Hub, figures showed in Sydney's south, the total number of students short suspended was 1289, and long suspended, 326.
Continuation of the Sydney program is dependent on funding ending in June 2024. The goal is to seek partnerships to continue and expand the program to other parts of NSW.
"It's time to consider doing things differently for children and young people who get suspended or are at risk of being suspended," Ms McKay said.
"The typical young person who is suspended from school is a 13-year-old boy. While this is young, it also presents an opportunity to intervene early before the downward spiral begins."
