Providing Education and Training for At Risk ... - Victoria University

attitude to learning and enhanced self-esteem together with an elevated expectation of futureopportunities as the key personal outcomes for their students in the SL program.Of course, it must be stressed that each of the programs enjoyed an equal level of success withtheir academic components of the program, the point of this discussion is to emphasise theimportance for programs to consciously plan to address personal needs such as self-worth andother welfare issues if they are to successfully engage and sustain these disaffected youth ineducation and training programs. Analysis of the programs and the school/agency relationshipsindicate that those schools which have interactive and seamless arrangements with communitybased support agencies are best placed to provide for the diversity of levels of alienation andother problems associated with this group of young people.If programs are to cater effectively for the development of the ‘whole’ person in a holisticand integrated manner, it is essential that schools establish a seamless association withlocal community based support agencies. This avoids placing unrealistic expectationson teachers who do not have the appropriate expertise, and ensures that the studentshave both academic and welfare support when they are needed. This clearly has staffingand funding resourcing implications, which need to be addressed at the planning, andimplementation stage of the program.Program categoriesThe existing programs selected for Stage 2 interviews are discussed below in terms ofthe categories identified in the Project Brief.On-site school programsSchool-based programs reviewed in this category include those conducted at Hawthorn andFootscray City Secondary Colleges. Whilst some minor activities take place off campus at TAFEinstitutes and other venues from time to time, the programs are essentially totally school-based.It should be noted that there is an apparent reluctance by some schools to accommodateSuccessful Learning Programs in their structures, at least insofar as this requires an identifiableand extant body of activities. This raises the issue of whether schools can effectively providefor all levels of ‘at risk’ students in mainstream programs. If this attitude were to becomewidespread, the task of effectively catering for the alienated young people driven back to, orto remain in, school by the changes to the Common Youth Allowance would be left to a fewschools. A likely outcome of this situation is that these schools would quickly gain a perhapsunwanted reputation for specialising with this type of studentThe Penola Catholic College Middle School Project is included in this study because of itsfocused approach to addressing student diversity and learning styles. Although this programtargets Years 7 and 8, the principles on which it is based are transferable. Also, a programaimed at middle school levels is worthy of inclusion because many of the school personnelinterviewed indicated that signs of students being at risk of not completing a basic educationwere evident in the early years of secondary school. In many cases this issue was being addressedthrough literacy intervention and transition programs.58