Everyone seems to think exclusion is the end of the world. Students say ‘this is it’ or ‘I’m out’. Teachers warn students they’ve ruined their lives. But it’s not true. You can still make it outside of mainstream school. For many people, being kicked out of school helps them turn their life round. If you’re out of school or feel you’re on your way out, you can still get educated. Here’s some of the things you can do and some of places you get an education from.
Many people go to a PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) when they first leave school. Every PRU is different and a lot depends on your attitude when you join. If you don’t want to get educated, then there’s usually someone to mess around with. But if you do, there’s support for you. The teachers at PRUs can give you loads of help with your work. They won’t have the aggressive or negative attitude your teachers had at school.

There are alternative centres of mainstream education where you can get almost as many GCSEs as at mainstream schools. And it’s in an environment which is more relaxed and not full of rules. You might go to one of these centres if you don’t go to another mainstream school after being excluded. You can often get some really great support from the people who work at these centres and really do well in your ‘core’ subjects of English, Maths and Science.

If lots of GCSEs are not for you, there are a variety of job training centres for young people out of school. At these centres, you can learn the skills for a practical, paid job - you could train to be a mechanic or a plumber or a builder, for example.

If GCSEs and A-Levels are for you, but you can’t stand being in any kind of school – even in alternative education centres – then there are a growing number of web-based education schemes which can help you get the qualifications you want. Nisai Virtual Learning is a great example of this and is being used by people of all ages. Check out Nisai for more details. Virtual Learning can be a great way to learn without the frustrations and boredom of school. Some young people completely turn around there academic ability when they are in a virtual envirmonment away from the critical attention of some teachers in school. Nisai is rapidly expanding because it’s so popular. Even if you go to an alternative education centre with ordinary teachers, you might find they’re using it as well. Some people, with the help of their families, educate themselves at home – for information on home education try clicking .

The conclusion is that exclusion does not equal life failure. It can damage some people’s future prospects but that’s because these people cannot get over it. Out of mainstream school, there are plenty of ways of getting the qualifications or job you want. Some students completely turn their lives around after exclusion. There are plenty of alternative places to go to learn, to train for work and to make the future much better than the past.

Tom Sawbridge