(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)
MUM: Why is that? I don't know.
REPORTER: These children
are now being referred to as 'school refusers',
a perhaps crude term for kids in emotional stress
a perhaps crude term who can't face being in the classroom.
It's honestly like a zoo. Like, that's how crazy it is.
It's honestly like a zoo. And I just couldn't cope.
ETHAN: I got bullied every day.
My old school made me feel ETHAN: I got bullied every day.
My old school made me feel like I was locked up in a cage.
My old school made me feel It's become such a big issue
that a parliamentary inquiry's underway
to look at how to address that a parliamentary inquiry's the problem. underway
to look at how to address the problem.
Our children are not robots, they are people.
Our children are not robots, Come on, mate. We have to try, mate. they are people. We try every day.
Come on, mate. We have to try, mate. We try every day.
Freddy, it's time to go.
Come on, let's do it.
Sausage, come on, Come on, let's do it.
Sausage, come on, can you please hop out?
Sausage, come on, We've really got the perfect storm -
adolescent mental-health issues on the rise,
adolescent mental-health issues a teacher-workforce crisis
and we've just come out a teacher-workforce crisis
and we've just come out of COVID lockdowns.
HAYLEY: I had my parents coming, yelling at me,
telling me that I'm lazy, I need to get out of bed.
All of my energy was just focused on staying alive.
What have we got here? Mention of suicidal ideation.
Trigger warnings. Self-harm. Suicide.
Trigger warnings. "Oh, they just need tough love."
If that worked, "Oh, they just need tough love."
If that worked, my child would be at school.
If that worked, (GIGGLES, YELLS PLAYFULLY)
Argh!
(SCREAMS PLAYFULLY) (LAUGHS)
(SCREAMS) Oh, no. Fred. Fred...
(SCREAMS) (SCREAMS)
I'm sure that there will be people there saying to their TV,
"That woman just needs to grow a backbone
"and tell her kids what's what."
Before it happened to me, I was one of those parents.
Argh! (CHILD GIGGLES)
It's not like I just want to live my life as a disappointment.
Like, I love learning.
Every child is worth something.
We really need to address it
before we lose a whole lot of kids from the education system.
(CHATTER, LAUGHTER)
(HUBBUB)
MUM: Freddy, it's time to go now.
Come on, mate, hop up, please. It's time to go.
Frieda?
Chicken?
Hey, come on, darling. Please, hop up.
Mate, it's time to go to school.
It's a good day today to be at school.
Mum, stop talking about school so much!
Ow! Ow! Please don't kick me!
Oo-ah!
You're like jelly today.
Come on, darling.
No. Let's go. Freddy. Come on, darling.
No. Mate.
We've got to get going, honey. Come on.
We've had lots of time this morning to get ready. Now it's time to go.
Try, alright? Can you bring your bag in case? We've had lots of time this morning to get ready. Now it's time to go.
Try, alright? Can you bring your bag in case?
Can you carry this one then, please? Can you bring your bag in case?
Can you carry this one then, please?
Freddy!
Fred, come on, dude.
Come on, mate. We have to try, mate. (SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
Come on, mate. We have to try, mate. We try every day.
That's the deal. Come on.
Let's go, please.
(GROANS)
Freddy, come on. (MOANS)
OK.
OK, we're out of the car.
Darling, what's going on?
I can't do it.
Why is that? I don't know.
Fred! No! No, no, no! Mate, it's time to go up to school.
Fred! No! No, no, no! Frieda!
Dude.
Fred, please, Dude.
Fred, please, don't take your shoes off.
Fred, please, We're going up to the classroom.
Honey, I need to go to work.
Freddy.
Can I just talk to you for a sec?
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
I feel like this is probably not going to happen today, is it, mate?
No!
Alright, well, let's go home,
but I have to do some work for a while when I get home, OK,
because it's really late, it's, like, 10 o'clock already.
There's nothing I can do!
Mum, I'm bored.
I wish I could play with you, chicken,
I wish I could play with you, but I just have to get this done.
There's other people waiting on my work.
Hey, please, don't pull on my chair, mate.
Come! I get a bit frustrated
when you pull on my chair. So, I just have to do this, OK?
I want to sit on your lap.
Yeah.
Hm!
Hey, hey, hey. I need my mouse. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Not fair! I need that to work, chicken.
Not fair! (HUFFS)
(SNIFFLES)
Ideally, I would be sitting down with her (SNIFFLES)
Ideally, I would be sitting down with her
Ideally, I would be and doing some educational stuff,
but I don't have capacity to do that.
So, she's basically left to her own devices, you know?
