Educating young people in detention

If your child is in detention, they need to participate in education and training programs 5 days a week.

Each youth detention centre has a school and a training centre located inside it.

A principal leads each school and highly qualified teachers take all classes.

Teachers and detention centre staff work together on programs that meet your child’s individual learning needs and work towards their rehabilitation.

Classes are small and your child gets individual attention and instruction at his or her level.

Our teachers work to:

  • catch your child up if they have any learning gaps in literacy or numeracy
  • help your child learn new skills
  • support your child to develop skills for returning to education, training or employment when they leave detention
  • improve your child’s social skills.

Teachers and detention centre staff deliver programs that aim to support your child’s successful re-entry into the community. Young people may work to gain qualifications while in detention.

The junior schools draw their programs from the Australian Curriculum. We send school reports home every 3 months.

Support for young people

During the school program your child can also get help from:

  • special education teachers
  • guidance officers
  • speech and language pathologists
  • occupational therapists.

Young people get advice about returning to school, as well as careers, employment and skilling opportunities that will be available to them when they leave detention. This helps their return to the community.

Other programs

Your child has access to a range of other programs at their detention centre, including:

  • behavioural programs
  • social programs
  • cultural programs.

More information