Pacifying Perspectives

Hashtag Kalakar
Nov 8
21 min read

By Laura Marie Wingate

General Comments

As YANQ has mentioned, the reason for the Education and Training Reform for the Future (ETRF) is because the current education model is not working as well as it should. YANQ has proposed a range of responses to the ETRF, especially the need for alternative education. YANQ advocates for and with the young people of Queensland. In doing so, it presents an excellent proposition that reflects the most accurate needs of the young people it represents. This ideal model is a long way from the current model that, based on the feedback from young people, is destroying their chances of success in Queensland.

YANQ recognises that the availability of alternative schools for every young person is unrealistic. It proposes, instead, a compromise that alternative schools be available for more young people than are currently receiving them. It also proposes that a more contemporary model be available to young people who access mainstream schools. A contemporary model is one that breaks down the British system of warehouses so that there is a vast reduction in punishment, regimentation, and hierarchies. A model that also reflects more closely “What are schools for?” and a model that more favourably welcomes the views of young people themselves.

4. The strengths model

What is required, then, is a model that focuses on guidance instead of punishment, collaboration instead of regimentation, and teamwork instead of hierarchies. There is a model that has been used in the community sector and alternative education for years, which will also work well in mainstream schools. In fact, there has been a shift toward this model for new graduate primary teachers. Sadly, however, this model is not yet available in all classes, in all schools, because of its conflict with the current culture of schools.

Currently, the treatment model is being used in schools. There is a growing push toward the strengths model being more appropriate for the success of our future students.

Treatment model – Educating young people to follow rules, comply with laws, and conform to society expectations; regardless of their circumstances, views or lifestyles.

Strengths model – Educating young people to be autonomous about making good and lawful decisions; use initiative to find the necessary information so they are informed to make good decisions; and reflective so they can evaluate the effectiveness of their decision for further reference.

The strengths model is more appropriate because it more closely reflects our changing society.

5. Implications

Our society has a culture of change, diversity, and forward movement. No education system can prepare all young people for all possible rules, laws, and situations. It is inevitable that young people will have to make their own decisions and evaluate those decisions independently throughout their life. In fact, even primary school children in our society are requiring these skills.

Any reform costs a substantial amount of money. That is why it is so vital that adequate guidance, collaboration, and teamwork are invested into ensuring that successful outcomes result. It becomes unbearably costly when a reform does not reflect the needs of its investors. Further reform and change to repair the damage of the initial reform and change create a great deal more cost than simply financial expenditure.

The concept of guidance, collaboration, and teamwork are necessary for our changing society. Nevertheless, a change that hands over a degree of control, decision-making, and rights is quite daunting for those who are used to their position of power and management. The reform will require an element of risk no matter what outcomes are proposed. Reviewable systems of risk management, recording outcomes, and strategic plans will be essential in reducing the pitfalls that are characteristic of anything new. It should be emphasised, however, that remaining completely open-minded as to the real needs of our young people and comprehending accurate implementation, implications, and inclusiveness are paramount for a successful reform.

6. The benefits

The strengths model breeds growth and assists young people to reach their full potential. The treatment model, in contrast, stifles human development in a wide range of developmental areas. For a brief scope, the strengths model benefits human development by

Providing a strong chance that young people will attain the skills to adapt to a changing world that they may have otherwise never received, because they may not learn these skills from the family or their community.

Fosters coping skills

Giving young people the opportunity to experience a range of subjects at their own level, which provides support in acquiring multiple intelligences. Young people are then able to grasp their identity in relation to many aspects so they can best succeed in a global world. Fosters Gardner’s multiple intelligences
Presenting an avenue for teachers to facilitate students’ familiarity with their unique skills, abilities and interests. They are then able to direct their learning to best prepare themselves for the future.

Fosters self-development

Accommodating the balance between eastern, western, and aboriginal spiritual approaches, and encourages the inclusion of these cultural beliefs in everyday learning.

Fosters cross-cultural dimensions

Inviting young people to reflect on why they think a certain way, to evaluate their thinking, and provoke a change in their thinking that more closely reflects their core values and beliefs.