I'm trying to keep my job here.
I've thought a lot about having to do homeschooling with Fred,
I've thought a lot about having but I can't afford to.
It really... It started in kindergarten.
Fred was having trouble, like, going into school.
Some days we couldn't even get out of the house.
Some days we would get as far as the footpath
Some days we would get and then she couldn't go in.
And then sometimes you would just run away, hey, Fred?
And...
..one term she got down to, I think it was less than 20% attendance.
It was very low. She was having a lot of trouble.
Partly because Frieda masks her autism,
she does appear like a model student in the classroom.
But the days that she did end up staying at school,
she would get home and just fall apart.
In the early days
I would drag her to the classroom door
and then her teacher would literally drag her inside and shut the door
and then her teacher would literally so she was trapped in there.
And I'm talking, like, a five-year-old child
And I'm talking, like, being bodily pulled
by a full-grown adult
and then separated from their parent
with a door that's locked.
And that traumatised her so much.
Like, I'm ashamed of that.
And I didn't know better. I didn't know any better.
"Oh, they just need tough love."
If that worked,
my child would be at school.
You try the reward charts,
you try making home boring so they don't want to be here.
None of the stuff that the experts say you should do works.
None of the stuff that the experts Look, this is my crab.
Oh, now you're a crab like that.
I haven't seen you do the crab dance for a while, actually.
(LAUGHS)
Oh, my God, kiddo.
You make me laugh every single day.
(LAUGHS)
You see other families, their kids just happily going to school
and getting to know each other at school drop-off and school pick-up,
and you feel like you're just in this complete other world.
That's a really lonely and confusing and shameful world
because you assume that you're the problem
because everyone tells you that you're the problem.
And, Fred, you know, you said to me a few times,
"I just don't know why it's so hard for me.
"I wish it was easy for me like the other kids."
And that's what you've said all along -
"Not that I don't want to go to school,
"Not that I don't want "I can't."
It's boring when I don't go to school
It's boring and that's why I get a bit upset
when I usually don't make it to school
'cause I really want to,
but somehow I don't know how to get there.
but somehow Yeah.
The Department of Education talks all about inclusive education,
every child's entitled to an education,
but, you know, they don't seem to understand
what autistic kids need, what ADHD kids need.
We found that individual teachers are wonderful
We found that individual teachers and they try really hard,
but schools, they seem to only really cater
to this fairly narrow range of brains and kids, right?
And that's a real shame.
I would much rather her be well than be at school all the time.
I would much rather her be well If her having perfect attendance,
if the cost of that If her having perfect attendance,
if the cost of that is her mental health,
if the cost of that it's not worth it.
It just isn't worth it.
(KIDS CHATTER AT PLAY)
GLENN MELVIN: This might sound a little controversial,
you might think I've got it round the wrong way,
but why would kids bother coming to your school?
In a time when attendance has really shot down...
After COVID we've seen sort of In a time when attendance has really shot down...
After COVID we've seen sort of
rates really kicked down last year...
When a school-attendance problem is emerging,
we don't necessarily know what type it is.
Maybe it's school refusal, maybe it's school withdrawal.
We certainly know from young people we work with Maybe it's school refusal, maybe it's school withdrawal.
We certainly know from young people we work with
that they talk about the importance of belonging.
What we were finding is that more and more young people
What we were finding weren't attending school,
and we were trying to work out why. weren't attending school,
and we were trying to work out why.
And it's not just an Australian problem,
this is something that is happening internationally
and it has been researched internationally.
and it has been researched (LOUD CHATTER)
We really don't know how many children and teens in Australia
We really don't know how many are refusing school,
and there's been a lot of concern
in the community and there's been a lot of concern
in the community
that rates have really skyrocketed
since the pandemic.
Departments of Education don't routinely collect this data,
but this is critical data.
It might be that the problem is much larger than we expect.
I sometimes think of it like
school refusal I sometimes think of it like
school refusal is a child waving a big flag.
They're saying, "I'm not managing. I'm not coping."
They're saying, "I'm not managing. And for some
their methods of showing their distress can be quite extreme.
their methods of showing And I've worked with parents
who've had knives pulled on them And I've worked with parents
who've had knives pulled on them by their kids
who are so desperate, so anxious in the morning
who are so desperate, to avoid going to school.
The main reason kids miss school...
This isn't isolated kids The main reason kids miss school...
This isn't isolated kids here and there,
it's in every school around Australia,
from private schools, Catholic schools, public schools.
from private schools, It's across the spectrum.
Keep going.
I could find it on my phone.
Oh, there we go. Ah, there we go.
