schools

[mrsbrown]

I went and looked at a new school for my children today. here is the letter I could possibly send, by way of feedback...

dear assistant school principal,

Thankyou for you time today, showing us around your school. Unfortunately, I don't believe it will meet the needs of my children and I offer you the following observations as feedback;

• when showing prospective students around your school, it is a good idea to make eye contact with them occasionally, this shows that you are interested in relating to them as human beings, with thoughts and opinions and decision making ability.



• I would suggest that teachers find more appropriate, respectful ways to encourage good behaviour in their students. The minibus leaving as we arrived included a teacher, announcing into a microphone, "The word 'please' will be used on this bus" and "There will be no getting out of seats or wriggling." Couldn't he have just spoken, it was only a 15 seater?



• I believe that years eleven and twelve are a time for young people to have fun, develop support networks, learn self discipline, and become independant human beings. Your VCE centre, does not encourage any of these things. Students need privacy and trust to learn these things, and won't get that when required to spend 'free' periods inside, under the supervision of teachers in an adjacent glass box. The rule that students may not be in the yard during 'free' periods also denies them valuable time for sitting in fresh air. Where can they play 500 card games in this 'big brother' environment?

My children need a caring, supportive, academic environment. Your school appears to be a sausage factory.

Regards,

Mrsbrown

Having said all that, it's probably exactly what G is looking for, as long as he understands it will be a fascist police state. He seems to be willing to play the game and take them for what he can get - plenty of subject choice, a large library, a sport program and an ENTER score. Besides, he plans to fall out of bed and crawl across the road to school - I'll never see him during the week.

I hope T doesn't decide to go there. I'm going to keep looking on her behalf. Mostly, I'd like her to try the Steiner school again, but I may be asking the impossible. Once she gets an idea in her head, she is almost unchangeable.

Comments

[hometime.livejournal.com]

A couple of points.
1. For T, I'd still suggest Brunswick, although it isn't very convenient location wise. http://www.brunswick.vic.edu.au/
It has a really good feel, good educational standards, diverse student body.

2. Also, DG is loving teaching at Banksia secondary college in Heidelberg. Is that an option? I can't see DG fitting into a facist police state! She could get the train from your place, or probably a bus from Northcote.

3. At a school in the area (but further out), I had a student throw a chair at me. Not with intent to injure me, but as an expression of his rage at issues unrelated to school (from what little I knew about his family background, it sounded pretty bad). Students with knives were not uncommon either. The police also visited the school due to drug issues fairly frequently.

4. Therefore, the discipline issue and the supervised VCE students is possibly due to a) maintaining a healthy, safe learning environment under quite difficult circumstances; b) duty of care- if students are unsupervised and anything happens, the school is legally responsible.

[hometime.livejournal.com]

Try this website for Banksia
www.netspace.net.au/~bansec/welcome.html