Fosters meta-cognition

Maintaining trust for care-providers (including teachers) and care-environments (including schools), autonomy, initiative, and industry are necessary before young people can develop identity in school.

Fosters Erickson’s stages of emotional development

Encouraging participation and enjoyment in the school environment may encourage participation and enjoyment in extra-curricular activities such as sport and recreation.

Fosters physical participation and development

Presenting a learning environment that invites group discussions and team research projects, instead of an autocratic classroom, promotes the maturation of a range of social skills.

Fosters social development

Discussing topics as a group increases vocabulary and understanding of language.

Fosters language development

Facilitating intellectual abilities, knowledge acquisition, novel thinking, tolerance of ambiguity, intrinsic task-focused motivation, and a supportive environment that are necessary for creativity.

Fosters Sternburg & Lubert’s confluence approach to creativity

Supporting the attainment of self-esteem and high achievement.

Fosters Maslow’s needs for motivation

Providing young people with the skills to understand why things are the way they are, how to accept circumstances for what they are, and how to move forward with the most suitable action.

Fosters problem solving

7. The problem with problem solving

A suitable action is one that creates a win-win solution. That is, one that has the most positive outcomes for all involved and does not cause any harm. This approach requires a range of skills, especially in cognition. A problem solver needs to

Identify the options
Predict the consequences
Weigh the pros and cons
Justify the response
Evaluate the outcomes

This problem-solving model is very common throughout life, and most of us would be familiar with it. Ironically, young people are given very few opportunities to practice this model within the autocratic classroom.

The challenge with this model is not memorizing the components of the model, but instead applying the model within the real context of everyday life. It is easy to know that options need to be identified. It becomes much more complex when given a challenging issue and having to consider all viable options.

Many issues, especially those that disadvantaged young people face, do not have simple or obvious answers. It is imperative that young people have a sound understanding of the social, political, cultural, environmental, legal, community, and familial contexts that are related to the decisions that they make. Without an understanding of these contexts it is all but impossible for young people to make successfully sound decisions that consider all options.

In addition to requiring an understanding of these complex contexts, a range of environmental issues impact on many young people that make it even more difficult to make thorough decisions. These environmental influences include low-income levels and poverty, lack of parental support, dysfunctional family support, homelessness, racism and discrimination, violence, and ethnic or cultural differences.

These environmental influences alone make it essential that young people develop an understanding of the complex context in their lives. To add to this complexity, however, is that it is because of these environmental influences that young people often do not attain the understanding of these complex contexts. There is a range of reasons for this

They usually do not learn about complex contextual issues at home because their parents usually have not held a strong grasp of them and so cannot pass this knowledge onto the young people
Due to the high levels of stress, the young people have a range of stressful issues going on in their personal life and so their scope of focus is usually limited to what they already know. These young people are unlikely to consider complex contexts with which they are not familiar – let alone deliberately extend the scope of their perception to include learning about new contextual issues

FOOD FOR THOUGHT – to grasp an understanding of why young people do not consider complex contexts when they are stressed, think of a time when you were highly stressed. Perhaps you have been made redundant or bankrupt, or a close family member has died. During these times, do you remember being focused on your own feelings and perceptions and limited in your ability to consider the thoughts of others, had less interest in social or political issues, and especially had less interest in the views of those who instigated the stressful situation (i.e. the boss, the debt collector, or (for example) the car that hit your close family member and caused death?

Imagine if in this situation you did not have the skills to cope. You did not know where to go for support, and did not have any personal resources such as money, housing, or personal confidence to get you through this situation. The reality is you would still be grappling with it.

Young people need access to skills and resources to cope. Knowledge is power. That is why it is so vital that their schooling address these coping necessities.