So, there's 2,199 member requests waiting.
So, there's 2,199 member requests Yeah.
What's the longest person who's been waiting?
15 weeks.
16 weeks! 16 weeks even.
I feel a lot of pressure to let them in
because, you know, there's some quite desperate parents in there
that really need the support.
We had lots of distressed posts coming through
We had lots of distressed posts and lots of distressed parents.
So much of what actually is underlying that parent frustration
is, essentially, a lot of fear.
I know, certainly in New South Wales,
for us it was a feeling of almost desperation
for us it was a feeling to get your child to go
because you knew to get your child to go
because you knew that it was actually a legal matter -
"Oh, my God, it's the law. I'm going to get in big trouble."
Mm. Amazing.
Um... What have we got here?
Mention of suicidal ideation.
Trigger warning. Self-harm. Suicide.
Heartbroken.
Ooh, something to do with legal threats as well.
It's just nonstop seven days a week.
The posts come through where people are just feeling
a real sense of urgency about
"I've got to be at work and my child won't get out of bed.
"He's saying he's feeling like ending his life.
"Oh, my God, what do I do?"
I just find it absurd
that the greatest support that the community has out there
for this kind of issue
is a Facebook group.
I just actually don't know how long we can sustain it
because we all are carrying a huge personal load ourselves
and we're working around the clock.
And I know, certainly with my own experience,
that it's not just the children that end up isolated,
it's actually the parents as well
because quite often you have to quit working to look after your child.
So, all of a sudden your world gets very, very small.
But to be able to step into this arena,
where it's like, "Oh, my goodness,
"there's thousands and thousands
"of other people that are going through this,"
"of other people it's amazing.
You alright, Jake?
You OK?
Can you read it for me as well?
Um... (READS) "The background to the Gaza-Israel conflict."
Um... (READS) "The background What are the religions involved?
I'm pretty sure Jewish, Muslim and...what was the third one?
They're the two main ones. Yeah.
They're the two main ones. That's the Gaza Strip there.
And you're going to start writing
with your subheadings And you're going to start writing
with your subheadings
and eventually with your subheadings
and eventually you're going to become diplomats
and representing the two different groups that are mainly involved.
So, I want best efforts with your writing...
William's reaction to having to go to school every day,
it was so extreme.
Lots and lots of crying, begging.
His body would just shake like a terrified puppy.
He would try and jump out of the car.
He was putting himself in some very, very dangerous positions.
Jake, on the other hand, he was more silent.
Hiding the uniform, hiding the schoolbag.
I remember... (CHUCKLES) ..at one point
finding him trying to set his uniform actually on fire.
I just could not believe that this was happening.
Because I had wonderful memories from primary school
and the sort of kid that, you know,
I ended up being, like, school captain,
I ended up being, like, and then going to high school
and, I mean, I went to uni for nearly 10 years.
You have all sorts of wild visions, like, "Oh, my God,
"I'm going to end up with these adult sons living in my basement.
"They're going to be gamers and on the dole for the rest of their life.
"What's going to become of them?"
Would you like a peanut butter sandwich or cheesy mac or something?
William - he's autistic and has ADHD and huge anxiety.
He's also tested as intellectually gifted.
He's also tested So, he was a very bright child.
From kindergarten it was already just, like,
30 kids all in one classroom, one teacher screaming, the smells.
In the bathrooms, like, it just is crazy.
Like, people are just, like, vandalising it,
like, throwing toilet paper everywhere.
like, throwing toilet paper It's honestly like a zoo.
Like, that's how crazy it is.
And I just couldn't cope.
And I was just like, man, like...
I honestly can't do this for 13 more years every day.
I honestly can't do this I don't know how to explain,
but I'd put on, like, this fake personality
where it looked like I was enjoying it and it looked like I was fine,
but deep down inside, like, it was just physically draining
and just mentally, like... I just hated it.
Square, hexagon, quadrilateral, pentagon.
Do you remember what the tool was that we used to measure angles?
So, I guess it is somewhat a little bit lonely.
I do respect school and, like, the whole social thing, but...
If there was a school that, like, suited to my needs, and, like...
..I reckon I definitely could go back,
but just, like, the way the school system is in, like, Australia,
but just, like, the way the school it's just...I can't.
Oh!
(CHUCKLES)
I'm not going out there now...
We had tried everything at this stage.
We had a psychiatrist on board, psychologist, OT,
We had a psychiatrist on board, every professional under the sun.
And the teachers at his school were so lovely.
Like, everybody was trying their best.
But still my son's attendance, it dropped to a certain point
where it seemed like it must be out of the hands of the school.
