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| 25 January 2006 |
| Learning Centre |
| Visit an alternative learning centre in Brisbane. It's like a school, but it's especially for students who are having problems at normal schools. |
MEGAN MAGILL: At this school, south of Brisbane, education is served a little differently. A typical day starts with breakfast and a morning meeting with the principal. There are no rules here but there are expectations. DALE MURRAY: We work on four principles and that is: to be respectful with each other; to be safe and legal; to participate and I guess the right not to participate; and to be fair dinkum to try and tell the truth. And then we negotiate that with all young people in meetings pretty well all the time. MEGAN MAGILL: Most of the students who come here have rebelled in mainstream schooling some have been expelled or suspended others have just dropped out. Learning difficulties and behavioural problems are common. Principal Dale Murray says they're all catered for on an individual basis. Candice Temuananui enrolled in the Centre Education Program after her mother caught her wagging school. She'd already been suspended once before. CANDICE TEMUANANUI: I know heaps of people in mainstream who just don't care. 'Cause teachers don't pay much attention to you because there are too many students in one school so they don't pay attention to you. MEGAN MAGILL: But she says she's changed her ways and hasn't missed a single class since she started here two and a half years ago. CANDICE TEMUANANUI: I just like the people, the teachers, what you do - everything. TEACHER: Is anyone having any trouble, thinking about what to write for your 200 words for your last topic? MEGAN MAGILL: 17 year old Zac Pharr is in grade 11. He's been at the centre for three years. That's the longest time he's ever stayed at one institution. He says he's attended between 30 and 40 schools since starting grade one. That newfound stability is reflected in his schoolwork no longer at the bottom of the class. Zac now gets top marks. While specialised learning programs have proved to be successful for students like Candice and Zac, they don't come cheap. This centre is the only one of its kind in Queensland. It's run by the Christian Brothers and funded by donations and Education Queensland. DR BILL SULTMANN: (EDMUND RICE EDUCATION DIRECTORATE) The costs are quite significant approximately $18,000 a student and grants of course don't meet that level of need and the costs are brought about largely because of the diversity of staff and the small classes that demand very small teacher/student ratios. MEGAN MAGILL: Research suggests there are at least 10-thousand students in Queensland missing out on an education - young people who've slipped through the safety net. But in all of Queensland, there are only 55 such courses supported by government. 75 students are enrolled here in Logan but more than 100 are turned away each year. And while the Christian Brothers would like to set up more centres that's dependent on funding. DR BILL SULTMANN: They're not easily begun because they're so community-based and because we're a church organisation we rely very much on the support of local church communities. MEGAN MAGILL: But without them, students like these say they wouldn't be getting an education at all. ZAC PHARR: Probably just sitting at home, doing nothing. CANDICE TEMUANANUI: If I wasn't here I'd probably be going to mainstream not wanting to go to mainstream so I'd probably be wagging it with my mates or something, I don't know. |
story notes |
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south of Brisbane The Centre is in Logan, a city south of Brisbane in Queensland.  typical normal principal The principal is the head of a school. Be careful to spell it this way because the spelling 'principle' has a different meaning. Follow the link below to find out more. more information: principal & principle expectations The verb to expect means to think or believe something will happen. The noun form, expectation, means something that you think or believe will happen. work on To work on here means to use as a basis. Example: The theory of evolution works on the fact that the offspring of sexual reproduction are different to their parents. For more meanings of the phrasal verb work on and examples you can listen to, follow the link below. more information: work on principles A principle is a basic idea. It can also mean a standard of good behaviour. So there are four main ideas that the school is based on. We just looked at the word principal, with an ‘a-l’ at the end. That means the chief or head of something. But here we have the word ‘principle’, spelt with an ‘l-e’. Follow the link below to find out more. more information: principal & principle be respectful To be respectful means to treat in a considerate way - to be polite and kind to each other. safe and legal They have to be safe and legal - they can’t break the law and school or do dangerous things. participate join in fair dinkum Fair dinkum is Australian slang. It means to be true or genuine. The students have to try to tell the truth and not lie. Click here for more idioms and common expressions. negotiate To negotiate means to discuss, so you can find a solution everyone agrees to.  dropped out To drop out if to leave school or university before finishing the course. Example: She had to drop out because she was having a baby. For more meanings of the phrasal verb drop out and examples you can listen to, follow the link below. more information: drop out 'cause Notice that the short way of saying because is spelled with an apostrophe - 'cause. Follow the link below to find out more. more information: 'cause brought about To bring about here means to cause to happen. Example: The clearing of the trees on the mountainside has brought about more landslides. Bring is an irregular verb and you will hear and see the phrasal verb bring about in different past tense and past participle forms. Follow the link below to find out more. more information: bring slipped through the safety net If something slips through the netit means that an organisation has failed to deal with it. Example: Students who leave school without being able to read have slipped through the net. Click here for more idioms and common expressions. turned away Here turned away means that people can't enter a place. Example: The stadium was full and they had to turn away thousands of fans. For more meanings of the phrasal verb turn away and examples you can listen to, follow the link below. more information: turn away set up establish Example: I want to set up a new business. For more meanings of the phrasal verb set up and examples you can listen to, follow the link below. more information: set up begun Begun is the past participle of the irregular verb begin. Follow the link below to find out more and to listen to some examples. more information: begin wagging it To wag it is slang for not going to school.
Example: I used to wag it and go to the city and have fun. |