Double Disadvantage
How Toowoomba schools embrace
new-arrival refugee students
A brief report
by Derek & Annette Curnow
February 2012
1
Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements
3
Executive summary
4-5
Background to project
5
Introduction
7
What is considered ideal practice for new-arrival NESB speakers?
9
What is current practice?
10
Current practice in curriculum provision Toowoomba secondary schools
Strengths in school provision for refugees
ESL Teachers: Education Qld
ESL Coordinator Catholic Education
Administrators, Support Officers
Barriers to Success and suggestions for improvement
General
ESL Teachers by school and system
Mainstream teachers
Administrators
Parents
Support officers
Practice in other areas:
Nambour
Shepparton, Woodridge, Orange
14
14
15
16
17
18-19
20
20
21
22
23
24
Recommendations
25
Conclusion
26
Bibliography
27
Appendix 1 Letter of Introduction
28
Appendix 2 Letter to parents
29
Appendix 3 Role of Education Support Officers 2011
30
Appendix 4 Survey Refugee Parents Toowoomba
31
Appendix 5 Teacher Survey Responses
32
Appendix 6 TAFE Youth Class
39
Shepparton English Language Centre – Detailed report
40
Glossary of Acronyms
45
2
Acknowledgements
The Social Justice Commission would like to thank the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba and
the Catholic Education Office for its support of this project. The participation of staff and
teachers from Education Queensland and the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office were
also invaluable. The involvement of the Multicultural Development Association (MDA) was
crucial to its success. Centacare / TRAMS generously shared their resources to enhance
community participation events with students and parents from refugee background
families. We are also extremely grateful to the students and families who trusted us as
they negotiated their way through learning in a new place. Derek and Annette Curnow have
demonstrated great passion, compassion and a belief that as a community we can do better
in the area of educating some of our most vulnerable young people. We thank them for
their time and dedication to the task. Peter Nightingale was a very effective member of the
team and made it possible for the project to continue when Derek and Annette Curnow
were unavailable. May our collective gratitude be expressed by bringing about this change
that is required.
Dr Mark Copland
Executive Officer
February 2012
3
Executive Summary
In 2011, two Education Support Officers were employed by the Social Justice Commission to
investigate gaps and inequities in education provision for new arrival secondary aged refugees in
Toowoomba, in response to ongoing concerns about outcomes for refugee students. In particular
the refugee community was concerned about managed enrolments in some schools. Research was
conducted as the officers supported 15 new arrival secondary aged refugees in their transition to
Queensland education, acting as liaison persons between school and family.
Ideal practice, according to all leading language acquisition theorists, is that at least 5 years of
intensive language support is required in order to acquire the basic interpersonal communication
skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language proficiency (CALP) to enable successful transition to
mainstream. The DETA Curriculum Guidelines for ESL Teaching state that the student is the centre of
all teaching and learning and that planning for them should be based on their needs. In a similar
vein the Catholic Education Office for Toowoomba has a policy for the education of the marginalised
in Catholic Schools. It states that “school communities will work towards the provision of equitable
access to a quality education for all children and youth.”
Current practice in the majority of schools analysed is that in 2011 the length of support has fallen
below 5 years. In 2012 the length of support will be three years. Curriculum offerings are markedly
different from school to school. In Education Queensland schools - school catchment areas are
enforced. Some schools do organise student timetable based on their needs; eg a few lines of
mainstream subjects and the other lines of their timetable dedicated to language tuition. Others
withdraw students; eg offering two days intensive English and then mainstreaming students on the
other three days. In other schools itinerant teachers withdraw students for a few hours per week.
One school routinely refuses enrolment to 16yr olds with little English.
Strengths identified include a strong sense of good will from school administrations and support
agencies and some excellent responses to student needs through individual programs; eg ESL SOSE
subject at Lockyer District SHS. A couple of schools have demonstrated a whole school ethos which is
welcoming to refugees.
At a school level, barriers to learning are occurring through limited access to intensive language
tuition, timetabling which requires withdrawal from mainstream rather than timetabled ESL, the
study of LOTE as curriculum subject at one school, and the reported poor take-up of professional
development by mainstream teachers in supporting ESL teachers in the mainstream. There is also
need for ESL teachers to stay abreast of latest mainstream developments; eg Australian Curriculum.
Some schools have no policies or procedures for receiving new arrival refugees.
At a para-educational level public transport and expense are the two issues of greatest concern. Bus
pass forms require high levels of literacy, and initial expenses like book hire, uniforms and stationery
can be prohibitive. Communication is also an issue in some schools, as most parents struggle to
understand school communication (eg. report cards, newsletters etc.).
Some other regional areas have intensive language centres: Nambour, Dakabin, Shepparton, Trinity
Bay, as described below. Orange, NSW, offers para-educational programs which could be adapted
locally.
4
This report makes 10 recommendations. The most significant are:
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that there should be a minimum of 5 years support for all students who require it,
that withdrawal for intensive English be avoided if possible,
that lines of ESL be timetabled to enable daily tuition in language and to remove
part time tuition in mainstream subjects, and that LOTE should not be studied by
new arrivals,
that all teachers should undertake appropriate professional development,
that the schools should work on communication and
that a mentor role be continued.
Background to Project
The Social Justice Commission was established by the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba in 2002. One
of its key roles is to encourage and support social justice in Catholic, parishes, schools and agencies
and within the wider community. A key principle from which it operates is the dignity of the human
person. One of the ways that the Commission operates is through advocacy and research.
From its inception one of the key focus areas for the Commission has been the welfare and wellbeing of newly arrived refugees on the Darling Downs. One of the first actions of the Commission
was to establish Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Support (TRAMS). TRAMS, which was
established in 2004, is now administered by Centacare Toowoomba. It has over 100 volunteers and
offers free English classes, cooking classes, computer classes, case-work and general support to new
arrivals throughout the year. One of the programmes that has been a part of TRAMS since the
beginning has been homework tutoring for secondary students. This free tutoring began in a parish
setting in the suburb of Harristown in the early 2000s and transferred to TRAMS in 2004.
The Commission has also been heavily involved in advocating for better support services for new
arrivals in Toowoomba over the past decade. In 2005 in partnership with Lifeline Darling Downs and
Centacare the Report “Finding a Home on the Range” was released by the Commission. This report
highlighted the fact that there were over 750 former refugees originating from Southern Sudan living
in Toowoomba city. At the time government bodies were relying on the 2001 Census data which
stated that there were less than 100 residents from a refugee background living in Toowoomba. The
report also found that the population was very young with 75 percent under the age of 25. 85
percent of the population was enrolled in an education institution. Of those enrolled in schools 59
percent attended Catholic schools, 26 percent an Education Queensland school and 15 percent an
independent school. (Finding a Home on the Range 2005) This report shows that the situation has
changed dramatically in 2011 with the majority of new arrivals from a refugee background now
attending a government school.
The Social Justice Commission views the issue of education for refugee background students as a
basic human right. The impact of the refugee experience upon children’s schooling and general wellbeing has been well documented. Schools are particularly well placed in facilitating a positive
settlement outcome for young people. The SMILE project conducted by the Refugee Council of the
5
UK highlighted the way in which school is a powerful constant in a young person’s often turbulent
life.
It is no exaggeration to say that refugee children’s well-being depends to a major degree
on their school experiences, successes and failures. . . . School policies are a powerful tool
for helping a refugee child feel safe and normal again, and begin to learn. They can
promote the child’s confidence and integration, and prevent isolation and frustration.
Failure in school can have a disastrous impact on children who are trying to reconstruct
their lives and their self esteem, and develop hope for the future. Educational progress
and emotional well-being are mutually dependent. (SMILE Report, 2011, p.8)
From the early 2000s the Commission observed a great need amongst secondary and post-secondary
age refugee background students. The barriers of language acquisition combined with high
expectations from students and families led to great difficulties for a number of students. Many had
dreamt of university and a profession but had an early primary school level literacy and numeracy.
Anecdotal evidence indicated that most new arrivals had spent several years in refugee camps and
had been unable to access secondary education. Few of the 1000 or so Sudanese Dinka refugees who
arrived could write coherently in English or comprehend any but basic texts. Hence most have
struggled with the written language demands of the Queensland curriculum. At one local high school
for example only one of the initial cohort of 17 students passed Senior English (a pre-requisite for
tertiary education) in 2005, despite the efforts of dedicated teachers and support staff.
Schools were not well equipped to deal with the new arrivals and in many ways it was a case of “sink
or swim in the mainstream”. The Commission accessed funds from a charitable foundation which
enabled a support unit to be established in a Catholic Secondary College. Another independent
Catholic College established a similar support unit with a structured programme including students in
the mainstream where possible. The small number of students attending government schools had
varied experiences. At that time Harristown State High School (similar to other schools) enrolled
post- secondary age students. Some of these students excelled and now have full-time employment
in Toowoomba. They are enrolled in tertiary institutions and a number have established families and
are in the process of purchasing their own homes. While these successes were celebrated the
challenge to students, teachers and education systems remained extreme.
A number of schools found themselves unable to cater for students over the age of 16, especially
because of emerging behavioural issues, and there was a move in some schools to advise attendance
at TAFE as an alternative. For those who remained at secondary school, ESL support was provided
differently in each school but usually on a withdrawal basis. Support was often complemented with
computer programs which were supervised by teacher aides or volunteers. Some schools appointed
staff to be responsible for refugee students and to provide pastoral care and support.
By 2006 a number of teachers and people working in the field became convinced that an initiative
which could address the needs of newly arrived secondary students would be an Intensive Reception
Centre or Intensive English Centre. Members of this group visited the Milpera SHS English reception
centre at Chelmer in Brisbane. Impressed by what they saw, they drew up a submission to the then
Minister for Education asking for an English reception centre to be begun in Toowoomba similar to
that at Milpera.