So, then the Department actually then handed us a letter
So, then the Department threatening legal action.
So, in the end our hand was forced
and we had to withdraw and start homeschooling.
And this is something that we hear in the School Can't group
all of the time,
families feeling like they are kind of forced into homeschoolings.
When I think about it, it really pisses me off,
thinking, "Why should MY children be excluded?"
SYMONE WHEATLEY-HEY: I'm always running behind on everything.
There we go. Fred!
What?! Breakfast!
(MOANS)
I'm giving you five minutes' warning
that we're going to go to the park I'm giving you five minutes' warning
that we're going to go to the park in five minutes.
that we're going to go to the park Do you understand me?
Help, help, help, help.
"Help, help, help," he says, while eating a waffle.
Alright, get ready and then we're going.
Laminate these and we'll take them with us
and see if we have any luck.
So, it's just a scavenger-hunt list
and it'll be with their different senses.
That covers, like, health, that covers ethics, and it'll be with their different senses.
That covers, like, health, that covers ethics,
that'll cover STEM.
We'll be able to bring in literacy and numeracy.
So, yeah, that's the plan for today. We'll see how we go.
So, yeah, that's the plan for today. OK, that's the final thing.
It's very, very child-led.
For Henry, it's dinosaurs. He's really interested in them.
So, I try and source dinosaur-themed activities.
Whereas for Fred,
he's really into insects at the moment.
Fred, we're putting our sneakers on in one sec.
Please, finish your level.
A-h-h-h-h-h-h-h...
Oh, I know.
Mum!
H?
(GIGGLES, YELLS PLAYFULLY)
Argh!
(SCREAMS PLAYFULLY) (LAUGHS)
(SCREAMS) Oh, no. Fred. Fred, stop.
So, I have Henry, who is 10,
and I have Freddie, who is six.
A-a-a-a-a-a-gh! (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
A-a-a-a-a-a-gh! Ow! (SCREAMS)
Argh! Ow! (SCREAMS)
Argh! (GIGGLES)
Right, let's go see what Henry needs.
Right, let's go see Let's go. Off to the park.
Both of my kids are autistic and ADHD.
Stop. Stop. Because he's on my back.
Can I have... Stop.
Let go. Let go. Walk ahead.
Walk ahead.
They are homeschooled children.
Hey, guys, I think there's daycare kids on the flying fox. Hang on!
And it is not something that any of us want to be doing.
And it is not something So, guys, listen to a bird chirp.
OK? So, we've got to be silent when we listen for a bird chirp
OK? So, we've got to be silent so we can tick that off.
Tell me who... You heard one? so we can tick that off.
Tell me who... You heard one? Yeah!
OK. You can tick that section when we're off the swings.
(BIRD TWITTERS) Oh, I heard it too, H.
(BIRD TWITTERS) Your hearing's better than mine.
I was so reluctant and I still am.
I don't like doing it. It's exhausting.
I want to be at work.
I want to be contributing to society.
I want to be earning an income for my family.
I want to be setting an example for my kids.
It says 'tactile'. Do you know what 'tactile' means?
And yet I don't have any other choice.
There's nowhere for my children to go
that I can drop them off in the morning
and be confident that they will be OK when I pick them up.
What is another opposite? Let's try and think of one.
Look, I'd rather have a kid who is out of the school system
and a kid that I'm having to homeschool
than a kid who is no longer alive.
And that was the point we were at.
What's it off? Can you tell what kind of bird?
That means you get it forever.
That is about That means you get it forever.
That is about all of the formal education
that I'm able to get done with my kids
that I'm able to get done on a day when it's not a great day.
And there are many, many, many days like today
where what we get done is just the bare minimum.
where what we get done And that's part of my worry.
It is nowhere near enough work that they're getting done.
There is nowhere near enough learning going on.
I'm thirsty!
OK!
And I really worry that, as they get older, the longer we homeschool,
they're going to fall more and more behind.
And then that's going to make it harder
for them to re-transition back into the school system,
for them to re-transition which has always been the goal.
This has never been
the, "We're gonna homeschool their whole school lives."
It's always been an emergency for-now measure.
It's always been It just doesn't seem to have an end.
That's Fred in his uniform at school.
And, obviously, we can see, when Fred finds it hard at school,
And, obviously, we can see, that's the sort of thing we get.
Poor Fred. Like, you can't suspend five-year-old kids. It's ridiculous.
What on earth is that going to achieve?
This was Henry the last year that he attended school.
This was Henry the last year It's sad.
Probably the last school photo he'll ever be in.