Most decisions that young people with high needs make affect their very survival. Issues such as health, housing, safety, food, income, and identity. They are decisions that provoke high degrees of stress for these young people on a continual basis. Young people are not in a position to take their time to make decisions. They have generally learnt to quickly react to situations, instead of pro-actively addressing situations, so that they can push away the effects of stress. They are usually fixed into this pattern of thinking because it has become their coping strategy. They have not learnt of other more effective ways to respond to the high levels of stress in their lives. Especially due to the restrictions imposed by their disadvantage and environmental influences. It is very difficult for them to break these patterns of thinking. In fact, it is difficult for them to even consider doing so.
These young people, in addition to their stress and reactive thinking, constantly experience oppression and punishment for their behaviours and decisions. Even when young people are doing their best to conform to society’s norms, if they make a decision that does not reflect Australian cultural values and laws, they regularly receive rigid judgement and harsh ridicule from others. It is no surprise that these young people develop hopelessness, resentment, anarchy, and alienation.
Constantly being oppressed or punished, despite their efforts, causes reactions of anger, violence, alienation, and resistance.
Once the effects of oppression and punishment set in, the young people are generally not open to new ways of thinking, new educational models, and new avenues of support. They, characteristically, reject ‘treatment model interventions’ from professionals such as psychologists and government workers (especially correctional counsellors, police, family service officers, and Centerlink staff). The reason for this rejection, according to their responses, is very clear and consistent. These young people have constantly been told how they are wrong and different. They receive the message that they need to change to fit into others’ preconceived ideas. They feel misunderstood and unaccepted by professionals that enforce the treatment model, and so they respond the only way they can - with refusal to cooperate.

The focus comes back to preventing this attitude from developing. We all know that prevention is better than cure.

8. Modelling the model

The way to prevent young people from developing this attitude toward professionals in our society is to provide a culture in school that welcomes diversity, encourages strengths, and invites relevance to young people.

Emphasizing independent thinking early in the schooling years, fostering students to select topics of relevance to them, and researching those topics independently but with teacher support and guidance, will be an essential strategy for ensuring Queensland remains at the brink of success within the global context.

Adapting the teachers’ role to be one of supporting students’ independent projects and linking lessons to be relevant to developmental levels and research topics will ensure that students are receiving relevant education that engages them in active learning.

Instead of an English lesson about nouns being taught for its own sake, the teacher may ask the students why nouns are important, and ask them to comment on the nouns they are using in their projects. Inquiry (math, science and social science) subjects should also link to how these concepts apply in real life situations.

The role of the teacher shifts from being an expert to one of a facilitator of learning. It reduces some of the pressures that teachers face, and provides more potential to assist students’ individual scope.

Assessment would then be linked to the quality of their independent projects in relation to their developmental level (school grade), and the student’s ability to understand the relevance of the project in terms of the wider context of Australian society. For example, a grade one student may do a project on birds and reflect “birds live in our trees and sing pretty songs and fly and make nests and feed their babies worms”. In contrast, a grade twelve student may research the effect that privatisation of corporate business (such as Telstra) has on the global position of Australia. Their research may include the characteristics of privatisation, and critique some of the major economic, social, legal and political effects of privatisation.

Exams and oral presentations would bear less importance in secondary education, and almost no relevance in primary school years. The reason for these assessment styles is memory recall and analysis (exams), and impromptu speaking and confidence in public speaking (oral presentations). These skills will be developed in other activities during school, and can then be encouraged and fine tuned later in the senior and tertiary years of education when the relevance, purpose, scope, and necessity of these skills becomes increasingly evident to the student.

9. “What are schools for?”

Let’s look at how the strengths model is relevant to the purpose of our schools. In addition to enhancing young peoples’ development, facilitating problem solving, and engaging young people in active learning, it also has the potential to better address what our schools are for than the current model. In YANQ’s publication (2003) titled “What are schools for?” they clarified the most important needs for education. These needs have been listed below, along with an indication of how effectively each model of education addresses these needs.

Education need	Treatment model	Strengths model
To provide students with skills they need to get jobs or get into uni	Limited	Strong
To educate students about Australia and Australian culture, so that they can live successfully in this society	Limited	Strong
To pass on knowledge for its own sake	Strong	Strong
To teach tolerance, understanding and social skills	Sound	Strong
To teach children how to learn, so that they can continue learning their whole lives	Limited	Strong
To reproduce the values of Australian society (so that as children become adults they share the common values of the society)	Strong	Sound
To provide a place where young people are safe while adults are working	Strong	Strong
To teach young people how to interact in groups	Sound	Strong
To provide social networks and support for young people	Sound	Strong

Based on this table, the strengths model has a greater potential of addressing our education needs than the treatment model.

