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While some disaffected youths in Bendigo are opting out of school to make a nuisance of themselves in Hargreaves Mall, one secondary college is in the midst of a radical transition to hand autonomy back to students.
Bendigo South East College plans to soon allow its students to decide their own timetables, in a move principal Ernie Fleming hopes will increase student engagement and help students feel connected to their school.
“We all respond well to that sense that we’re in charge and it’s choices we’re making, so that’s pretty exciting if we can make it happen, but it’s going against 200 years of traditional schooling,” he said.
“Kids will be trying to work at their own level rather than that they’re in year 7 so they’re doing year 7 work.
“All the research says there’s an eight-year span of where students are up to, so unless you address that their either bored out of their brain or they’re really struggling.”
Mr Fleming said increasing incidences of mental illness meant it was more important than ever that students felt valued and included at school.
“There’s more mental health issues around than there’s ever been, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said.
“There’s just a huge range of social issues that present themselves for kids, anything from poverty to family break-up to relationships etc. that aren’t working for them.”
Mr Fleming said despite the personal problems many students faced, schools had an important role to play in keeping children engaged.
“Often disengagement comes from outside problems that they find hard to deal with, and in some of those cases school’s a refuge and in others it’s just another thing that’s not working in their life,” he said.
“Most of us operate effectively when there’s a sense of connectedness and of belonging and that there are people in my life that value me and that’s the trick.
“Sadly there’s some kids that don’t have that.”
Education Department officials met with police and traders this week to discuss ways to get young people off the streets and back in school.