A STUDY has found a surprisingly high number of Catholic primary school students in south-east Queensland is living away from home.
Youth advocate Fr Wally Dethlefs conducted the study for Brisbane Catholic Education and found that an average of 10 primary school students per thousand were living out of home.
Twenty-seven out of the 38 primary schools who returned survey forms reported having out-of-home students at some stage during 2003.
About 68 per 1000 primary students were considered to be marginalised.
Among the 14 in every 1000 secondary students reported to be living out of home, school counsellors said some were living on the streets or in parks.
Fr Dethlefs, after the release of his report, ‘Making Room for Us’, on October 15, said he was surprised by the findings on out of home students in primary schools.
Brisbane Catholic Education executive director David Hutton said the research, focusing on the nature, extent and needs of out of home and marginalised students, had significant ramifications for Catholic schools in the region.
Brisbane Catholic Education has formed a taskforce to implement recommendations from the report.
Fr Dethlefs had hope in Brisbane Catholic Education’s responses, given that it had already appointed an extra 26 guidance counsellors in primary schools and indicated that the study had a significant bearing on that decision.