Between March 2005 and December 2006 a number of representations were made to government
including two to the then Minister for Education Rod Welford. A submission was made to cabinet at
the time but there has never been any official response regarding the request for assistance. It is
purely supposition but there may be a number of factors at play regarding the push for a reception
centre. The first is that at the time refugee background students were seen as a “Catholic school”
issue with the majority enrolling in this system. It may not have made sense to create a structure
6
within Education Queensland which was a response to a need within the Catholic Education system.
Another factor (which still exists) is a very strong feeling that pooling of existing resources (eg. the
New Arrivals funding provided federally) would leave individual schools less well equipped to meet
the challenges of new arrival students. While the delegations included staff from both sectors the
push for a reception centre did not have the backing of the regional office of Education Queensland
at the time.
Having exhausted government and non-government avenues the Commission decided to put its
energy into other areas from 2007 onwards. In 2010 the issue re-emerged with a number of reports
from humanitarian entrants that students of school-eligible age were not being offered full-time
enrolment in one local high school. A system of ‘managed enrolment’ had been put in place where a
student would be offered two or three days a week of secondary school. Parents and families
complained that they had children at home with nothing to do. The school involved believed that
this system of ‘managed enrolment’ was the best way of easing students into the Australian
education system. The authors of this report are unaware of any such practice being used in
secondary schools in Australia. It is important to stress that during the course of this project the
practice of ‘managed enrolments’ was brought to the attention of the regional office of Education
Queensland and it is no longer being used.
There were also instances of students not being enrolled in school between October in one year and
late January of the next. The reason for this was a lack of permanent housing. There was a
reluctance by the Humanitarian Settlement Service provider to enrol a student in a school close to
temporary housing when permanent housing may be found in a different part of the city. Poor
public transport meant that students needed to be enrolled at their closest available school.
For these reasons it was decided to undertake a one year Action / Research project concentrating on
the experience of newly-arrived secondary students in Toowoomba city. The advantage of an action
/ research approach is that it did not rely on a quick survey approach questioning teachers and
students. Instead relationships were developed with students, families and school support staff. The
day to day challenges were documented along with the joys of starting out on the educational
journey. This project made the referral process for the Humanitarian Settlement Service provider
easier as well as providing a vital link between school and home.
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Introduction:
Two retired secondary teachers with a history of refugee support were appointed as education
support officers to oversee the research project. They had extensive experience working in
government and independent schools. Annette Curnow has been recognised with awards for her
work in the area of literacy and was head of department for English at Harristown State High School
between 1997 and 2006. Derek has also been employed as Head of Department and served as a
panellist for the subject of English for over 20 years. Derek and Annette have also been involved in
the resettlement of refugees in Toowoomba for a number of years.
Their brief was as follows:
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Support up to 15 secondary aged new arrival students in their educational needs –
enrolment at school, acquisition of uniforms and supplies, arrangement of public transport
(bus passes etc), negotiation of age and ability appropriate curriculum, liaison with parents
and teachers, regular monitoring of progress and well being and identification of support
needs which could be provided by eg tutors, school nurses etc.
To highlight “what works” or instances of best practice
Identify gaps and inequities in the delivery of appropriate education for these students and
attempt to address these.
Write a report on these perceived inequities and present possible solutions.
In this research it is acknowledged that expectations of success for new arrival students will depend
on age, previous education, socioeconomic status, parent education levels and individual student
factors. However, there appear to be general issues which can be addressed to ensure improved
outcomes for these students. A short report of the support given is shown below.
Semester One 2011 saw very few new arrival refugees. During that time, there was a transition from
Spiritus to the Multi-Cultural Development Association (MDA) as settlement provider. Thus three
students who had arrived late in the previous year were given educational support. All attended
state schools. Privacy issues were addressed by the completion by parents of a permission form
allowing officers to access information on their children. An information letter for teachers was
given to schools which explaining the role of the support personnel. (Appendices 1 and 2)
In second semester, with MDA having opened its doors, a steady flow of African refugees arrived in
Toowoomba. Support has been provided to 12 of these. Eight students are Congolese and four
Sudanese in background. Of these eight attended state schools and four enrolled at St Saviour’s
College, a Catholic school for girls. The St Saviour’s College students were all over 16 and had been
refused entry to state schools on grounds of their age. Students did not wish to attend TAFE. All
state schools enforced their catchment area policies and one high school denied access to a 16yr old.
Hence, because of the catchment rule, that student was forced to seek and pay for private
education.
Families and schools were given all the support outlined above. Weekly follow up home visits were
conducted for all clients initially. This was gradually reduced to fortnightly as student confidence
rose. In addition students were taken on an outing to the Bunya Mountains. Tutors and access to
homework club at Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Service (TRAMS) were provided on request.
Officers liaised with Spiritus and MDA case workers, with the MDA interpreter being employed on
occasion. Regular meetings were held with the DETA ESL coordinator and two meetings with the
Catholic Education ESL coordinator. Officers responded to a number of calls from schools and
appropriate counselling/support was given. A full role description is provided in Appendix 3.
8
What is considered ideal practice for language acquisition for new
arrival NESB speakers?
The principal informing theorist for ESL education in Australia is Professor J. Cummins. He is one of
the world’s leading authorities on second language acquisition. Cummins makes the distinction
between two differing kinds of language proficiency. BICS are Basic Interpersonal Communication
Skills; these are the "surface" skills of listening and speaking which are typically acquired quickly by
many students, particularly by those from language backgrounds similar to English who spend a lot
of their school time interacting with native speakers.
CALP is Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, and, as the name suggests, is the basis for a child’s
ability to cope with the academic demands placed upon her in the various subjects. Cummins states
that while many children develop native speaker fluency (i.e. BICS) within two years of immersion in
the target language, it takes between 5-7 years for a child to be working on a level with native
speakers as far as academic language is concerned. (Shoebottom, 2011)
Other significant studies report that it could actually take from 6-10 years. (Miller, Mitchell, &
Brown, 2005)
‘Research also confirms that those new arrival students who enter school with minimal prior formal
schooling, little or no literacy in their own language, refugee trauma experiences, weak or disrupted
family ties or physical/sensory impairments experience a ‘double disadvantage’ and are typically
several years behind their ESL new arrival peers in attaining comparable literacy skill levels.
(Brown, Miller, & Mitchell, 2006)
New arrival refugee students are thus widely acknowledged as needing intensive language
instruction as a first priority rather than being placed in mainstream classes where teachers do not
have the time or the sophisticated understanding of language acquisition required to teach such
students. (Carrasquillo & Rodríguez, 2002; Gándara, Rumberger, Maxwell-Jolly, & Callahan, 2003;
Ochoa & Cadiero-Kaplan, 2004; Waggoner, 1999; Zehler et al., 2003)
Queensland government policy is The student is at the centre of all teaching and learning. This
means that, when planning, teachers start with the students and make curriculum decisions based
on their students (Queensland Government, 2008). Thus funding, timetabling, staffing etc should be
done to meet student need – at least 5 years of language support, intensive language tuition on
arrival, a supportive school community who see the student’s presence as being valued as part of
the diverse school community. This diversity should be celebrated and valued not resented.
9
What is current practice?
In Queensland’s mainstream state schools, ‘all permanent residents and temporary residents (except
for fee-paying students), including students born in Australia, from a language background other
than English and who require support to develop their English language proficiency are eligible for
ESL Program support.
http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/inclusive/cultural/esl/enrolling.html
Presently Queensland’s seven education regions are provided ESL resources based on numbers of
ESL and refugee ESL learners but the current resourcing methodology for ESL in Queensland has
been reviewed during 2011 for implementation in 2012. These results have not been released
publicly. It is understood the regions are able to apply resources flexibly to support ESL students’
needs, and that individual schools and regions make decisions around ESL staffing. In its report on
education provision for new arrival refugees MDA notes, however, that ongoing increases in Refugee
Program funding are necessary to meet the needs of increasing numbers of refugee students settling
in Queensland (Multicultural Development Association, 2011).
Despite this it has come to our knowledge that, in late 2010, it was decided to reduce funding for
non fee paying ESL students from five years of support to three years. This represents a forty percent
drop in funded support, to be implemented over two years. This decision was taken despite the fact
that a steady stream of new arrivals is occurring both as refugees and as dependent students of 457
visa holders.
It is of great concern that, while there has been a 500% increase in the refugee intake, there has
been a reduction in funding leading to a drop in numbers of teachers of ESL from 16.3 to 12.3 across
the region.
The above graph, which is based on data supplied by Education Queensland, raises a number of
questions for all stake-holders.
1. With a major increase in the number of refugee background students in Education
Queensland schools – has there been a similar increase in the level of support provided?
2. Why has there been such a major decrease in students enrolling in Catholic schools? What
factors are at play here and how does this fit with the Toowoomba Diocese’s ‘Education for
the Marginalised’ policy?
10
3. Can the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) provide the schools and TAFE
sector with an indication of settlement intentions in the next few years?
4. Is the Humanitarian Settlement Service provider (Multicultural Development Association
(MDA)) ensuring that parents and students are aware of the diversity of schools available
within the Toowoomba district?
The graph above demonstrates that in 2005, 59 percent of new arrivals were attending a Catholic
School, with 26 percent attending a government school and 15 percent an Independent school.
Figures provided by Education Queensland and Toowoomba’s Catholic Education Office suggest that
this situation has been reversed in 2011. It would appear that the majority of humanitarian entrant
school age students are now being enrolled in government schools. Any planning to better support
new arrivals students needs to take this trend into account. At the end of 2011 information
provided by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship suggested that the total number of new
arrivals would continue to be between 180 and 200 for each financial year. A large proportion of
this number would be school age.
