An Alternative Approach to Care

This chapter advances the discussions in this book by examining how care manifested in the alternative education program at Middle Park High School. This program was designed to re-engage students who had become disaffected with traditional schooling and to offer them a ‘second chance’ to reconnect to the mainstream school. By closely analysing the practices of the program, this chapter explores how a care-centred approach anchored in positive recognition of difference can foster meaningful connections with students. I draw on in-depth interviews with the two teachers in the program to illuminate the challenges and successes of this program. I highlight the crucial role of relationships in creating a supportive environment for students who often feel marginalised. Ultimately, this chapter aims to contribute to broader discussions about the factors that lead to student disengagement and to demonstrate how alternative education can be a powerful tool for addressing these issues. It positions these programs as potential disruptors within the wider discourses and the schemes of (mis)recognition that produce exclusion.