In 1999 the Ministry of Education developed the alternative education initiative to cater for students who were excluded from mainstream schools. International research had shown that students who did not attend mainstream schools were more likely to have increased health, education and social issues. With this in mind the Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG) undertook to survey alternative education schools in Auckland and Northland in 2000. The survey not only yielded valuable information on the health and wellbeing of the 268 students who completed the survey in 36 alternative education schools but also provided the AHRG with the opportunity to pilot test the questionnaire and equipment designed for use in the first of the national secondary school surveys conducted in 2001.

Funder: The study was funded by the AIMHI Consortium.

Key findings from the AE survey in 2000:

• Most students enjoyed some aspect of attending school, believed that adults there cared about them and felt they belonged at their school
• More than half of the students reported that their parents had concerns at least some of the time about not having enough money to buy food
• 70% of students reported witnessing violence in their home and 46% of female students had been touched in a sexual way or made to do sexual things they didn't want to do in the last 12 months
• Many students reported high levels of health-risky behaviours including: including drug and alcohol use, risky sexual behaviours and risky motor vehicle use
• Over 25% of students had depressive symptoms which warranted treatment by a professional and similar numbers had attempted suicide in the last 12 months
• The study found that female students in particular were at high risk of poor health outcomes

For more detailed information on the methodology and results from the AE Study please refer to the report on this study in 2000.