New research shows Queensland’s independent Special Assistance Schools are transforming the lives of vulnerable young people while delivering significant long-term economic benefits for the state.

The report, The Social and Economic Impact of Independent Special Assistance Schools in Queensland, found that every young person who re-engages with education and completes Year 12 through a Special Assistance School generates an estimated lifetime social and economic benefit of $226,100.

Based on the sector’s 2025 graduating cohort of around 2,000 students, that equates to a total benefit of $452 million.

Conducted by McCrindle and commissioned by Independent Schools Queensland, the research examines the experiences and outcomes of students attending Queensland’s independent Special Assistance Schools, which support young people who have disengaged, or are at risk of disengaging, from mainstream education.

Read the report