Henry has not been at school since June of 2021.
Henry has not been at school Do you remember this?
I dropped him off at school one day
and he just broke.
He was clinging to me, and he just broke.
He was clinging to me, he was refusing to go in.
He was clinging to me, Science...
And his behaviour escalated to the point that it was unsafe.
And his behaviour escalated He was in complete and utter crisis.
Do you want to read it to me?
There was no-one on the student services team
who was there that day, so, no social worker, no youth worker,
who was there that day, so, no case manager for Henry,
no school psychologist, no case manager for Henry,
no school psychologist, no school counsellor.
no school psychologist, There was no-one.
River rapids.
And he was removed by ambulance.
And it was absolutely heartbreaking.
Genius.
Guys?!
(YELLS INDISTINCTLY)
So, when you put in your registration paperwork
for home education,
you get sent out this auto-reply email explaining,
"Moderators are appointed to evaluate the educational program,
"evaluate whether the student is making satisfactory progress."
Ah, and here we go - "Concerns...
"Section 53...
"..provides for a cancellation of home education registration
"if the child's educational progress is not satisfactory."
(KNOCKS SOFTLY)
What?
Hey, we're going to do something What?
Hey, we're going to do something for homeschool,
so, have a think if you would like to read a book together
or if you would like to do a science experiment.
or if you would like to do Agree?
N-o-o-o-o-o!
But...
OK...
Help!
A-h-h-h-h-h-h!
Mate.
Ow! Ow! Ow! OK! OK!
I will come back and check... Help! Help!
Would you like me to stay with you or go away?
Would you like me to stay A-a-a-a-a-gh!
(PUFFS)
So, that went well.
It's been a difficult week because I put my formal paperwork in.
Like, it wasn't that long ago.
Yeah. And all of a sudden,
like, this massive load of anxiety comes on.
like, this massive load of anxiety Stop. OK?
Don't say the word 'homeschooling' Stop. OK?
Don't say the word 'homeschooling' out loud this week.
You have those moments when you go, "Oh, gosh, I haven't done anything, Don't say the word 'homeschooling' out loud this week.
You have those moments when you go, "Oh, gosh, I haven't done anything,
"I'm not teaching them, they're not learning."
And now you've received a letter that says,
"If you don't do it right,
"you're coming back here."
And it also says, like,
"You thought you got away. Look - fist is still here.
"We can still control you."
At the end of the day,
you have plenty of evidence
that shows you're doing the right thing for your kids.
Thank you. Go and have a rest,
Thank you. be with your beautiful kids,
and I'll see you soon.
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
(CRIES)
(QUIETLY) Oh, fuck.
I'm so scared.
Like, what if I fuck this up?
(KIDS YELL AT PLAY)
PENNY ALLMAN-PAYNE: I think it's fair to say that the education system
PENNY ALLMAN-PAYNE: I think it's fair is in crisis.
We've seen a consistent decline of student results.
We're also seeing attendance rates go down.
And we're seeing teachers leave the profession in droves.
And we're seeing teachers And for many of them it's because
you feel like you can't help the students in front of you.
This is certainly an issue
that's really close to my heart
as a teacher of nearly 30 years.
There will be some in society that will just say,
"The kids just need a kick in the pants to get to school." There will be some in society that will just say,
"The kids just need a kick in the pants to get to school."
All the kicking in the pants isn't going to make any difference
because the behaviour is out of the child's conscious control.
There were times during the inquiry
that I found listening There were times during the inquiry
that I found listening to the testimony really difficult.
that I found listening (CRIES) to the testimony really difficult.
(CRIES)
Would you like us to take a minute?
To know there are times when you've actually failed students Would you like us to take a minute?
To know there are times when you've actually failed students
because you haven't had a fuller understanding of the issue...
I think it's really difficult for a school education system because you haven't had a fuller understanding of the issue...
I think it's really difficult for a school education system
I think it's really difficult to understand that it causes trauma.
Right or wrong,
and no-one intentionally Right or wrong,
and no-one intentionally meant for that to happen,
and no-one intentionally but it has occurred.
We heard today that one in four students
has some sort of mental-health challenge.
You know, increasingly our classrooms are becoming more and more complex.
Meeting the needs of individual students You know, increasingly our classrooms are becoming more and more complex.
Meeting the needs of individual students
doesn't always have to be a complicated and expensive exercise.
What's clear is that there is no consistency
in how wellbeing and mental health is addressed
in schools and within curriculums.
We pretty much have a one-size-fits-all education system
We pretty much have at the moment.
You know, at the moment.
