Toogoolawa Schools are an alternative provider of education for boys aged 9-14 years who have dropped out of, or are no longer welcome in, mainstream schooling.
Three Schools currently exist in Ormeau, Queensland; Wickham, New South Wales; and Hastings, Victoria.
The Schools are registered with their respective state governments and the curriculum is based on the Department of Education requirements; however the emphasis in not so much on academic achievement but more on the development of good character.
The Toogoolawa model is unique to the Schools and has been designed to revolve around the five universal Human Values of Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Non-violence. The practice of ‘mindfulness meditation’ is central to the functioning of all Toogoolawa Schools.
In the eleven years of Toogoolawa’s operations, over 350 students have gone through the Schools. Of these, about one third of the boys have integrated back into mainstream schooling. Others enter traineeships or TAFE courses. Around 85% of the students leave Toogoolawa and take on some form of work or study.
The commitment of each teacher to become an ideal role model for the five Human Values is what seems to make the Toogoolawa model so effective. |
