Abstract
This chapter draws on interview data collected across eight FLO case study sites in Australia in order to elucidate FLO staff’s framing of value as it relates to notions of worthwhile education for diverse youth experiencing complex life circumstances. The analysis of this data is framed through Gert Biesta’s (2010) conceptualisation of three dimensions of the functions of education, namely: qualification, socialisation and subjectification. The intent of using this framework has been to provide a more nuanced examination of staffs’ reflections on ‘what counts’ as positive outcomes for disenfranchised youth. The findings of this paper have implications for understanding the nature and purpose of education in FLOs, and should inform wider discussions around how value might rightly be measured in FLO settings in order to best serve the interests of the young people who attend.