New Arrivals in Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Toowoomba 2005 – 2011*
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Humanitarian background students attracting English as a
Second Language (ESL) funding in Diocese of Toowoomba
Other Humanitarian background students NOT funded
but enrolled **
ESL New arrivals for NON humanitarian students which
receive funding ***
Non Humanitarian NOT receiving ESL NA
(eg dependents of 457 Visa Holders)
TOTAL number of new ESL students enrolled in diocese
% of NA's to receive humanitarian funding
20
12
10
17
5
6
1
1
3
2
19
21
8
3
12
11
6
10
0
8
17
27
19
58
29
69.0
24
50.0
42
23.8
57
29.8
49
10.2
95
6.3
*These figures are for secondary and primary students
** These are mainly students who have arrived as humanitarian entrants and been enrolled in a government or independent school prior
to being enrolled in a Catholic school
*** These are students who have visas which entitle them to receive the New Arrivals English as a Second Language support funding
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The above table highlights the growing impact of students who are the dependents of 457 Visa
holders requiring ESL support. Between 2006 and 2011 this number has dramatically increased
while the number of humanitarian entrants enrolled has decreased. It is assumed that there would
be a similar increase in the number of new enrolments who are dependents of International
students and 457 visa holders in Education Queensland schools. The increase of students requiring
ESL support whilst not being eligible for additional funding has implications for all school systems.
There is also a likelihood that in the future it will continue to impact on the support given to new
arrivals from a humanitarian background.
The change in percentage of New Arrivals receiving humanitarian funding from 69 percent in 2006 to
6.3 percent in 2011 demonstrates that there has been a significant change in enrolment patterns
amongst the newly arrived refugee background population in Toowoomba. During the first half of
the past decade when new arrivals primarily came from South Sudan there was a good
understanding of the policies and procedures involving enrolment in Catholic school amongst the
emerging community. Now that there is a new source country (primarily Congo) it may be beneficial
for the independent and Catholic education sectors to promote their schools amongst the emerging
community.
While the focus for this project was secondary students a number of observations would be relevant
to primary schools as well. Toowoomba has a poor public transport system and a limited availability
of larger houses which are suited to bigger families from a refugee background. This means that
families are settling in certain parts of the city (eg. Darling Heights and near the University of
Southern Queensland) where suitable accommodation can be found. Due to the challenges of
transport and policies of catchment areas for state high schools the level of choice of school to
attend can be quite limited. If this continues it poses a challenge or question to be addressed by the
government and Catholic school sector. Should more resources be put into specific schools (eg.
Darling Heights Primary School, St Anthony’s Primary School and Harristown State High School) or
should the systems look at diversifying school populations? The benefit of pooling resources is selfevident but there is a danger that one or two schools become predominantly identified as “the
refugee schools”. Diversity of the school population benefits refugee background students as well as
the wider school population.
At the time of writing there has been a move for Catholic Education, Education Queensland and
TAFE to work together in meeting the educational needs of newly arrived students from a refugee
background. This cross-sector approach will be piloted in the next six months.
It should be noted that TAFE has developed some new programs which currently are attracting small
numbers of students but have the potential to grow. See Appendix 6 for details.
In mid 2011 MDA took over the refugee resettlement role from Spiritus, Darling Downs. As
Education Support officers were already in place this organisation referred all new arrival secondary
aged refugees to those officers. MDA was responsible for primary enrolments and secondary ones
after the maximum of 15 clients required by the Support Officers for the purposes of the study was
reached.
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Current Practice in Curriculum Provision – Toowoomba Secondary Schools
In terms of ESL curriculum, each secondary school in Toowoomba and surrounds offers different
methods of curriculum delivery.
Harristown SHS offers two days per week intensive English and mainstreams students for the
balance of their curriculum. New arrival students with limited English study the LOTE,
Indonesian, as the teacher concerned also teaches ESL. Students 16 yrs or over with limited
English encounter active discouragement from enrolling.
b. Toowoomba SHS offers ESL support on a withdrawal basis with students mainstreamed for
all subjects. Our client was placed in low level classes. The school accepts 16yr olds.
c. Centenary Heights SHS offers a mix of mainstream and ESL curriculum lines. Students study
subjects such as Mathematics, Art, HPE and Home Economics but do a number of lines
ESL/OEL. A tutorial line is also offered so that students can receive extra tuition in
mainstream subjects and assistance with assignments. The school accepts 16 year olds.
d. Lockyer SHS places students in low level mainstream classes and can offer 3hrs maximum
ESL support per week. An ESL SOSE* class operates. The school accepts 16yr olds.
e. St Saviours College supports a number of mainly African students, often girls whose
applications to state high schools are declined on grounds of age. Their support is in the
form of ESL teaching in small groups, assisted by aides who attend classes for one-on-one
help. As well as a line of ESL, students are given specially adapted English and Mathematics
classes.
a.
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Strengths in the Provision for Refugees
Teacher-identified strengths in school provision for refugees (mainstream teachers)
Three schools, St Saviour’s College, Centenary Heights State High School and Harristown SHS, were
given the opportunity to identify these strengths as these campuses have the largest enrolments of
the clients who were the subject of this study. Only one teacher responded from Harristown and she
did not choose to identify significant strengths in the program. A complete table of school responses
is provided in Appendix 4. However key points were as follows:
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Highly effective staff and support system in place at Centenary Heights SHS including peer
buddies, scaffolding and adjusting of tasks, lunchtime tutorials, multi-cultural ethos and
supporting activities, in class support, support from school personnel and a dedicated ESL
safe space.
The TAFE linked program Skill to Schools will provide valuable links between the institutions
to the benefit of refugee students as well as mainstream students. (CHSHS)
Pastoral care, inclusive attitudes, swimming lessons and general support of students by ESL
personnel at St Saviour’s College
Teacher identified strengths in school provision for refugees (as provided by ESL teachers
and support staff)
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LOCKYER: Supportive ESL staff (AVTS and Teacher Aide) Collaboration/communication
between ESL staff and general staff. Other students’ support (buddying, peer support).
Admin support. Good relationships with support agencies. Respect for other cultures.
Opportunities for success because of support in mainstream and foundation classes. Sense
of belonging within ESL group.
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OUTLYING SCHOOLS: The whole community rallies. Students feel they belong. Every teacher
has different ways to support. Integration and inclusion occurs quickly.
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CENTENARY HEIGHTS SHS: Students feel part of the school community. They are valued
because of their background talents and culture and feel as if they can succeed at some
level.
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TOOWOOMBA SHS MT LOFTY: Stable population of students. Friendly learning
environment. Understanding and supportive teachers. Teachers open to suggestions of
modification from AVT. Guidance officer very supportive. SEU provides supported activities.
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HARRISTOWN SHS: Team approach (ESL AVTS consultation) ESL Teachers and aides offer
support to students, teachers, and offer resources to both groups along with professional
development. A new Language and Cultural block, Red Cross linked activities and liaison with
outside agencies strengthens the school’s approach.
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Strengths in ESL support in Catholic secondary schools (provided by ESL Coordinator)
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Two excellent and motivated ESL teachers in two colleges
Intensive ESL classes for two colleges with ESL teachers
Positive and dedicated newly enrolled students
Caring and holistic support for student and their families via staff - teachers, ESL teachers and
aides
Strong pastoral support within school structures - looking outside the box
Strong sporting opportunities for students wishing to excel - basketball, athletics
Dedicated Voc Ed staff in schools and diocese
CEO Education Officer : ESL in close liaison with schools and wider community support groups
TRAMS, MDA, Spiritus, Mercy FS, Smith Family etc
Students have a clear sense of identity to school – St Mary’s College, St Saviour’s College, St
Joseph’s College etc.
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Administrator Identified Strengths in School Provision for refugees
Principals of the major reception schools past and present or their nominee were also interviewed
about what they saw as strengths. These are summarised below
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●
Goodwill of school communities
Whole school ethos of multiculturalism and valuing diversity (CHSHS/St Saviour’s)
Individual teachers who have been champions of and mentors to refugee students
Special classes of students for ESL tuition
Timetable lines for ESL tuition (St Saviour’s and Centenary Hts)
Class mother concept (St Saviour’s)
Red Cross program (Harristown)
Strengths in the Provision of Education to New Arrivals (Support Officers)
●
●
●
●
A strong level of good will from schools and community agencies
Willingness in most schools to liaise with support personnel
Some excellent support programs being offered in secondary schools eg SOSE KLA Lockyer,
Red Cross program Harristown, use of in-school mentors for ESL on school site (CHSHS)
Access to support agencies eg QPASTT*, MDA, Mercy Family Services, TRAMS^
* QPASTT: Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma
^ Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Service
16
Barriers to educational success
Below is a list of barriers to education success for refugee background students. All of these are
challenges which are faced by parents, students, teachers and school communities in Toowoomba.
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Disrupted education – The majority of refugee young people arriving in Australia have
experienced disrupted schooling and need time and support to catch up to their peers.
Difficulties navigating different education systems – There are significant differences
between Australian education systems and those overseas. Communicating expectations
and ensuring young people (and their families) make informed decisions about pathways can
be challenging.
Juggling settlement, education and family responsibilities – Young people are often juggling
the requirements of education with expectations to help out at home and other pressing
settlement issues. They can be under pressure simultaneously to find employment and
support family members in Australia and overseas.
Torture and trauma, developmental delays and classroom dynamics – The physical,
psychological and social effects of torture and trauma affect young people’s ability to learn.
This can play out in different ways, including slower academic progress and challenging
behaviour in classrooms.
Literacy and students from oral-based cultures – A significant proportion of young people
arrive without having attained literacy in their first or any language, either because they
come from oral based cultures or because of their background of severely disrupted
education. This has implications for pedagogy and the length of time it takes to learn English
(literacy and spoken).
Assessing and addressing learning disabilities – Appropriately assessing, diagnosing and
responding to learning disabilities among young people from refugee backgrounds is a real
challenge due to the limitations of existing assessment tools and the lack of recognition of
complicating factors such as disrupted education and the impact of traumatic experiences
on concentration and learning.
Refugee young people’s aspirations, expectations and reality – In many cases, there is a
disjuncture between a young person’s language and literacy abilities and his or her
educational and career aspirations. This can be compounded by family pressure for career
success, leaving young people making decisions without fully understanding the
consequences and realities.