You know, this is the model of education
You know, that we had over 100 years ago.
The world is very different now.
Young people are very different now.
And, so, as long as we continue Young people are very different now.
And, so, as long as we continue to do education the way we are,
large numbers of students just sitting at desks in classrooms,
I think we're only going to see this problem increase.
The good news is that we know that there ARE things that work.
The good news is that we know Early intervention.
Smaller class sizes.
Flexible campuses.
Interest-led learning.
All of these things work
to engage young people and get them back in to education.
(BIRDS SQUAWK) to engage young people and get them back in to education.
(BIRDS SQUAWK)
Morning, Jack! How are you feeling?! It's great to see you!
Thanks for coming to school!
Good to see you.
Good morning, Harley!
Great to see you, mate!
Alright, let you in.
Oh, you've got a new backpack!
Is Matty there to open the gate for you?!
Morning, Fan! Morning, Daniel!
Welcome to school! Morning, Fan! Morning, Daniel!
Welcome to school! Thanks for coming in!
Morning! Hi, Jack!
Morning, Jack. Lovely to see you, mate.
Morning, Jack. Thanks for coming to school.
Oh, here comes Ethan.
Oh, Ethan's just walking up. Here comes Ethan!
Good morning, Ethan! Good morning.
Good morning, Ethan! So good to see you, mate!
Yeah. Looking forward to school?
Yeah. Yeah?
I've worked in alternative education for about 12 years.
I mean, I'm just deeply, deeply passionate I've worked in alternative education for about 12 years.
I mean, I'm just deeply, deeply passionate
about ensuring that every single child has access to an education.
Alright, we'll go this way.
We have 80 students enrolled.
We only have eight students per class.
So, we're incredibly lucky in terms of how we're resourced.
Alrighty! Good morning, Matty! How are you feeling?
And we do have a waitlist at the moment.
It is very large. Up to about 100 on the waitlist.
It is very large. (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Because what we do, I think, first and foremost
is create an environment of physical and emotional safety,
which really enables them to create the building blocks
that they need to succeed academically.
And no child can learn if they don't feel safe.
TEACHER: So, what sound are we listening for?
STUDENT: A. A.
STUDENT: A. R-ai-n.
Rain.
Who would like to come and do that?
Ethan, can you come and point to the sound?
A. That's right.
A. One sound. Good job.
Everyone say the sounds as you write them.
Everyone say the sounds When Ethan first started
he was quite low
in all areas of the curriculum.
in all areas You know, he couldn't read.
You know, quite low in Maths as well.
ALL: M-ay. May. W-ait. Wait.
You are quick, this morning, Eth. Good boy.
You are quick, this morning, Eth. TEACHER: He was afraid of work.
There was a fear of failure.
And that's actually common There was a fear of failure.
And that's actually common amongst many of our children
because they've experienced so much failure. And that's actually common amongst many of our children
because they've experienced so much failure.
He would literally beat himself up.
He would bite or pull his hair
and he would say, "I'm so dumb."
That's the thing that upset him most
was that he thought he was stupid.
Eth, can you collect these for me, was that he thought he was stupid.
Eth, can you collect these for me, please, darling?
Alright, excellent. Let's go!
Our goal is for them to be able to transition
Our goal is for them back into a mainstream school,
and we'll help him go down that path.
Can I have a go?
Bu-kaw!
I just patted a chicken!
ETHAN'S MUM: Ethan's attendance I just patted a chicken!
ETHAN'S MUM: Ethan's attendance attending mainstream school
ETHAN'S MUM: Ethan's attendance wasn't great.
The struggle started from grade prep.
The struggle started I actually went in one day
and observed I actually went in one day
and observed what was happening in the classroom
and I was just shocked with how he was treated from the others. and observed what was happening in the classroom
and I was just shocked with how he was treated from the others.
He was kind of pushed to the side.
So, instead of sitting there He was kind of pushed to the side.
So, instead of sitting there and writing a sentence
So, instead of sitting there like the other children were doing,
they just said, "Oh, just draw a picture."
It pushed him further and further away from being able to learn.
Good job, Seb. You can do a bit more.
He was becoming more and more disengaged.
So, he would go around, he would kick windows,
he would break things, he would throw things.
There were times where he even threatened to harm himself
There were times where he even because he didn't want to be there,
he didn't want to be around that environment anymore.
I refused to go to my old school he didn't want to be around that environment anymore.
I refused to go to my old school
because it wasn't safe for me.
I got bullied every day.
My old school made me feel like I was locked up in a cage.
You know how I used to say to you... Yeah.
..that everyone has to go to school when you used to fight back a lot?