10. Uncovered ground?

There is always anxiety and risk involved in introducing something new, especially when it relates to the education and employment success of our future leaders. Fortunately, this model is not new. It has been used by

Community workers and counsellors in a professional context
Friends and family in a social context
Innovative teachers in an educational context
Corporate business managers when motivating workers in a workplace context
Informing people about impacts & actions needed in an environmental context
Bringing people together to do common good in a social context
Parents and caregivers in a family context
Leaders prior to major decisions and elections in a political context

So how does this model work again?

By joining a group together, asking them to select an agenda that is relevant to them, research that agenda, record the research of that agenda, and then reflect on how that research is applied to the wider context. Simultaneously, giving the group of people the information, skills and experience they need to successfully research and evaluate their agenda.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT – To clarify, here is an example of how this model may be used successfully by a young person with friends or family in a social context.

Select agenda – buying shoes

Research – going to shops and looking at the styles, brands, costs & qualities of shoes

Recording research – Making a mental note of which shoes to buy

Wider context – Deciding how to pay for the shoes when they only receive about

$100 - $200 a week on Youth Allowance, and they also need to afford more essential living costs such as rent, food and transport. For most young people with high needs, finding the money for shoes from their Youth Allowance is like extracting blood out of a stone.

Given the odds of making a successful decision, imagine the consequences when young people have not learnt this model at all.

If this is the model we use in everyday society, the model we need to effectively succeed in everyday society, then why is it we are not taught this model during our schooling? It is evident that it is because we are taught this model in society, and not in school, that there is such a huge gap between the social classes in our society. Only some of us, who are taught these skills in our family and social networks, ever attain the skills to succeed in employment and training. No wonder there are at least 10 000 15 to 17 year olds who leave school early. They realise that they are not getting any essential life skills from their education, so they decide to engage their learning in ways that will give them the skills they need to succeed. Unfortunately, these early school leavers have already received a masquerade that prevents them from accessing these skills in the community, and so they are unlikely to receive them at all. As a result they fail to engage successfully within Australian society, which creates a range of social and economic issues that must be addressed.

Again, the focus comes back to preventing this situation from developing. We all know that prevention is better than cure.

11. Learn, earn or yearn

There is invested interest in the “learn or earn” approach. Young people who are engaged in education or employment offer a range of social, economic, legal and environmental benefits for our society. As discussed, however, this is not only unfavourable for young people; it is a highly unfeasible approach if the culture and model of our education stays the same.

The strengths model has the potential to engage more young people in learning or earning because they have access to a greater range of relevant and achievable skills and knowledge. Also, the strengths model invites a culture of lateral thinking, where young people can explore new attainable training and employment options where the lack of jobs in Queensland has failed them. Young people can continue to dream and aspire toward more creative employment options because their education and training prepare them with the knowledge and skills they require to successfully yearn and receive outcomes.

There is a range of benefits related to employment options for young people if the strengths model is implemented.

Young people are able to learn to make their own informal decisions, and can thus facilitate their own career pathways that link to a range of education, training and employment options.
Fostering group learning and peer mentoring instead of autocratic classrooms allow reinforcement of learning, meta-cognition, reflection of views, explaining what one has learnt, applying learning to real life situations, and a range of social skills that are required in employment.
Offers young people the skills and knowledge to take up a wider range of existing jobs because they will have received exposure to a more flexible variety of learning strategies, work conditions, social skills, and independent task orientation.
For young people who do not see themselves fitting into the “learn or earn” rigid plan, they may develop the lateral thinking skills and pro-active strategies required to create sustainable options with long term benefits.
Skills in small business and entrepreneurship fit comfortably with this model, and provide an avenue for young people to attain skills in creating their own employment opportunities.
The new model enables students to independently develop the skills they need to maintain employment, including
Good reading and writing skills
Computer literacy
Relating well to others in a formal interactive environment so that any bullying, violence or harassment can be addressed and redirected
‘Learning on the job’
‘People skills’ with teachers, class mates, project teams
An understanding of how their work fits into the bigger picture
An understanding of how to work best with teachers, class mates, project teams, and school environmental constraints
The ability to predict change in an industry or organisation if they follow one in particular through a series of grades or project topics
The ability to cope emotionally with more chaotic working life, with several changes in topics, so that they are more readily prepared for changes in work conditions and career changes

