Life Without Barriers joined the Doing School Differently conference to highlight educational opportunities and pathways for children and young people.
Image: Anthony Raitman, Steven Mead, Nicole Pulsford, Jane French, Michelle Murray, and Dale Murray at the Life Without Barriers stall.
Life Without Barriers was a major sponsor at the 2024 Australian Association for Flexible and Inclusive Education (AAFIE) Doing School Differently conference held on the lands of the Turrbul and the Jagera peoples, the Traditional Custodians of Meanjin (Brisbane).
This is the fourth time AAFIE has delivered the Doing School Differently conference, showcasing the innovations that are developed locally in support of education as a fundamental right for all children and young people.
“When we held the first ever Doing School Differently conference in Melbourne in 2016, we had no idea how much interest there would be,” said Professor Kitty te Riele, Co-Chair of AAFIE.
“It turns out that Doing School Differently has been welcomed with open arms.”
Image: Co-chair of AAFIE Prof. Kitty te Riele, Uni of Tasmania and Megan Hall at the Doing School Differently conference.
The conference brought together multidisciplinary educators, social, mental health and wellbeing, cultural, arts, and outdoor learning professionals, researchers, academics, and young people came together to celebrate, listen, network, and learn.
This year’s program was rich and diverse, including six keynote presentations from respected national and international speakers, and over 70 local presentations and workshops.
Each presentation demonstrated the ways in which flexible and alternative education programs and approaches are leading the necessary change to ensure students can engage and succeed in learning outside of traditional education systems.
Image: Steven Mead, Phi Theodoros, Nicole Pulsford, and Anthony Raitman at the Life Without Barriers stall at the AAFIE Doing School Differently Conference.
At the conference, Jane French spoke to the Life Without Barriers Education and Learning Strategy 2023-2025 and highlighted our commitment to uplifting the educational outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC).
“To reach their learning potential, through individualised focused strategies alongside the CYF workforce and carers is our aim,” said Jane.
Image: Melinda Clarke presenting on stage at the Doing School Differently conference.
Our Education and Learning Strategy provides an example of our work from birth to post-school, with an emphasis on four focus areas: Lifelong Learners, Confident Caregivers, Purposeful Partnerships and Responsive Organisation.
"The conference offered an excellent opportunity to showcase our work and highlight the important work of the carers of children and young people in OOHC,” said Dale Murray, Executive Director of Education, Life Without Barriers, and Co-Chair of AAFIE.
“Our presence at the conference as a major sponsor recognised that many children and young people in OOHC require support to maintain connection to education."
“I was so pleased that Life Without Barriers demonstrated such commitment to the conference and can report only positive responses to the Learning Without Barriers Education strategy."
Image: Dale Murray presenting on stage at the Doing School Differently conference.
Life Without Barriers’ presence at the conference did not end there. Other presentations included:
Supporting the educational outcomes for young people in OOHC with Lorna Genoud, Education Consultant.
Transforming Lives through Culturally Responsive Education and Yarning Circle, Truth Telling with Clea North, Education Consultant.
Don’t judge a book by its cover with Megan Hall, Education and Learning Projects Lead.
Let’s talk about sex, with Melinda Clarke, Manager, Child Safe Organisation.
Musical Moments for Collective Effervescence, with Phi Theodoros, Lead Resident Artist.
Sponsor stall hosted by the Brisbane Child, Youth, and Family team.
Image: Grant Williams, Clea North, Helen Halse, Donna Mincham, Marden Abdulla, and Emma Meale, standing as a group, smiling at the camera at the Doing School Differently Conference.
Presenter at the conference and Education Consultant, Clea North is a proud Aboriginal woman and descendent of the Mithaka and Gunggari people of south-west Queensland. Clea shared her thoughts on the yarning circles she facilitated.
“The importance of decolonising our systems, our practices, and our information sharing is so critical,” Clea shared.
“Having the opportunity to create a yarning circle at an education conference not only decolonises the way we impart and share knowledge, it also gives participants the experience and permission to do the same."
“The change we want to see in our education system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children isn’t about 'me' or 'I' and what I know, it is about 'we' and 'us' and what we can do together."
Image: Grant Williams and Clea North facilitating a yarning circle.
Clea also led discussions about the importance of culturally responsive education.
“Explicitly naming and speaking about racism, particularly the entrenched systemic and institutional racism in our country, is the first conversation we need to have to create culturally safe and responsive education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff, parents and carers,” Clea said.
“From there, we can begin to identify that the problem is not the ability, the intelligence or the motivation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait students, it is in fact systems that continue to oppress them and deny them equitable futures.”
Image: Steven Mead and Nicole Pulsford at the Life Without Barriers stall.
Across the country, approximately 70,000 children and young people are participating in alternative forms of education, including flexible and alternative schools. These schools and programs provide space for young people who find mainstream school challenging and opportunities to craft learning to their individual needs.
The Doing School Differently conference is the continuation of something very special in the education landscape, at a time when our systems are facing increasing challenges to meet the learning needs of children and young people nationally.
Life Without Barriers is proud to have been a part of Doing Schools Differently and our continued collaboration with the sector to improve educational opportunities and pathways for children and young people.