Australian systems, education level and age – Education systems assume a link between age
and previous schooling. Placing older students with minimal or no previous schooling in a
skill appropriate year level is unlikely to meet their social and developmental needs, and yet
placing them in an age-equivalent year level is unlikely to meet their educational needs.
Pastoral and other support services within education and training systems. There is a lack of
resources to meet the complex pastoral and psychosocial support needs of students from
refugee backgrounds in some education environments, including and particularly
environments such as TAFE.
Homework support – This can be extremely valuable for these students, but is not uniformly
available or accessible in local areas, particularly where there are smaller numbers of
students from refugee backgrounds settling.
(Refugee Council of Australia, 2010)
The Refugee Council of Australia recognises that there is a particular challenge in regional settings
where Intensive English Reception Centres may not be available.
Most of the above issues have been evident in the new arrival students in Toowoomba. In particular the
following gaps and inequities and barriers to learning have been identified:
17
Barriers to Learning (Provided by ESL Teachers)
●
LOCKYER:
1. Programs in mainstream inappropriate.
2. Big gaps in general/cultural knowledge.
3. Lack of understanding by us of the cultures of the students.
4. Student lack of education foundational knowledge.
5. Family and emotional issues often unrecognised.
●
OUTLYING SCHOOLS:
1. Distance from resources /support services
●
CENTENARY HEIGHTS SHS:
1. Not being able to recognise strategies used by the school/teachers /support staff
relating to learning and management.
2. Trauma issues.
3. Lack of academic knowledge. This is often assumed as known and is actually the
foundation required for further learning in mainstream education.
4. Access to content.
5. Lack of context to learning.
6. Unawareness of social cues, references, expected behaviours/appropriate
behaviour.
7. Misunderstanding/misinterpretations of others which are language connected....
●
ST SAVIOUR’S COLLEGE:
1. lack of specialised training in ESL;
2. lack of cultural awareness with regard to specific ethnic background;
3. lack of cooperation and information-sharing between settlement agency and school;
4. lack of funds.
●
TOOWOOMBA SHS MT LOFTY:
1. Doesn’t have resources in place for high needs students.
2. No nominated staff member as direct mentor for ESL high needs students.
3. Lack of specific procedure for arrivals because of small numbers historically.
●
HARRISTOWN SHS:
1. Lack of age appropriate literacy resources.
2. Home life /support (parent education background)
3. School is not given QPASTT mental health assessments.
4. Unrealistic expectations of students. MDA supports for only 6 months- buys only
sports uniform and doesn’t fully equip students. ***
5. Often don’t understand that they must purchase some school equipment.
18
Home life, time-concepts, sleep, food, homework, hygiene etc. are all problems.
7. Curriculum doesn’t match background.
8. Students don’t always realise their responsibilities, often very aware of their rights.
6.
Barriers to Success for Students Enrolling in Catholic Schools (Catholic ESL
Coordinator)
1. Humanitarian students not enrolling under age 16 - complex issues - CEO secondary
schools only enrolling those students who were denied entry to EQ schools due to age
2. Students still arriving with unreal expectations of success (Uni - doctors etc)
3. Housing dilemma for both families and unaccompanied minors / young adult students low market for multi room rental houses / short term rental issues
4. Financial constraints for new families and students - paying even limited fees and
unemployment
5. Supporting very low level students in some mainstream classes - unreal expectations of
ability and success
6. Promoting Voc Ed as a viable pathway to post secondary learning and employment
7. Maintaining funding for secondary ESL teachers - school funded only / not CEO funded
*** (Facilitators note: the HSS provider is not responsible for uniforms or school equipment. In the
twelve months of this project the financial hardship caused by requirements for books, stationary
and uniforms was observed a number of times)
Ideas for improving outcomes for refugees (provided by ESL teachers)
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Dedicated teacher aides to shadow a student as long as is necessary
In-service for Principals /HODs/mainstream staff
Work on training /educating mainstream teachers to be aware of ESL strategies and how to
use them in the classroom. This would need to be supported by funds for TRS.
Parenting programs
Funds for intensive centre that doesn’t compromise the needs of other students.
Funding for school essentials – uniforms, stationery etc
Funding for participation in extra - curricular activities eg camps, excursions etc.
Designated mainstream staff member for ESL students eg HOC (for low numbers of ESL
students)
Designated ESL teaching space with necessary resources eg computer, internet access
Increase in IT resources. Bigger bank of quality interactive resources.
ESL procedure for School Administration to follow in every school
Curriculum for refugees (alternative)
QPASTT information more readily available
More specific ESL lines to reflect growth in competence and increasingly sophisticated
curriculum demands – not just foundation ESL or mainstream
Exemptions for all ESL students from all official assessment until they reach Level 4
Bandscales.
ESL teacher based at each school
ESL taught as two lines: language and literacy eg the strategies used in mainstream
classrooms, literacies of subject areas eg Science, linked to subject content being offered in
mainstream classes.
19
Barriers to Learning (Mainstream teachers)
Teachers at the 3 major reception schools for our clients, St Saviour’s College, Centenary Heights
SHS, Harristown SHS were consulted. Responses are summarised here. A full table of responses is
found in Appendix 4.
●
●
●
●
●
Language issues. This includes basic literacy skills and the academic literacy skills to operate
in mainstream classes
Teacher ignorance of previous cultural practices and trauma
Preliminary domain knowledge required to master secondary level content is often not
present
Student limited understanding of new cultural context means communication and
socialisation problems occur. Students do not necessarily understand classroom talk, social
conventions etc.
Lack of teacher time to give intensive support needed.
Ideas for improving outcomes for refugees (mainstream teachers)
●
●
●
●
●
Keep building on what the school (Centenary Heights) already does well (multi cultural
approach, scaffolded and supported student learning, peer buddies)
Full time intensive English course before commencement of mainstream studies
Better resourcing
Extra classes in English and Maths
Facilitation of more individual support for students eg teacher aides
Barriers to Education (Administrators)
Principals of the major reception schools past and present or their nominee were also interviewed
about what they saw as barriers. These are summarised below:
State Schools
● The perception of the students that they should be placed in age appropriate groups
● The high level of support needed by those with poor literacy skills
● Girls come in with cultural baggage
● Challenge of providing for students who are 16yrs or over with limited literacy skills
but high aspirations
● Limit to the capacity of any school to take refugees without appropriate
infrastructure eg permanent staff, designated space.
Catholic Schools
● Small amount of funding considering the long term support needed to ensure success
● Mismatch between aspirations and reality
● Communication between school and home
● Lack of information flowing from settlement agency
● Cultural barriers in city; eg employment prospects are limited.
20
Ideas for addressing barriers (Administrators)
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Continue external mentor role as has existed this year (St Saviour’s and Centenary Heights)
Continue developing (mainstream) staff and peers as mentors
Quality professional development to encourage ALL teachers to be equipped to teach
students in the mainstream. This does not simply mean ESL strategies, although these are
important, but quality explicit teaching strategies which support all students at risk. PD
would also focus on cultures and practices of arriving students (their virtual schoolbags) (St
Saviours)
Access to computers either by take home laptops or computer in home. (Principals have
mixed opinions on take home laptops because of potential user problems) All agree that
refugee homes need access to a computer.
While acknowledging the value of a reception centre, Catholic Principals prefer the funding
to come direct to their school.
Don’t think large increase in teacher aide time is the solution as this encourages
dependency. (St Saviour’s) Put money into teachers rather than aides as there are better
potential returns for students.
Have strong goals on which to focus eg assessment accessible and modified where
necessary.
Next Step project funding for two years to develop cross-curricular literacy learning and
teaching for indigenous and ESL students. (St Saviour’s)
Barriers to Learning (provided by Parents)
●
●
●
Communication with schools is a problem. School reports and newsletters are usually
inaccessible without a support officer.
Transport to after school activities is a problem
Laptops not available to all students
Ideas for Improvement: None were given as the parents expressed enormous gratitude for all that
had done for their children.
21
Barriers to learning (Education Support Officers)
In school
●
Different models of curriculum provision in each school. As mentioned above the following
models of delivery are offered to students with similar needs:
1. Mainstreaming with withdrawal for intensive English lessons; eg 16yr old student
three days in Yr 8 mainstream per week & two days intensive English.
2. Mainstreamed and provided with support in weak subjects (those identified
where student is lagging academically)
3. A few mainstream subjects eg Mathematics, Art, HPE, Home Economics for
socialisation/oracy purposes and some intensive English
●
Clear shortage of teacher aide time. This leads to heavy loads for mainstream teachers who
may have up to three ESL students needing support.
This leads to a lack of appropriate high level support in some schools for students who are
unable to read or write English. A student who is unable to read may have to be educated in a
group setting where his peers are operating at a higher level rather than receive one on one
tuition in alphabetic, phonological and cultural awareness. However one principal pointed out
the real danger of dependency on the aide for assistance if he /she always available.
● Continued lack of student understanding of academic discourse (eg one student completed
his homework in his homework diary), and school practices (eg student and parent had no
idea what the reporting package mailed to them was).
● Clarity of procedure for receiving new arrival refugee students (one school only).
● Placement of older students in classes with younger students; eg 16 yr olds in Year 8.
● Study of Indonesian by illiterate students Placement of new arrival students who have very
limited language and /or written English into LOTE class (at one school). While the LOTE
teacher is also a competent ESL teacher, this does not constitute maximisation of learning
opportunities for the student.
● Limited take-up/availability of quality professional development for mainstream teachers
● Tendency of teachers to consider all African students as one nationality (“Sudanese”)
without consideration of differing cultures, tribal and linguistic backgrounds. This is
confronting for all ethnic groups.
Para educational issues
● The inaccessibility of forms for enrolment, bus passes etc
● Waiting times for bus passes which cause considerable expense for large families
● The general inaccessibility of public transport; eg, two bus trips required, or no bus available.
