28 March 2011
Opening doors to northern suburbs youth
RMIT University is bringing high school onto campus, boosting access to educational opportunities in the northern suburbs by delivering VCE studies at Bundoora for the first time.
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VCE at RMIT gives students the chance to undertake their studies in a university setting.
Focusing on youth from the northern corridor region, a Year 11 VCE program started on RMIT's Bundoora campus this year with 12 students from the area.
Professor Annette Gough, Head of the School of Education, said VCE at RMIT provided another avenue for students besides conventional school settings.
"After 20 years of teaching VCE to students on the city campus, RMIT's School of Education is expanding its horizons to the north," Professor Gough said.
"Students in the Bundoora and Whittlesea areas who aren't fitting into the traditional school environment now have a new and attractive option for completing their schooling."
The program has attracted students looking to complete Year 11 outside of the conventional high school experience, in a university setting with access to all the services available to tertiary students.
"VCE at RMIT provides an alternative model to learning with no compulsory extra curricular activities, a focus on studies rather than other aspects of school that these students often don't want to engage in, no uniforms, and the opportunity to learn in a more mature and adult environment," Professor Gough said.
About 500 VCE students have enrolled at RMIT this year, most of them studying Year 12 at the City campus.
Subjects are taught by experienced VCE teachers, with the program at Bundoora also involving pre-service teachers acting as mentors.
Students are enrolled in a selection of subjects designed to arm them with skills to move into a variety of pathways such as VCE Year 12, TAFE, apprenticeships, university and the workforce.
Professor Gough said promoting social inclusion by broadening access to high-quality education was one of RMIT's key strategic priorities.
"This new program enables a diverse group of students from a range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to undertake post-compulsory studies in their local area," she said.
"By opening doors to further education, we hope to encourage these students to set their sights beyond VCE and take full advantage of the opportunities that studying at RMIT can offer."
For more information or to apply for VCE studies at RMIT, contact Elaine Henry, Post Compulsory Education Programs Manager at RMIT, on (03) 9925 4891.
