The Education Review Office has concluded that online learning is not appropriate for at-risk students enrolled at Te Kura, which has enrolled 6000 of the country's 8000-plus 12 to 16-year-olds in alternative education.
In a report published on Tuesday, ERO said vulnerable students "need consistent adult contact, stability, and close supervision - supports that online or distance models cannot reliably provide". The review found online learning "cannot provide the same immediate, relationship-based engagement available in face-to-face settings, leaving many students without the support they need".
Over half of students in Te Kura's Engagement and Wellbeing gateway reported mental health issues as their motivation for enrolling. Yet students need only submit one piece of work per month to remain enrolled, and under the non-returners process they can stay on the roll for 3 months following a single submission.
One teacher told ERO that "students who can't learn in a classroom can probably not learn alone either". Another said there was "no requirement for 'teachers' to actually teach. We are markers first, and teachers only if we volunteer our time".
Te Kura chief executive Te Rina Leonard said the school shares ERO's worry about increasing numbers of young people leaving mainstream schooling. She said Te Kura is the only option for alternative education offering the complete curriculum and multiple qualification routes: "Re-engaging students in learning is often the first step. Our responsibility is to help them rebuild confidence, reconnect with learning, and progress towards meaningful educational outcomes and qualifications."
Leonard backed ERO's recommendation for enhanced early intervention in regular schools, saying "the best outcome is for young people to receive support before disengagement becomes entrenched".