● Initial education expenses for new arrivals, especially book-hire requirements
● Student ongoing understanding of school discourse; eg, free dress days, report cards. (Those
students without mentors struggle to understand, for example, the parent/teacher interview
procedure.)
● Lack of clear policies and procedure for enrolment of refugee students in some schools
● Accessibility of and ability to use computers.
● Homework: Access to TRAMS homework club is patchy. Students are not aware of school
homework support. Limited understanding of and access to computers
● Parents and students do not know their entitlements and responsibilities. This lack of
knowledge is open to exploitation by school authorities.
22
Practice in other areas – Some case studies
In conducting research for this project it became clear that the issues facing refugee background
students are not unique to Toowoomba. If there continues to be a push to resettle refugees in
regional areas it is important that Toowoomba draws on best practice in other locations. As the
Hugo Report states,
there is an increasing trend for humanitarian populations to settle in regional areas due to
better employment prospects. Consequently, some issues have arisen regarding access to
housing and support services for humanitarian entrants in regional areas. The report
suggests that significant attention needs to be paid to delivering services effectively in
these areas, as regional in-migration and development will continue to be a very central
issue in Australia over the coming years. (Hugo report, quoted in DISCUSSION PAPER
RCOA Submission on Australia’s 2012-13 Refugee and Humanitarian Program; October 2011)
Below is a summary of some locations throughout Australia supporting secondary age refugee
background students.
NAMBOUR:
General Information: Nambour SHS has one of two intensive English Units on the Sunshine Coast.
The bulk of ESL support resources are based here. Primary students attend the centre three days per
week and are supported by itinerant teachers in their base school near their home on the other two
days. Secondary students attend Nambour SHS where they attend most lessons in the Intensive
English unit but do at least one mainstream subject for oral language and socialisation purposes.
Students are then transitioned into the school gradually. In the Sunshine Coast region the other
school with such a unit is Dakabin SHS. Each school was selected because of proximity to transport.
Curriculum: At any time there are 3 - 4 general levels of English instruction. Basic conversational and
academic English is followed by more sophisticated concentration on grammar (SFL and traditional)
and the genres and top level structures of academic texts. Reading comprehension is also a strong
focus. Secondary aged students do at least one socialisation subject eg HPE, Art, Home Economics
and the balance of the curriculum is intensive English acquisition. More mainstream subjects are
added as English improves. It is school policy that ESL students do not do LOTE as this is considered
unhelpful in their acquisition of English and a waste of academic teaching time.
Enrolment: Students must be school age when enrolled. They can be older by the completion of
their studies. Currently students are largely of Asian or Eastern European origin.
Professional Development: Teachers undergo regular professional development and reading. They
run PD days for teacher aides and mainstream teachers. The Head of Special Education Studies is
also a tutor for Teaching ESL students in Mainstream Classrooms, a professional development
package which is offered regularly to mainstream teachers. She recommends this course as useful.
TRINITY BAY SHS:
This ESL unit in Cairns is currently staffed in the main from ESL funding but also through the schools
contribution of teacher numbers in recognition of the students’ status as enrolled students of that
school. ESL is offered on every line of the timetable so that students can access this tuition as part of
their regular timetable. Three levels of tuition are offered – Foundation, Beginner and Post Beginner.
There are specific ESL English and Maths subjects and another ESL subject called The Language of
Science. These three subjects have a heavy focus on developing the CALPs mentioned in the ideal
practice section of this report. Newly arrived students with limited English are placed in mainstream
subjects such as Art, HPE and Maths for socialisation and oracy purposes. Teacher aide hours are
23
supplemented by some from mainstream as these students are accessing mainstream subjects and
should therefore be entitled to mainstream support.
SHEPPARTON:
Shepparton English Language Centre is located within the campus of St George St Primary School. It
is one of four regional intensive language centres located in Victoria. It has an enrolment of about 26
secondary students. These students are divided into two classes, Foundation and Intermediate, one
of which focuses on BICS and the other on developing CALP. Teachers are employed on contract and
are supported by a multi cultural worker who is also used as interpreter.
Curriculum is based around themes designed to improve understanding of Australian culture and
practices. A bank of computers and an IT technician are available to the unit. To assist in the
transition to mainstream, sport and extra- curricular activities are offered to students. This
necessitates attendance at mainstream schools one of which they will ultimately attend. The centre
has a soccer team which plays in Saturday competition. There are also “Girls only” nights run for
recreation and education purposes. There are strong links with the local refugee support agency.
The unit also has a bus
**The unit generally experiences few behavioural issues as opposed to those centres which
withdraw students from mainstream classes for ESL tuition. A full report on this unit written by
Catholic ESL coordinator, Stewart Horton can be found in the Appendix 5.
WOODRIDGE SHS:
This intensive language centre was established in 2008 to offer intensive language support to newly
arrived refugee students. It is located on two sites. Students are taught at Bandscale level rather
than age or grade. Language is developed as students study ESL classes in English, Maths, Science,
SOSE, Art, Computers, HPE and cooking. There is also a focus on life skills. Both BICS and CALP are
developed through these subjects and when the students achieve Bandscale two they progress to
the ESL unit where they remain in ESL classes until they have the oral and written competency to
operate successfully in the mainstream. Students are at the same time mainstreamed with support
into a few elective classes where they are supported by ESL teachers and aides. The school has a
very large ESL population so the support continues into the senior school where English
Communication and English for ESL Learners (OP subject) are currently taught. A large number of
excursions are conducted to raise awareness in new arrivals of environmental and cultural issues.
ORANGE:
Orange City Council, assisted by funding from the NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General
and from Newcrest Mining Ltd, runs a Community Development Office, where a full time
Coordinator and a part time assistant manage programs for new settlers.
Activities organised include an annual multicultural fair in Refugee Week, along the lines of the much
bigger Toowoomba Languages and Cultures Festival. Significant work is being done to encourage
mixing between Aboriginal and African students; eg joint holiday program called Merge, Bowen Talk
Time, an activity with guest speakers of interest to both cultural groups. Significant mentoring of
students occurs; eg mentors in schools (school family to explain newsletters and other
correspondence, etc), holiday programs; eg African swimming, rock climbing and horse riding
classes.
24
Overall recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
That all students need to be supported in their acquisition of language for at least 5 years
if necessary.
That curriculum structure in all schools for ESL students be based on student need not
timetable pragmatics and that withdrawal from mainstream classes be replaced by lines of
ESL in the timetable, thus allowing daily tuition in language
That curriculum content for ESL students be structured into three levels to reflect students
understanding and developmental needs.
That teacher - aide hours be increased but that training of said teacher aides should be
such as to reduce the risk of dependency by the student. These teacher aide hours should
include some from mainstream as these students also participate in mainstream classes.
That more interactive teaching and learning resources be made available to students to
increase opportunities for ability appropriate learning and, where appropriate, be
available for home use.
That mainstream teachers be required to access PD in catering for ESL students in the
mainstream and this be appropriately funded ie systemic funding to cover TRS.
Acknowledgement is made that some PD has been offered but responses from teachers
indicate that there has been very limited take up of these opportunities. Each teacher
should have a copy of Students from Refugee and Displaced Backgrounds – a
Handbook for Schools. Fairfield, Queensland: QPASTT 2007
That ESL teachers access PD in current practice/research in their field as well as
mainstream developments eg Australian Curriculum, pedagogy using digital technology.
8. That the position of some sort of educational mentor/liaison officer be maintained AND/
OR that volunteer liaison families be appointed in each school to assist new arrivals for at
least 12 months. A summary of possible responsibilities for an Education Support Officer
could be derived from Appendix 3.
9. That settlement agencies build and foster positive relationships with schools.
10. That ESL teachers advise classroom teachers of the results of band-scale testing for each
child, explain that in everyday language and give advice on ability appropriate activities
and scaffolding required.
7.
25
Conclusion
Contact with students and their families during the year has revealed a joy of belonging and a dream
of learning that is readily demonstrated in their homes. Young people value school attendance and
are highly motivated. They have great expectations of the education system which awaits them.
However, as this report shows, there are in fact inequities in the education services offered to
refugees in Toowoomba. Their curriculum offerings differ markedly from school to school, with the
withdrawal model being the least effective. The number of years of support in state schools is utterly
inadequate and defies all known research on the topic. Catholic schools are also funding strapped
which means that they too are struggling to support these students. Teachers in general lack
professional development particular in catering for students in the mainstream. Many teachers in
the Catholic system in subjects other than English need professional development in the teaching
curriculum literacies. Many state school teachers have the same need. ESL and mainstream teachers
are concerned about the paucity of aide time. There remains a communication gulf between schools
and the homes of their refugee students.
A great sign of hope occurred during the research period. The Smith Family co-ordinated a
“Collaboration Table” focusing on the needs of refugee background youth. For the first time in over
a decade all major stake-holder sat at the table and committed to improving outcomes for refugee
background students. At the time of printing working parties continue to meet and there is
enormous good will being shown from all involved.
One of the working parties is focused on investigating the establishment of an Intensive Reception
Centre. While such an initiative is welcomed by the authors of this report it is vitally important that
the model used and method of implementation be carefully thought through. At the conclusion of
2011 there was discussion around basing such a centre at Harristown State High School. Any centre
which disrupts the mainstream education of ESL students enrolled at other schools by withdrawing
them for two days per week would be counterproductive. Anecdotal evidence from students and
parents indicates that withdrawal from mainstream classes for intensive English lessons (for example
for two days per week) is the least effective method of intensive English instruction. Across
Toowoomba and further afield there are other more effective ways in which we can support new
arrivals in secondary schools.
The moral test of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. As stressed at the
beginning of this report schools can be places of great and positive social change or they can be
places of entrenching and enforcing disadvantage. All principles of educational equity suggest that
unequal inputs are required to achieve equal outcomes. Should the above issues not be addressed,
the city faces the prospect of a group of semi-literate, disenchanted and virtually unemployable
adults who will be unable to make the positive contributions to this city and to this nation to which
they aspire.