12. The bigger picture

Additional benefits of the strengths model to the school include

Encouraging young people to stay in school for longer periods. It may also encourage young people to attain more formal training or employment options because they have the skills and a positive attitude about education and training.
Shifting the culture of education from the outdated historical model to one that suits our changing economy.
Inviting an outcome based approach instead of a focus on grades and competing with other students for high marks. Students are then able to concentrate on their own personal growth and achievements instead of whether they “pass or fail”.
Reducing the chance of young people leaving school prior to year ten. This model fosters inclusive, quality and flexible education, which are essential components for preventing early school leavers.
Increasing autonomy and initiative in the school culture, by encouraging students to research their own subject matter in a depth that reflects their developmental level, and by applying inquiry (math, science and social science) concepts in a manner that is utilised in the real world. School becomes interesting, un-intimidating and relevant so that young people no longer have to change to fit into the system because the education model accommodates complex individuals with a range of diverse needs.
Providing an independent learning environment that offers more opportunity for the teacher to spend one-on-one time with students. It is a more cost effective solution than smaller class sizes (although smaller class sizes would still be ideal).
Presenting an education model that accommodates complexity and diversity across Queensland schools, and reduces the volume of need for alternative education options. While it has been mentioned that the issues of high need groups of young people are outside the scope of this paper, it is relevant to mention that if a more appropriate education model is used in mainstream schools, it is likely to reduce the need for alternative models for at least some of the 10 000 15 to 17 year olds that are currently disengaged in education or training across Queensland. Therefore, alternative education can focus more on the young people with the highest need.
Peer tutoring and group learning also provide a means to support learning so that teachers can spend their time with the students who require the most support.
The reduced likelihood that feelings of alienation develop; because young people feel included, accepted, competent and engaged in relevant active learning.
The possibility of ‘District Youth Achievement Plans’ identifying project topics that are relevant to young people in a given area. It may be required that during the year each student selects at least one topic from the district plan. If a district plan is to be greatly more structured than this, it is recommended that a steering committee of young people from each district consult with the regional committee to develop the plan.
Documentation of project topics and inquiry (math, science and social science) applications on the senior certificate may be recorded as well as grades for the subjects that the student successfully completes.
Documentation of other achievements, such as sporting achievements, work history, and community leadership may be recorded to better represent each student’s engagement in learning. This approach takes the focus further away from passing or failing of traditional subjects, and onto the personal achievements and unique growth of each student. Providing, therefore, a more accurate portfolio to assist employers to make more suitable selections of employees.
Presenting an opportunity for teachers to demonstrate to students ways of recording their learning so young people can make decisions about how to put together their own ‘Youth Achievement Plan’ that truly reflects their unique skills and achievements.