..that everyone has to go to school Yeah.
And you used to say, "I don't want to go. I don't want to go."
And then after COVID it became harder, didn't it?
And then after COVID Yeah.
So, then it got to a point
where he was kind of, I suppose,
put in the too-hard basket in a sense, and...
..they said, "Well, we don't know what else to do."
I was really scared for his future.
You always imagine what your child can be when they get older,
and I was kind of at a point where I don't know where
he's going to be. (ETHAN WHISPERS)
How did you feel about going down the wrong path?
I felt like I wouldn't actually get a job when I get older.
I would be homeless, sleeping on the side of the road.
That's all.
What about now how do you feel?
I feel like I got hope. What about now how do you feel?
I feel like I got hope. I got more hope in myself.
(KIDS CHATTER AT PLAY)
The mainstream schooling system
just isn't designed to meet the needs of diverse children and young people.
And then how a student interprets that is "They don't want me here."
And, so, it sort of starts this cycle, I guess, of disengagement.
Then their risk of other pathways increases significantly.
Their risk of ending up in youth justice
with significant mental-health challenges.
And there's research to show that the cost of that
is far greater than the cost of just investing in a child's education,
even if it does cost more than the average student.
even if it does cost more (BANGING OUTSIDE)
I might need to go deal with that, Sascha.
If he goes, he'll really go, so, I might move you.
Have we locked the front door? Mm-hm.
Have we locked the front door? OK, cool.
Maybe just come out here because we might break a window.
I would love to just go out there and give him a really big hug
because sometimes what they're telling us they need in those moments
because sometimes what they're is just a little bit of extra care.
No matter what students do,
we know that's not a representation of who they are.
we know that's not a representation ETHAN: Hi.
TEACHER: Hi! Hi.
How are you? Good, thanks.
How are you? Billie's very excited to see you.
Is she nice and soft? Yeah.
So, dogs can't tell us with their words how they're feeling.
They can tell us more with their body.
They can tell us more ETHAN'S MUM: 'No Child Left Behind'
is definitely not a reality, I wouldn't say,
is definitely not a reality, because Ethan was left behind.
Billie, shake.
Ethan, you know, when he came here,
he couldn't read, couldn't write, couldn't do anything,
and now... I couldn't even spell my name!
and now... Couldn't even spell your name.
But now he's taking on board the learning that he has
to the point where he can go back to mainstream school next year.
I'm proud of myself.
Every child is worth something.
And they will bring that to society when they get older.
I mean, goodness knows what would've happened,
you know, if Ethan had not come here.
I have the urge to just scream into it.
Why would you do that? That is so weird.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Morning! How are you going? Hi.
So good. Loving life.
It's a wonderful day.
100%. 100%
100%. 110%, actually.
Hi, Christopher.
Morning, honey buns!
Hayley, would you like to bring your daily planner and a pen?
Alright. Welcome.
And we are halfway through week four.
It's week four? Mm.
It's week four? Damn. I knew that.
It's gone super quick. Damn. I knew that.
It's gone super quick. Yeah, I knew that.
Alright, I wanted to touch base with both of you
around what this term's project's going to be.
I'd really like to get all of these...
I've been going here... so, almost a full year.
I was very excited about starting here
because I didn't want to have to drop out of school.
I had, like, a massive plan for my future.
But then it was, like, all ripped away from me because I got unwell.
Here I got, like, a second chance, I guess. But then it was, like, all ripped away from me because I got unwell.
Here I got, like, a second chance, I guess.
We get to, like, personalise our space.
We get, like, a desk in, like, the wall.
Here I have a picture of a cow on a skateboard.
Here I have a picture (CHUCKLES)
It's very relaxed here.
You can, like, It's very relaxed here.
You can, like, just show up in pyjamas,
You can, like, which I have done a few times.
But we don't just come here and get to do whatever we want.
But we don't just come here We do actually have to do work.
Alrighty, so, in relation We do actually have to do work.
Alrighty, so, in relation to empirical reasoning,
you're looking at research in colour-theory experiments.
you're looking at research Do you have any sort of hypothesis
about what you think might be the outcome of that research?
Um...
We do project-based learning.
So, it's all based around my interests.
And we have to show that we've hit every part of the curriculum
in that project.
And I do love learning and it's helped me get back into that.
I'm just going to paint this term.
I really like realism. Yep.
Are there any different mediums you're thinking about exploring
or just painting this term? Clay?
Yeah.
Clay? Yeah, definitely.
At the start I would come for, like, Yeah, definitely.
At the start I would come for, like, a few hours a day
At the start I would come for, like, and not every day a week.
