While the right to education is guaranteed under the Irish constitution (Kennedy & Smyth, 2018) educational inequality is a continuing feature in the education system (Cahill, 2020).  Encompassing a multitude of typologies, alternative educational programmes are usually developed in response to unique community problems (Carpenter-Aeby & Aeby, 2001). They exist along a continuum targeting subgroups such as out of school young people, early school leavers, children and young people and adult learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Alternative education has developed as a response to state-provided mainstream education across the world, with its innovative curriculum and flexible programmes of study corresponding with students’ interests and needs (Sliwka, 2008). Evidence shows that learners join alternative education programmes for different reasons and barriers, including social, economic, behavioural, cultural, and emotional (Moffatt & Riddle, 2021). International evidence shows alternative education is loosely defined, as it encompasses different types of schooling and organisations, which can also differ in their philosophical views of youth. As stated by Tierney (2018), the meaning and understanding of alternative education needs to be sought within the context in which they have developed, their attitudes towards young people, forms and structures, and their programme focus.

Recognising the persistence of educational inequality and disadvantage in Irish society, Rethink Ireland introduced three funds: the Education, Youth and Child and Youth to address this persistent social issue. Following a rigorous selection process, 30 projects were chosen as Fund Awardees. Of these, 24 participated in an external, formal academic, five-year research and evaluation study, conducted by UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at University of Galway, Ireland.

In Ireland, young people who are either at risk of disengaging or disengaged from mainstream education are often supported by what is termed ‘out-of-school’ or the ‘alternative education’ sector. The Department of Education (2022) review of out-of-school education provision was the first ever attempt to recognise this largely hidden educational sector in Ireland. Using data from key stakeholders in seven Alternative Education providers, gathered by a three-year study, our research team published a paper (Kovacic & Forkan, 2023) building upon and expanding that typology describing out-of-school alternative education provision, as developed by Department of Education. We proposed a tentative typology of alternative education, showing how alternative education providers offer a much broader range of programmes, operate both inside and outside of the mainstream schools, use innovative approaches to teaching and learning, support the overall well-being of students and tackle structural inequality within education in Ireland.

This research spans five years and involves 24 projects operating within the alternative education sector and youth mental health sectors approaches. This event will share learnings from the study. As such it can be of interest to researchers, practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders in education, youth work, and beyond.