Additional benefits of the strengths model to the wider context include

The strengths model will work well with the model that YANQ provided in Figure 1 of their publication “Implementation, Implications, Inclusiveness” (Zgryza, 2002: 11). Both models provide the flexibility and adaptability that is essential for effective collaboration between the Education Sector, Youth Sector, and Training, Industry and Employment sector.
While young people stay at school, under this model they not only have a greater likelihood of attaining access to employment and training options, but they also have access to obtain the skills they need to become integrated members of the wider community. They have access to skills they are unlikely to receive at home or from their community. With these skills, they can rise above a lifetime of poverty and then offer these skills and the increased standards of living to their own families.
By reducing ‘unemployable’ young people, it reduces the percentage of young people who are likely to be at risk of entering the welfare cycle. As a result, generational poverty may become unsustained for these young people.
Reducing the levels of stress that young people have at school is likely to reduce youth suicide and self-harm because school stress has been identified as a high causal factor.
In Zgrgza’s paper titled Ensuring the Health and Wellbeing of Queensland’s Young People – Response from YANQ to the Smart State: Health 2020 Discussion Paper (2002) he listed a range of recommendations. Out of 27 suggested strategies derived from the recommendations to increase education/awareness, training, and organisational capacity of health issues in schools that were not specific to CALD, rural areas or alternative schooling, this approach addresses 25 of these. That means addressing 96% of health issues for the general youth population with one strategy. It may also begin to reduce the impact of health needs for high need groups of young people, by providing a means for sustainable outcomes that address the causes of some of these high needs.
As a way of identifying change and acknowledging young people’s rights in Queensland schools, the strengths model presents an avenue for these changes and rights to be the norm of school culture. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of self-expression and freedom from physical violence. Increasing identity, assertion and respect in young people also reduces the risk of sexual assaults in schools, and increases the ability for young people to voice their rights in the event of abuse.
Successful collaboration with community-based workers is probable because the thinking patterns, environments, attitudes, and cultures of schools will more closely reflect those of community-based workers. Thus, the young people receiving support will possibly be more prepared and receptive to the support they receive from both the school and the community-based workers. Faster, more focused, and cost-effective outcomes are likely to result.
By providing skills for employment and training, and access to human services in schools there are substantial long term cost benefits so funding can be made available to maintaining effective services to young people.
With funding saved, youth services and staff training will be more readily accessible. The funds can be allocated for compulsory education on specific youth issues such as suicide and self-harm, performance art processes, preventative programs, and recreation.
Young people are more likely to want to be engaged in education or training, and therefore not find themselves in a position where they are not eligible for Youth Allowance. Being ineligible for income support not only presents poverty for many young people, but it also reinforces attitudes of disengagement, alienation, resentment, and resistance toward government services.
Fostering young people’s ability to access healthcare, social and political rights, and equality. While maintaining this access for all young people will still require the support of social practice, policy reforms, and dedicated youth workers; the strengths model goes a long way to assist young people to access services.
Community based workers are so vital to the successful engagement of young people in school because high achievement occurs after young people have a sense of security and their basic needs (food, clothing, health and housing) met.
Once basic and security needs are met, engaging young people in education and training is valuable because it increases their sense of belonging somewhere, increases their knowledge base and sense of power, and increases their sense of achievement. Belonging, power and achievement are vital needs that motivate success. They are necessary before full potential can be reached. It is paramount to clarify, however, that this value is only maintained if the young person who is engaged views the education and training as relevant and meaningful. Again, a steering committee of young people bears importance here.
There is opportunity and encouragement for young people to learn in a variety of ways, to explore a range of learning styles, and to become proficient in the learning styles most suited to the learner. Offering this range of learning styles acknowledges young people’s rights, diversity, and intellectual capabilities. It also offers increased potential to contribute to a global economy.
Making a deliberate and welcoming change to education reinforces that the historical effects of our schools are not favourable. This marks the celebration for a deliberate and welcoming change in attitudes that uniforms, regimentation, punishment, and hierarchies are not needed for schools to work. Schools will instead facilitate guidance, collaboration, and teamwork; so they become inclusive, relevant and meaningful environments for all young people.

In contrast, by not acknowledging rights, diversity, and intellectual capabilities, schools become environments where young people identify antipathy and distrust. Not only does this prevent young people from reaching their full potential and provoke early school leaving or underachieving; but it also influences the identification of fear, antipathy and distrust in other areas of their lives. Common examples include complying with Centrelink law, police orders, and youth justice statutory guidelines. These are especially linked because the workers who govern these legal requirements reflect the same unfriendly treatment model characteristics that young people received at school. Ironically, the powers exerted by these government workers under the relevant laws reinforce the young person’s fear, antipathy and distrust instead of facilitating a perception of assistance to the young person. In addition, the exertion of power provokes a response of anger, violence, alienation, and resistance instead of cooperation and motivation to change.

If for no other reason than this one, reforming the treatment model is uncompromising simply because a cure is unfathomed - the damage has already been done.

13. Conclusion

Although a reform of this size is certain to bear considerable costs, the long term outcomes of the strengths model are likely to go a long way in reducing early school leavers, disengaged young people, ‘unemployable’ young people, and resistance to community involvement and government services. As this is the smart state, it is paramount that viable solutions be made to reform the effects of an unsuitable education model. The question becomes

How can we afford not to?