EDUCATION: Women and girls will enjoy enhanced status and will be enabled to achieve their full potential throughout their life span

Overview:

1. What we did:  Background: The Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre (FLC) is a registered non-state school operated under the auspices of the Christian Brothers and Edmund Rice Education in partnership with the Brisbane City Council and Education Queensland.  The aim of the FLC is to respond to the complex needs of disadvantaged young people marginalised from mainstream education.  The FLC currently has approximately 50 students including several young mothers.In June 2006, guest speaker Pam Betts, Director, Education Services, Edmund Rice Education at the Albert Park Flexi-School discussed the issues encountered by the students, particularly the young mothers.  In October 2006, the club conducted a site visit to the centre and met with some of the staff to learn more about its day to day operations.  The centre includes facilities for the babies/young children of the students.  The club donated $100 to assist with educational and/or resources for the children and plans were put in place to provide a bursary of $250 annually for a young girl to continue her secondary education.
2. Why we did it:  SI Position Statement: Rights of the Girl Child – states our concerns about all forms of discrimination against girls, including harmful attitudes and traditional practices, sexual exploitation and abuse which define her gender as second class within the family and society. It urges governments to fulfill their commitment to international conventions, treaties and agreements relating to the girl child, ensuring access to education and training and the realisation of her full potential. SI Brisbane City is strongly committed to equal access to educational opportunities for all, especially to enable young women to complete their secondary education.  This project has enabled us to work collaboratively in partnership to achieve these goals.
3. How we did it:  SI Brisbane City held a successful raffle at the Region Best Practice Awards where the proceeds were set aside for the inaugural bursary.   Application forms have now been distributed to the Albert Park Flexi-School. 
4. Results and recommendations: We would recommend that other clubs investigate ways to support the education of young women, particularly mothers, who have been marginalised from mainstream education.