26
Bibliography
Brown, J., Miller, J., & Mitchell, J. (2006). Interrupted schooling and the acquisition of literacy:
experiences of Sudanese refugees in Victorian secondary schools. Australian Journal of
Language and Literacy, 29(2), 150-162.
Carrasquillo, A., & Rodríguez, V. (2002). Language minority students in the mainstream classroom
(2nd ed.). London: Cromwell Press.
Exploring post-compulsory education and training pathways for young people from refugee
backgrounds in NSW.
Gándara, P., Rumberger, R., Maxwell-Jolly, J., & Callahan, R. (2003). English Learners in California
Schools: Unequal resources, 'Unequal outcomes (Vol. 11).
Miller, J., Mitchell, J., & Brown, J. (2005 ). African refugees with interrupted schooling in the high
school mainstream: dilemmas for teachers and students. Prospect: An Australian Journal of
TESOL, 20(2), 19-33.
Multicultural Development Association. (2011). Review of Funding for Schooling. Brisbane.
Ochoa, A., & Cadiero-Kaplan, K. (2004). Towards promoting biliteracy and academic achievement:
Educational programs for high school Lation English language learners. The High School
Journal, 87(3), 27-43.
Queensland Government. (2008). Curriculum Guidelines for English as a Second Language (ESL)
Learners.
Refugee Council of Australia. (2010). FINDING THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE
Refugee Council of the United Kingdom (2011) Supporting and Mentoring in Learning and Education
(SMILE) Final Report
Shoebottom, P. (2011). A guide to learning English - Second language acquisition - essential
information. from http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/cummin.htm
Social Justice Commission, Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba (2005) Finding a Home on the Range – A
Snapshot of the Sudanese Community in Toowoomba.
Waggoner, D. (1999). Who are secondary newcomer and linguistically different youth? In C. Faltis &
P. Wolfe (Eds.), So much to say: Adolescents, bilingualism, and ESL in secondary schools. New
York: Teachers College Press.
Zehler, A. M., Fleischman, H. L., Hopstock, P. J., Stephenson, T. G., Pendzick, M. L., & Sapru, S. (2003).
Descriptive study of services to LEP students and LEP students with disabilities. Policy report.
Summary of findings related to LEP and SPED-LEP students.
27
Appendix 1
Social Justice Commission
New Arrivals Education Support
Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba
1
23 Neil St
PO Box 1262 Toowoomba Qld 4350
Ph. (07) 4613 0895 Fax (07) 4638 9178
Email: [email protected]
www.tsjc.org ABN 62 252 732 810
Letter of agreement
I, .................................................................................. agree to permit the New Arrivals Education
Support officers, Derek Curnow and Annette Curnow or their nominees, to give assistance and
support to my student child/children ................................
I further agree to permit the New Arrivals Education Support officers to attend such meetings with
the teachers as necessary during the school year for the purpose of supporting the educational
progress of my child/children.
I agree to permit the New Arrivals Education Support officers to transport my child/children to such
school meetings as may be necessary from time to time.
Signed:
NAME:
.....................................................................................
...................................................................................... DATE: .................................
28
Appendix 2
Social Justice Commission
New Arrivals Education Support
Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba
123 Neil St
PO Box 1262 Toowoomba Qld 4350
Ph. (07) 4613 0895 Fax (07) 4638 9178
Email: [email protected]
www.tsjc.org ABN 62 252 732 810
2nd August 2011
Dear Teacher of
We have recently been appointed by the Catholic Social Justice Commissioner to mentor and monitor
the progress of new arrival refugees across all education system. Parents/guardians of school-age
refugee students sign a permission form which allows us access to information about these students in
the educational context.
Our primary focus is to mentor and advocate for these clients. However, as teachers ourselves, we
also look to support schools as much as possible in providing education for these students. Our role is
not to tutor but merely to facilitate whatever support is necessary. To this end, we will, where
possible, be available to attend interviews in relation to the students’ progress or behaviour.
After twelve months in the role, we will present a report to our employers, a copy of which will be
provided to key stakeholders. This report will document the extent of educational opportunities for the
clients and identify gaps and inequities in these provisions. The report will be used as evidence in
lobbying for future funding for these and future students.
We are mindful of the challenges faced by teachers of EAL students, and seek only to support
everyone involved. Please feel free to contact us with any concerns.
Yours faithfully
Derek & Annette Curnow
New Arrivals Education Support Officers
29
Appendix 3
Role of Education Support Officers 2011
●
Enrol students at school, assisting non-English speaking parents to negotiate up to 12 pages
of enrolment form and various uniform shop/textbook forms.
● Assist them in the acquisition of uniforms, stationery supplies, textbooks, school bag,
lunchbox etc.
● Organise bus passes (again a multi-page form)
● Explain school discourse eg addressing of teachers, bells and their function, homework,
behaviour expectations, rules and consequences, uniform requirements, food, sexual
behaviour etc.
● Negotiate curriculum with school and family (through an interpreter when necessary)
● Organise interpreter to explain all of the above to parents and students
● Take students to school on Day 1 and support them in identifying and using appropriate
public transport
● Visit homes weekly to check on progress and address emerging issues
● Organise parent/ teacher interviews on request and attend those and regular
parent/teacher interviews as a support
● Explain school correspondence eg reports, newsletters, permission forms
● Liaise with MDA and school personnel over emerging issues eg changing curriculum,
behaviour management issues
● Attend meetings with ESL coordinators and teachers to discuss progress of clients
● Transport to relevant meetings eg at TAFE
● Act as general advocate for our clients
In addition
●
●
●
●
Support for parents in form filling etc.
Requested orientation to Australia high interest low ability books from ALEA
Vacation trip to Bunya Mountains
Organised computers for new arrivals
30
Appendix 4
Survey Refugee Parents Toowoomba
One of the greatest hopes for newly arrived refugees in Toowoomba is that their children will
receive a good education. The purpose of this survey is to hear your feelings about the ways in which
the education system and other support agencies have assisted your child/children in beginning this
education. It would be appreciated if you could provide answers to these questions.
1.
Do you feel your children are progressing well at school? How do you know?
2.
What do you like about your child’s school from what you have seen?
3.
What problems did your child/children face when he/she /they started school?
4.
How could your child’s school better support you and/ or your child?
5.
Have the Education support officers made your child’s entry to school easier? How?
6.
What else would you have liked them to do to assist your child?
7.
Should the position of education support officer continue into 2012 and beyond? Why?
8.
Does your child access the TRAMS homework club?
Thank you for completing this survey
Derek and Annette Curnow (Education Support Officers)
31
Appendix 5
TEACHER SURVEY RESPONSES
Centenary Heights SHS
Successes Extra resourcing by school
1.
CHSHS program run by Barbara Muller; ESL provisions in assessment support students;
multicultural inclusive activities encourage refugees to feel comfortable at school
Teachers work hard at modifying assessment tasks
ESL support; peer buddy program; pre-teaching students; including new arrivals in wider
school community
Availability of ESL room for students is vital
Social integration through ESL & mainstream classes (non-discrimination policies); extra
time and some exam assistance (reading); Guidance Officer, Social Worker, Youth
Health Nurse, Harmony Day, etc
Harmony Day; in-class and withdrawal support; exam support
Students receive extra consideration & assistance, tutorials
Barbara Muller’s efforts
Safe learning environment
Cultural programs, inclusive activities; work of Barbara Muller
Integration of students into school programs & classrooms
Teacher-aide support; line support; structured lunch time help; dedicated teacher and
teacher aides in ESL
Patience, flexibility in meeting individual needs, understanding of overall situation;
teaching cultural expectations/differences, language, overall personal development,
integration on sporting teams
Inclusive education
Socially well looked after in this school
Support teachers; peer support;
Dedicated Guidance officer & ESL teacher have led to very high level of success
educationally and socially
Leadership of Barbara Muller
School offers additional teacher and time to assist in learning
Accepting differences, welcoming multiculturalism in our school, creating awareness of
needs and background issues, and providing assistance where possible – tutorials,
assignment modification where possible, assistance with uniforms/materials and linking
with community elders where possible.
Entire ESL program at Centenary Heights SHS. Leadership of Barbara Mueller, supported
by guidance officer, school nurse ,teacher aides etc
32
Teacher
identified
barriers to
learning
Language acquisition;
Culture shock; poverty
Language; damaging refugee backgrounds; lack of stable family support
Inherent social problems; adjusting to new environment takes time; new
curriculum does not match previous experience
Noise levels in classes; fast learning pace; traditional chalk/talk classroom teaching;
students lack confidence to ask for help; individual learning needs not being
recognised or assessment adjusted)
Language (at times)
Language acquisition (English); lack of basic numeracy ; cultural contexts of
questions/texts
Language & cultural differences; assumed knowledge for this year level not
understood by student
Understanding by students of terminology and tasks ; Students too polite or quiet
to request assistance
Language behind chronological age expectations; disparity between motivation and
competency in basic literacy & numeracy
Teachers not equipped to meet needs effectively; teacher ignorance of past
cultural practices & traumas
Language: comprehension of written & spoken texts; integration with other
students
Language & cultural differences; some students not motivated; absenteeism; being
allowed to leave class to go to ESL area
Language skills, computer skills
Language/cultural differences; homelife/circumstance/cultural expectations; some
misunderstanding of Australian expectations; previous trauma
English/ literacy
English
Lack of peer integration; language communication barriers; understanding of new
cultural context
Language; awareness of cultural mores; lack of basic pre-arrival education;
psychological trauma
Lack of teacher understanding of student social, emotional, physical background;
language
Cultural & language barriers;
Lack of English ability (particularly written English) hinders progress in all subject
areas, but also socially. Cultural differences also impact on understanding, as so
much of our classroom talk and the work itself is based on assumed common
background knowledge. This also hinders involvement in class activities as many
develop a feeling of insecurity and inferiority.
