Academic performance the true indicator | Australian Teacher ...
Academic performance the true indicator | Australian Teacher ...
Academic performance the true indicator | Australian Teacher ...
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Carroll says this largely self-managed learning environment sends a powerful symbolic message that <strong>the</strong><br />
school is serious about its VCE results.<br />
Mitchell Mackay, principal of John Curtin College of <strong>the</strong> Arts in Perth, agrees. “Without <strong>the</strong> focus on <strong>the</strong><br />
academic <strong>performance</strong> parents won’t send <strong>the</strong>ir children to a specialist college.<br />
“Probably <strong>the</strong> first question that parents ask is ‘we love <strong>the</strong> arts, and that’s wonderful, but what about <strong>the</strong><br />
academic <strong>performance</strong>?’”<br />
Like Maribyrnong, John Curtin College of <strong>the</strong> Arts has a strong record across <strong>the</strong> curriculum — regularly<br />
placing in <strong>the</strong> top 20 schools in Western Australia and top five public schools in <strong>the</strong> state for academic<br />
<strong>performance</strong>. Last year <strong>the</strong>re were 850 applications for <strong>the</strong> 250 Year 8 places on offer.<br />
Mackay says <strong>the</strong> key to success is using <strong>the</strong> specialist focus to enhance and complement wider<br />
academic <strong>performance</strong>, and open up opportunities for students far greater than <strong>the</strong>y would have had<br />
going to a normal school.<br />
Far from pushing students down a particular career path, Curtin’s aim is to use <strong>the</strong> arts to build<br />
confidence and creativity to stand students in good stead at university.<br />
“We find our students are far more confident in <strong>the</strong>ir ability to present in front of people — <strong>the</strong>y’ve been<br />
speaking in front of 400 and 500 people here ... and <strong>the</strong>y get to university and can easily speak to 40 or<br />
50 people in a lecture <strong>the</strong>atre to present <strong>the</strong>ir work,” Mackay says.<br />
“But also, [we] combine that with a sense of creativity through all subject areas that is in <strong>the</strong> forefront of<br />
world thinking in terms of best practice in education — so we’re far from being a training organisation to<br />
continue on [into an arts career].<br />
“Our visual arts students may go into architecture or graphic arts, but <strong>the</strong>y could just as easily go into<br />
business, public relations or something altoge<strong>the</strong>r different.<br />
“Our dance students get into physio<strong>the</strong>rapy and our drama students into law and medicine.”<br />
The amount of hours spent on specialist arts each week varies from course to course. A talented ballet<br />
student, for example, can get up to 18 hours of tuition.<br />
Mackay says <strong>the</strong> amount of specialist study depends on ability of students to cope, and <strong>the</strong> starting point<br />
is always to make sure academic studies are on track before adding extra arts components.<br />
Ra<strong>the</strong>r than having to sacrifice maths or literacy time, students end up having more tuition in those<br />
areas. “We usually put an extra hour in <strong>the</strong>ir subject times, especially for <strong>the</strong> older students,” Mackay<br />
points out. “We also include lots more writing within those arts areas. The final exams for arts in Year 12<br />
are 50 per cent writing in most cases, so you have to bring <strong>the</strong>m to a really high level of written and<br />
analytical ability.”<br />
He adds <strong>the</strong> college also provides many more opportunities than normal schools for parents to connect<br />
with students and teachers. It hosted 52 public evening <strong>performance</strong>s in its <strong>the</strong>atre last year, and ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
40 information evenings, exhibitions and events involving <strong>the</strong> community.<br />
“It’s a harder job when you’re here as a teacher … but <strong>the</strong>y realise <strong>the</strong>y wouldn’t want to work in o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
places.”<br />
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