And now I show up pretty much every single day.
Next year. What?
Oh, yeah. For school.
It's only going to be, like, two weeks.
Well, in primary school I was in the top classes for everything,
Well, in primary school I was but I started getting depressed.
Like, Year 5 I started not going to school, and then I dropped down.
You're so weird. Oh, my God.
It kind of got worse.
I'd start having, like, a few weeks at a time off school.
Then last year, Year 9, my attendance was terrible.
It was at 7%.
I would just miss pretty much every single day.
I would just miss And I really wanted to get there,
but I couldn't get out of bed.
Most days I'd lie in my room,
like, just in my bed,
in the dark doing nothing.
And then I had my parents coming in, like, yelling at me,
And then I had my parents coming in, telling me that I'm lazy,
I'm not doing enough, I need to get out of bed.
I got the light turned on, like, the blinds opened,
the bed sheets pulled off, stuff like that.
Just going back to the start. Oops.
Um...
"Unjustified absence..."
"Your daughter has been marked absent from school."
"This episode is being recorded as unexplained or unjustified." "Your daughter has been marked absent from school."
"This episode is being recorded as unexplained or unjustified."
"Please explain this absence."
But you see, like, 21 November, 22 November, 23 November.
So, you're just getting it every day.
And I was thinking she was just being lazy at first.
And there were definitely times when I said to her,
"You just need to go to school because I need to go to work."
I was a single dad, two kids, you know,
and you're only human and sometimes, you know,
you lose your temper or you yell or, you know...
you lose your temper or you yell ..or, actually, which is worse -
a couple of times she seen me cry, and I think that's even worse
because then the guilt that she gets is a lot worse.
My school didn't react very well to it
and they started, like, threatening fining us and stuff like that
and "If you don't pay these fines,
"then you're going to have to go to court."
Yeah, I think they told us it was, like, a $10,000 or $11,000 fine.
I think they were trying to scare Hayley a little bit into
"You have yo come to school."
It put a lot of pressure on us,
because we were then trying to push her, "You just have to turn up."
Like, "You have to show you're trying."
I just wanted to focus on getting better
and getting better enough to want to live.
But I couldn't because school was such a big pressure.
And she sort of said, "I just can't do it. I can't get out of bed."
And she started telling me why
with a lot of tears because we'd had a big fight.
And then all of a sudden I'm like, "Oh, my God, this is depression."
You know, I'm a mental-health nurse by trade
and I've done mental-health nursing for years.
I couldn't believe I hadn't picked up on it.
So, that's when we got psychologists
and eventually a psychiatrist and all that sort of thing.
But it took a long time.
To the school's credit, we started talking to the deputy principal,
To the school's credit, we started and she was excellent,
so, she put a plan in place and she was excellent,
so, she put a plan in place with Hayley,
and she said, "Oh, no, you're doing everything that you need to do,
and she said, "Oh, no, you're doing "there's no way you get fined."
I found out she was cutting herself.
So, I saw some scratches to start with on her arms.
But then she started really prolifically cutting.
That crushing weight of having to be at school
really made it hard, you know.
Having a child...
..doing that to themselves is really hard,
and working in the industry, knowing what the outcomes can be...
You know, we don't report youth suicide rates for a good reason,
You know, we don't report youth but they're huge.
So...
You know, I think most people think, "Oh, no, that can never happen."
I know it does, so...
..that...that was very hard.
Ah, yeah, well, she'll be coming out in about two minutes.
It's nice being able to come and pick her up from school
It's nice being able and, yeah, have her attending.
And I can see a future for her well and truly because of this school.
Hi! Bottle's about to fall out!
Oh, did you get your results back for your tests?
Minimum standards? Yeah, the minimum standards.
Yeah. I got four in both of them, which is the highest mark.
Yeah. I got four in both of them, Oh, you got... Oh, excellent.
Bye! OTHERS: Bye!
You could say that, yes, there's a lot more money spent on these kids,
You could say that, yes, there's a I suppose, for this special school.
It's a hell of a lot more money if she goes to hospital.
E, A, D, G, C. Oh, yeah, E...
If schools like this can help get kids well
and they're productive members of society,
and they're productive members that's really good.
I know Hayley hates the term 'school refusal'.
And I agree with her.
You know, she was never refusing to go to school.
You know, she was never refusing She just couldn't do it.
My attendance is at 85% now.
I feel very optimistic about my future.
I know I'm going to be a psychologist.
I know I'm going to get a little cottage house
and have two cats and a dog
and a bird
and hopefully a goat.
Yay!