CHSHS
33
Overcoming
barriers
Appropriate support program
Personnel dedicated to giving individual support
Keep doing what school does well
Transition classes in English & Maths as introduction to school while allowing
socialisation through elective classes, eg, Hospitality, PE
Headset & speakers for teachers in classrooms; pre-teach, or decrease learning
pace;
Patience, participation, time to do tasks
Extra classes in English & Maths
Continue individual support
Extra support
Better resourcing
Better training; increase in staffing
More time spent on English, less on other subjects; more teacher aide time in
classrooms
Guides on how to teach these students; take the money and time to create
specialised ESL learning centre;
involvement on sport, helping individuals write their stories, encouraging of cultural
exchange in classes
2 year intensive English course
Full time English course
Student support network
Money to facilitate remediation
Linking with good buddies; summary provided to all teachers about student
background; ESL teacher support
taking English speaking classes not just placed into high school
More assistance with language is essential – perhaps through MORE intensive
learning experience prior to immersion in full lessons. There also needs to be
investigation into how to encourage some students to ask for help – too often they
feel embarrassed (or perhaps it is not culturally polite?) to ask for help, and the
reality is in the classroom, that we don’t always spot the struggles these students
are having until late into assignments and so on. By the time they become trusting
enough of us and comfortable with us, learning has already suffered.
CHSHS
34
Awareness of
community
support groups
Cultural support groups (Eg Sudanese)
Some ethnic groups
TRAMS is wonderful
TRAMS, church groups
TRAMS, TAFE, church groups, sponsors
TRAMS;
TRAMS
Churches; own ethnic community
Social workers
Salvos, Lifeline etc
Welfare groups
Charity, support organisations
Cultural awareness training
Numerous agencies, state govt, federal govt, private industry
Church groups, community groups, Lifeline etc
Some church groups support the students (and their families) as do community
elders/organisations when/where they exist. However, as many students reach Australia
without full family support and having suffered trauma in their lives, they sometimes fall
through the gaps and adopt other coping strategies – some of our own community have
joined “gangs” around Toowoomba to gain social acceptance and a sense of belonging and
I know some of their elders despair at this. What I am not sure about is the level of
support provided to new arrivals in really becoming part of the community.
Professional
development/
reading
Websites on artists, artefacts, traditions to be inclusive
Compulsory EQ multicultural awareness program
Current teaching journals; counselling programs
Cultural awareness PD
Cultural awareness PD
Advice from specialist teacher on assistance methods
2 hours PD in 5 years; regular meetings with ESL teacher
Compulsory cultural awareness PD session
Cross-cultural training;
One or two things
Catering for Diversity PD
1 hour PD session in 2 years
More training needed
Done none. Wants none
More PD needed
Professional reading is often sent to us and we have all completed Cross-Cultural Training
– obviously though this only scratches the surface – each student is different and it takes
time to really understand the individual issues – for example, one of my Sudanese boys
was recently drawing pictures of his original home ( a mud/straw/stick structure in
immediate connection with nature) and when I talked with him about this, while he
appreciates his new home in Toowoomba, he misses that connection with the life that
was always around him. These are the sorts of things we need to spend more time
learning about – BUT, we are so overloaded with paperwork at the moment, I’m not sure
when we’d fit more in.
35
Further comments:
As a teacher I feel that these students have the potential to contribute to Australian society in a positive way.
However, this potential is not fully developed when the government does not work out proper and advanced
education programs that focus on their needs. We can’t just put refugees in areas in Australia and expect them
to `get on with it’ when a structured, useful and purposeful education program is not in place.
CHSHS
36
St Saviour’s College
Successes Extra Aide time
Limited successes
English immersion, socialisation, swimming lessons
Pastoral support, teachers simplify scaffold tasks, one on one support with teacher aide
when available
None
School has good attitude of acceptance BUT limited resources available
2.
Barriers Lack of cultural understanding on both sides, finding teacher time to assist when other
classroom needs prevail
Communication, cultural difference
Language, esp subject-specific language, social customs & mores, lack of teacher
awareness of limited local cultural awareness by students (tooth-fairy, Easter bunny, etc)
Lack of teacher time to give necessary attention, student understanding of instructions,
different learning styles
Students not understanding instructions because of minimal English
Unrealistic expectations of progress
Overcoming
barriers
Providing more support to individuals
One year intensive program needed
Intensive English immersion, buddy system
More support by personnel in classroom, some workbooks
Intensive literacy before attending mainstream classes
Language, knowledge of background/personal background of refugee student,
student understanding of Australian lifestyle
Awareness of community support groups
PD/ reading
TRAMS, Curnows
TRAMS for some students
TRAMS homework help
TRAMS,
TRAMS
TRAMS
Nil
Some reading; little PD
Some in-school in-service
Cath Ed Office advisors
Nil
Nil; time and financial support needed
37
Harristown SHS
Successes In some instances – extremely well, but most of the time we are attempting to engage
these students and assimilate them into a ‘normal’ learning environment with
limited/no language skills.
3.
Barriers Failure to understand and read English – unable to interpret written theory in textbooks
and worksheets.
My failure to be able to communicate instruction – especially in a practical subject
situation - can lead to dangerous actions. We don’t have the manpower to have someone
with these students at all times to ensure a safe and non-threatening environment.
Overcoming
barriers
Intensive English course before they are placed into normal stream classes.
Teacher aides accompanying them as a group and working with them this would
depend on the actual subject and the classroom involved. Some rooms do not
/cannot provide optimum learning spaces for small groups – the students are
spread out and isolated (not very conducive to engagement when understanding is
limited).
Awareness of community support groups
PD/
reading
Elders / community liaison personnel
If I had a class JUST with these students, I would be able to consult our ESL staff here at
the school for advice regarding their education and needs.
Due to the sizes and concentrated behaviour management issues associated with most
junior classes, even possessing the ability to be able to engage these students would be
futile they require very intense tuition and engagement and quite frankly we haven’t
got the class time available to manage their needs along with everyone else.
38
Appendix 6
TAFE Youth Class
During the second half of 2011 the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE established a Youth Class
for Refugee and Migrant students in Toowoomba**. The Youth Education Program started in
October 2011 and is delivered via funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship –
Adult Migrant English Program. The students are between 16 and 25 years old and are currently all
new arrivals rather than students who had previously started their education within our primary or
secondary system.
The classes concentrate on language acquisition and settlement activities, in addition to career and
training guidance. The program has resulted in very positive outcomes within its short life with
students encouraged to explore their options and provided with assistance to achieve access to
these options.
Students in the Youth Class were provided with learn to swim and safety in water classes, healthy
diet and cooking classes and also attended the all of campus Australia Zoo trip. Each term a
different topic has been provided to encourage and expose the student group to the wide options
available within the VET sector that many refugees are not aware of. For example students have
attended training in the Horticulture section undertaking Landscaping and Nursery lessons. The
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Industry Summer School provided high school students
from our region with an opportunity to attend a two week program exposing them to industries in
the region that have identified skill shortages.
The students attended tours of work sites, were addressed by employers and provided information
about training pathways to achieve the goals of employment within the local area. The students had
to be recommended by their schools and personally apply to attend the program as only 15 places
were available. The program achieved exceptional attendance rates as a result of the high degree of
engagement that was experienced. Travel to Dalby and Warwick in addition to Toowoomba was
undertaken as part of the program with workplaces in each site providing the students with
exposure to potential employment opportunities. Some of the sites visited included the Origin
Power Station, a Carmichael’s Construction site, Stahmann’s Farm nut processing factory and the
Toowoomba Base Hospital. Students will now undertake work experience in their selected industry
sector with the potential of school based traineeships and apprenticeships being offered. This
program had a significant amount of industry support which provided the students with a broader
insight into the workplaces of Australia.
A worthwhile topic explored by some of the students on completion of their program was the need
to educate and inform the parents and CALD community about the VET sector. The students
suggested that whilst they were now able to see the benefits in following this pathway their parents
were only interested in their children going to University – VET is not an option. With family and
community having a significant role to play in the decisions made, a concerted effort now needs to
be made to inform the CALD community in regard to the benefits of vocational training.
(The above information was provided by Charlene Keller, Southern Qld Institute of TAFE)
**Facilitators Note This groups is extremely small and has yet to gain general acceptance from
new arrivals.
39
Shepparton English Language Centre – Overview in Brief
Details obtained by Stewart Horton – EO:ESL at TCEO from a telephone conversation with Jennie
Patterson – Transition / Curriculum Co-ordinator at the Shepparton English Language Centre on
12/09/2011
Shepparton English Language Centre (SELC) is located within the campus of St George Street Primary
School in central Shepparton, Victoria. It was opened in 2008 and is currently housed in a disused Vic
Ed regional office building which had been refurbished and refitted to accommodate the Centre. It is
resourced and financed by the state education department Vic Ed, as one of four regional Victoria
English Language Centres. Other English Language Centres within regional Victoria are located in
Mildura, Ballarat and Traralgon.
Current student enrolment at SELC stands at 56 primary and 26 secondary students. However none
of the 56 enrolled primary students attend the SELC Campus, but these students are based at three
local outpost primary schools. Student enrolments are mainly humanitarian children from
Afghanistan, DR Congo, Iraq, with other students from Ukraine and Sri Lanka. They have a
proportion of UHM (Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors) in their present cohort. Students are
enrolled for a 12 month period, but under exceptional circumstance the Centre can apply to Vic Ed
for an extension of one additional term. There may be occasional circumstances when a student is
deemed ready for mainstream study and so are transitioned earlier than the 12 months, depending
on the time of year, but in general, the vast majority receive a full twelve months education.
Onsite classes at SELC consist of two secondary classes with a total of 26 secondary students. The
classes are based on language proficiency and so both classes have students aged from 13 up to 21
yrs old. Staff did not see this as an issue for their present cohort of students.
