Student Wellbeing
Alternative programs
Through regional offices, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development offer a range of alternative programs to support students who are experiencing significant difficulties adjusting to mainstream schooling. These alternative programs are intensive and short term and able to offer support for students with the greatest needs by working collaboratively with schools, parents/carers and community agencies.
These programs include those which work with students in their school setting; and off site programs whose primary goal is the full time return of the student to the regular school. All students participating in off site programs remain enrolled in their regular school, with this school maintaining ongoing support and involvement with the development and implementation of the program.
Alternative education review
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is currently undertaking a review of Alternative Education in Victoria. KPMG is the consultant engaged to undertake this review.
Broadly, the review of alternative education seeks to deliver:
- An overview of best practice
- An analysis of current practice in Victoria with particular regard to those programs separately funded through the Student Resource Package process
- Improvements for future practice, including:
- development of a clear policy framework, based on evidence, to inform future arrangements for, and provide a consistent and sustainable approach to, alternative education programs funded by DEECD
- the development of this policy framework is intended to provide a more coherent approach to the purpose, eligibility, access, funding, accountability and evaluation of these programs
Regional forums
As part of the consultation phase of the review, five regional forums have been scheduled for schools, community service organisations, government departments and professional staff involved in the delivery of alternative education to contribute to this review.
Details of the five regional forums are as follows:
|
Forum |
Date/Time |
Location |
Address |
|
A. |
Monday 20 April 2009 10.30am – 2:30pm |
The Foundry Hotel |
366 High St Bendigo, 3550 |
|
B. |
Tuesday 21 April 2009 1:00pm – 4:30pm |
Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre |
Cnr Bell St & St Georges Rd Preston, 3072 |
|
C. |
Wednesday 22 April 1:00pm – 4:30pm |
Cardinia Cultural Centre |
Lakeside Boulevard Pakenham, 3810 |
|
D. |
Wednesday 29 April 2:30pm – 6:00pm |
Mercure Hotel |
Cnr Gheringhap & Myers Street Geelong, 3220 |
|
E. |
Monday 4 May 2:30pm – 6:00pm |
Rydges Melbourne |
186 Exhibition St Melbourne, 3000 |
A link to the forum invitation and an information sheet is provided below:
Forum invitation (Word - 48Kb)
Alternative education review information sheet (PDF - 88Kb)
Written responses
We understand that some schools, community groups and stakeholder groups will not be able to attend these forums. There is an opportunity to submit information by addressing the following questions listed below:
- What's working well / what's not in terms of providing support to young people at-risk of disengagement from school? (e.g. service delivery models, eligibility, access, funding, accountability and performance measurement)
- What are the priority areas for improvement in Alternative Education?
- What are the core elements of an effective approach to Alternative Education? (Think about: key principles to underpin the operation of the program, defined roles and responsibilities of AEPs, governance arrangements, service delivery models, eligibility, access, funding, accountability mechanisms and appropriate performance measures)
Please submit your feedback by emailing to:
alternative.education.review@edumail.vic.gov.au
Written responses should not be greater than 3 pages in total (up to one page per question).
The due date for the written responses is 5.00pm Tuesday 5 May 2009.
Further information
Please email your enquiries to the above email address, and a member of the project team will respond to your enquiry promptly.