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The words 'South Australian' figure prominently in the titles
of our senior secondary assessment authority and our senior school
qualification - and SSABSA has always accepted the serious responsibility
of ensuring the relevance and value of the SACE to all South Australian
students through changing times.
Renee
Bann (left) watches Amy Owens work at the computer as Chris Seidel
and Kira Bliss look on at the Hallett Cove Youth Project's CHOICES
program.
A decade ago, the task was to fashion a qualification that held
its own as a pre-university credential at home, and in the shrinking
global educational environment. The SACE is now generally accepted
as a high-quality certificate, as demonstrated by the hundreds of
overseas students who come here to study, and the thousands more
who have taken the 'export version' at colleges in Malaysia and elsewhere.
Ironically, this success may be creating a perception that the
SACE is exclusively a university qualification, less relevant to
young South Australians looking for skills to enter the workforce
as soon as possible - a perception that SSABSA Chief Executive Dr
Jan Keightley is eager to dispel.
"SACE curriculum is, above all, flexible," she says. "It's
designed to be tailored to the needs of the individual. Our research
shows that the circumstances and needs of each student are unique,
and increasingly complex. Their teachers and counsellors must be
able to 'cut the cloth' to suit the student."
In recent years, the accreditation of embedded and stand-alone
VET and the range of Community and Vocational Studies options have
diversified the SACE. SSABSA is now examining the results of consultation
on a proposal to recognise learning which has been achieved by students
in life experiences outside the classroom. When implemented, this
framework will add further flexibility and practical relevance to
the curriculum.
One of the pioneering projects in this field involves the CHOICES
program run by Hallett Cove Youth Project, based at the O'Halloran
Hill TAFE, which over the past three years has helped about 60 students
work outside mainstream schooling to achieve SACE recognition through
other learning.
Recently, in partnership with the Southern Vocational College,
the program has been expanded so that students are able to get about
75 per cent of their SACE through the CHOICES program before returning
to mainstream school.
Vanessa Elvey, the Hallett Cove Youth Project's
Youth Pathways Program coordinator, says giving students a "major say" in
what their program looks like has changed the students' attitude
to learning.
"It's most important that students have a say through
consultation with the facilitators on what and how they learn," she
said.
"Through this consultation we have
had examples where students have put together whole modules on Anger
Management in which they choose what meets their needs."
 Kira Bliss (left) with fellow students Renee Bann, Amy Owens and Chris
Seidel outside the Hallett Cove Youth Project's CHOICES program.
Vanessa says SSABSA has been "fantastic" with
its support and had actively encouraged the process.
"They really have helped these students understand that
they can get an education," she said.
Vanessa also believes that mainstream classrooms will have to
follow suit by creatively utilising the SACE curriculum in engaging,
innovative and enjoyable ways, especially as the nature of school
and society change.
"The issues these students have with school are becoming
more common and one way to address these concerns are through community
partnerships," she said.
"Hallett Cove Youth Project has sustained
a positive community partnership with the SVC and Christies Beach
High School for the past two and a half years." |
Case One: Chris
Seidel, 15, has returned to learning after not attending school
for three years through the Hallett Cove Youth Group CHOICES
Program. He has recently completed an 8-week basic mechanics
course through Fusion Farm, which will count towards a SACE unit
in Community Studies, and through the Southern Outreach Team
a 10-week Boxacise program whose experience will be assessed
as part of a SACE module in Personal Development.
Chris says through the experience
he has "learnt how to work again".
"This program will certainly help young people to receive an education," he
says.
"CHOICES fulfils everything school doesn't," he says. "It treats
us like adults and lets us make our own decisions on everything, compared to
school where we were not given choices with our learning."
Chris feels that "mainstream" schools "are more
concerned with punishment rather than dealing with the problem
and trying to help young people resolve their problems".
"I have learnt how to make my own decisions and how to negotiate with others," he
says
"I have learnt to be more tolerant and resolve conflict in an assertive
way rather than being aggressive."
Chris says his subject choices were "not necessarily related" to
what he wants to do after school.
"It is allowing me to experiment with different areas so I can make firm
decisions about future options," he said.
"I am more focused on achieving my SACE year 11 so I can possibly complete
my year 12 studies." |
Case Two: Renee Bann, 15, has
three outside areas that are counting for SACE units through the
Hallett Cove Youth Group CHOICES Program. She has done an 8-week
basic mechanics course (Community Studies) and work experience
at the O`Halloran Hill Childcare Centre (Community Studies), while
every week she cooks for the Hallett Cove Uniting Church which
is being assessed as a SACE unit in Integrated Studies - Basic
Living Skills.
Renee, who hopes to do a hospitality course through TAFE after
leaving school, said the way the learning was structured helped
students who didn't feel comfortable in normal classrooms.
"We are encouraged to take responsibility for our learning goals and behaviour," she
said.
"We have also gained a better knowledge of what community services are available
to youth".
Renee describes the learning environment at the Choices program
as "youth friendly", with students allowed to sit in
beanbags instead of at a desk.
"Main stream high school does not suit everyone and therefore you cannot
expect young people to stay at school until they are 16 if school is not meeting
their needs," she said.
"If I was expected to complete SACE at a normal school I would not be able
to because there are too many students in the classroom and I would not be able
to concentrate or get the help I need. In Choices we work in smaller groups and
we have volunteers who help us with our work." |
Case three: Kira Bliss,17,
is currently doing Year 12 at Seaford High School after graduating
from last year's CHOICES program. Last year she did about eight
hours a week of part time work at Kmart, which counted towards
her work education module.
"Kids who want to leave school usually want to leave because they feel like
they don't fit in and won't achieve anything there," she says. "Programs
like pathways will show kids that there is a place where people will help you
learn, treat you like a human being and show you that there is a light at the
end of the tunnel".
"It's the best way to learn."
At the beginning of the program Kira says she was "totally
against" school and vowed never to go back.
"I just wanted to get away from it and get into the work force," she
says. "I didn't care about my SACE or getting any sort of education. It's
now half way through 2002 and I'm back at school, completing year 12 over 2 years".
"I've completed a fitness instructors core course which I've done on top
of going to school, I'm now registered to do an aerobics instructor course and
am very keen to go to university in 2004, to do a journalism or media course,
and am also looking at going to TAFE to enrol in a Fashion design course.
"I've decided not to pick just one of these options but to hopefully in
time accomplish all of them."
Kira says flexible learning has "helped me to realise that
I wasn't dumb or worthless, but that I have potential and do anything
I want to, and that I won't end up being a check out chick for
the rest of my life if I don't want to". |
Case Four: Amy Owens, 17, is
doing her SACE at the Hallett Cove Youth Project CHOICES program.
Last year she spent five days a week learning job, communication
and living skills including "cooking, maths, art - things
like that".
She believes that kids who "can't handle normal school" often
end up getting into trouble because learning programs do not meet
the student needs.
"At the youth project they respect you and don't judge you and help you
and do one-on-ones with you so you get all the help you need. They also help
you get a job and they are always there for you."
Dr Keightley says that SSABSA will continue to shape its curriculum
to the contours of the South Australian work and education
environment -and that programs such as CHOICES are showing how it can be
done.
"The challenge now will be for all schools and the assessment authority
to work together and exploit the flexibility of curriculum to bring out the personal
best of every student," she says. |
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