The foundation secondary class has students who are very low in English proficiency and literacy and
focus on formulaic and foundational English language learning. Students reflect skill levels of SL and
S1 (Vic Ed ratings). The intermediate class has students who possess higher language proficiency and
work around developing skills of reading, writing, editing, scanning etc and reflect skill levels of
S1.3+. Students may progress to the higher class if they improve sufficiently, or they may stay in the
foundation class for the full twelve months.
Staffing and Class sizes - All classes are ideally staffed at a maximum of 13 students per teacher,
however there are times when more students are in classes till another class can be formed and
another teacher can be employed. Efforts are made to employ a contract teacher should numbers
increase beyond the 26 students. The new class will be formed by the emerging needs of the newly
arrived students. Teachers at the centre are mostly ‘early years’ trained and have had extensive
experience in ESL class for newly arrived students. In previous years they have been up to three full
time teachers, but also down to one. For students arriving mid-term, they will be enrolled and fully
attend classes, but their 12 month period will not begin until the beginning of the next term, subject
to the time of year.
Staffing allocation - All staff in the centre are employed by Vic Ed and are on contract, either yearly
or short term contract. There is a full time Afghani L1 multicultural officer employed for interpreting
and support in class. Other interpreters are employed on a part time basis and are called on when
needed. A Maths teacher is employed to release the class teachers for NCT and to provide
specialized numeracy lessons for both classes over the course of the week. The outpost Primary
teacher based at St George’s Primary ESL class also provides PE lessons two times a week in the
afternoon.
40
Screening and placement - Initial screening during enrolment is done by the Transition / Curriculum
officer and consists of an enrolment interview then several assessment tasks to obtain a writing
sample, reading sample, oral retell of reading and various other screeners such as South Australia
sight word tool, as determined by staff. These initial interviews are conducted with an on-site
interpreter and can take up to three hours if there are several members of a family group enrolling
in the one intake. With several enrolments at once, there may several staff members interviewing
students.
Curriculum and KLA’s – Both the foundation and intermediate classes work on themes and generally
get through two themes in a term. General themes covered throughout the year are Australian
culture and animals, Australian Geography and Emblems and Indigenous Australians associated
around NAIDOC week. There is a high focus on English language teaching and learning across several
curriculum areas.
Computers and IT – Within the Centre there is a dedicated computer lab consisting of approximately
20 computers and in each of the two classrooms there are approximately 3-4 computers for student
use during lessons. They have an IT technician for two days per week from the St Georges Primary
School. The school endeavours to provide a second-hand computer to each family that are enrolled
and these are located from around the community and local businesses. Each of the two classrooms
has an interactive whiteboard.
Primary Classes at Outpost Schools – SELC employ a specialist ESL teacher at each of the three
outpost primary schools. Each teacher will work for a two hour block 5 days a week with two classes
consisting of P-2 and 3-6 classes. These also work on a theme based program with these two age
groups students. One of these teachers also provide PE lessons two afternoons a week at the SELC,
for the two secondary teachers to receive non-contact time.
Enrolment Procedures and finances
When a humanitarian family arrive in Shepparton, they are encouraged to enrol their children in the
SELC, but they are under no obligation. If secondary aged, they are encouraged to attend the SELC
onsite and if primary, they are encouraged to enrol in one of the three feeder schools with an
outpost ESL unit. Secondary students who do not live within walking distance to the Centre are
brought to the school via taxi over the first few weeks, until they know the bus service routes or until
they can ride a bicycle to the centre. The taxi picks them up from their enrolled mainstream school
office and drops them off to the SELC. The students are required to make their own way to their
local school during this short taxiing period.
As all students are officially enrolled in their local primary or secondary schools and in practice
attend the SELC as a satellite to their school. Each participating local school with applicable
attending students provide a payment of $625 per student enrolled per term for supporting the
foundational English language learning needs of their students. These funds are used to pay for
excursions, materials and computers / IT needs.
General Centre Goals
Staff at the SELC promote their Centre as a caring and nurturing place of learning. They endeavour to
promote a positive and family like atmosphere in a supportive educational environment with
intercultural understanding. The students have access to the centre’s kitchenette, microwave, some
cooking facilities and the school’s kitchen garden. The teachers have also qualified for their L2P
Mentor Driver Certificate in order to support those students who are learner drivers and who are
41
obtaining the required 120 hours tuition and practice. A training car is obtained through the
Berrystreet community organisation (local NGO community agency).
Students will routinely visit the schools where they will eventually start their mainstream learning.
Staff organise and plan various focus lessons in basic science, technology and photography. In order
to build positive initial mainstream school experience for all students, all students attend these focus
classes even though individual students may not be going to that particular school in the near future.
Sport and extracurricular activities are offered to the students in their time at SELC. The male
students have fielded a soccer team in the local Saturday sports competition. Vic Ed schools have
Saturday sports instead of Wednesday afternoons as per Qld. Fathers in particular attend these
games to spectate which develops positive networks and inclusion. The girls have a twice term
evening event ranging from video nights, beauty therapy sessions and makeup demonstrations.
These are a ‘girls only’ event and are staged at the SELC with female only staff in attendance.
Another goal for the centre to get the students out into the community ‘to see and be seen.’ The
local bus company is used to bus students to different places and this is paid for from the funds
brought in by the school support fees.
The centre works closely with the local refugee support interagency and endeavours to prove each
family with a computer and a bicycle for each student.
According to staff, because the students have no prior experience with secondary schooling in
Australia they are generally very happy to receive this intensive support rather than wanting to go to
high school straight away. They are open to instruction and advice on what to expect in mainstream
education and can be guided and warned as to expectations of students and teachers. They
generally have few behavioural issues, as opposed to those centres which withdraw students from
mainstream classes for periods / sessions for language learning, such as Ballarat.
42
Further questions to consider
●
●
●
●
●
Use of counsellors and therapists for students suffering symptoms of trauma
What support is offered to the exiting students when entering mainstream classes
Are students ever turned away due to enrolment numbers
What occurs when one class becomes top heavy – are some students forced to upgrade or
down grade according to the changing dynamics of newly enrolled students
What is the arrival data for IHSS for Shepparton as compared to Toowoomba
Reflection
It is well known that Victoria has been the leading state in terms of supporting ESL students within
Australia and the SELC model confirms this. The following dedicated English Language Schools
and/or centres are governed and administered by Vic Ed and several have both primary and
secondary students on campus as well as servicing outpost schools and remote schools:
Nine Metro Melbourne Centres
Four Regional Centres
Blackburn English Language School
Collingwood English Language School
Noble Park English Language School**
Western English Language School
Springvale English Language Centre
Broadmeadows English Language Centre
Brunswick English Language Centre
Glen Eira English Language
Westall English Language Centre
Geelong English Language Program
Ballarat English Language Centre
Shepparton New Arrivals Programs
Latrobe English Language Centre - Traralgon
** I previously taught at Noble Park English Language School prior to my employment at TCEO and
so have had some experience at this level of education provision.
In Queensland (as I understand it) we have one dedicated EQ English Language site – Milpera State
high School and it is part the Education Queensland system, while several schools may have an ESL
unit on site located in a larger school.
The SELC is completely resourced as an annex school for Vic Ed and is one of four regional locations
that offer this form of specialised student support outside Melbourne. SELC staff are employed on
short term / yearly contract basis and will only be employed when there is a present need. At the
time of the interview, one of the outpost school ESL classes had been closed as they were not
sufficient students to warrant a full time teacher. Those few eligible students were taxied to the
closest outpost school and returned later in the day. However if demand was to increase, then the
school would ‘re-offer’ specialised ESL intensive classes.
This centre is clearly part of a wider established ESL support program which is recreated within
metropolitan cities and across several regional areas. There already exists an awareness,
understanding and expectation of ESL student needs and the obligatory financial support required
by the corresponding schools and colleges.
Trying to develop this type of small class model would require state education support, as there is
not sufficient newly arrived student numbers or the finance to develop this within the TCEO.
43
However EQ are funded differently to the ISQ model and may not have access to suitable refugee
level funding.
This model of language support would require a considerable amount of initial funding to get off the
ground, IT teaching resources, as well as initial capital works to prepare the site for adequate and
proper facilities and buildings. There would also be considerable ongoing costs that would need to
be met.
Questions would need to be raised over:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Location and catchment guidelines
Initial Refurbishment and fit out – IT costs, teaching resources, furniture, library
Would a 12 month model be desired? If less then need to question the efficacy of the
program
Management and school staff positions – where would staff be positioned for HOC, HOD or
principal level of management
Employment Contract arrangements – relating to reduced or increased in student
enrolments
Staffing numbers ratio to students – guidelines for changes in ‘enrolments’ numbers
Number and grouping of classes – age based or proficiency based – issues with both models
but not so at SELC
Guidelines as to who can / can’t be enrolled and how long the program/s will run –
developing agreed enrolment guidelines and protocols across sectors
Use of ancillary staff – admin assistant needed?
Use of and costing of interpreters or MEA’s Multicultural Education Aides – what critical
student number would warrant an appointment of a new MEA - their contact hours and
payroll?
Would students be initially enrolled at other schools /colleges first then annexed to the site
for a set/ negotiated period – subject to review ….
If run as an EQ school / annex, where does TCEO stand with enrolment for newly arrived
students wanting a catholic education
Would schools be expected to provide funds ($625 per term per Ss in Vic) to support their
student’s foundational learning while onsite and if so, how much and how often would it
take place
Ongoing funding arrangements across sectors
Travel arrangements for outlying students
Access to counsellors, school nurse, chaplain services
Student protection officers and OHS officers
Transport arrangements for excursions and school / community visits
44
Glossary of Acronyms
BIC
Interpersonal Communication Skills
CALP
Cognitive Academic Language proficiency
CHSHS Centenary Heights State High School
HOSES Head of Special Education Studies
HSHS
Harristown State High School
KLA
Key Learning Area
LOTE
Language other than English
LDSHS Lockyer District State High School
MDA
Multicultural Development Association
QPASST Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma
SOSE
Study of Society and Environment
PD
Professional Development
DETA
Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts
45