The Castlemaine Secondary College Flexible Learning Options program has been relocated from the Etty Street Campus to the mainstream campus at Blakeley Road, in preparation for 2025.
Principal Justin Hird said that after years of pursuing additional funding for the program, the college had no option but to relocate the program.
“At this stage, we don’t get enough funding and are unable to provide sufficient staff to support a second campus,” he said.
“We’ve tried for four years and did everything we could with our resources, often needing to re-direct significant resources from the Blakeley Road Campus to ensure additional staffing for FLO.”
“Without the funding, the physical environment was not maintained, leading to the students feeling undervalued and also isolated,” Mr Hird said.
“Whilst this was not the outcome we had been hoping for, we are focused on the future, and we are confident and determined to provide engaging and thorough educational programs for all students.”
The FLO program is designed to provide students from year nine to 12 with a flexible and individualised learning environment and more intensive wellbeing support and interventions. Supporting the learning needs of FLO students requires a highly specialised set of skills, experience and passion dedicated to providing this specialised education.
The new FLO program will cater for students in years eight to 10, while students in years 11 and 12 will have access to either the Victorian Certificate of Education or Vocational Major certificate.
MP Maree Edwards said she would continue working with the school principal and the school to ensure all students at CSC received the support they needed.
“I will always advocate to ensure no child is left behind,” she said.
CONCERNS RAISED
Former FLO coordinator, Jarrod Wiese, who spoke to his concerns about the move during public time at last week’s meeting of Mount Alexander Shire Council, said having the program delivered away from the main school, where many students had negative experiences, was one of the many advantages of being at the Etty Street Campus.
“The students who engaged with the program weren’t experiencing good outcomes at the main campus, particularly around behaviour and attendance,” he said.
“In general, these were significantly improved once they moved into the FLO program where we could create safe spaces, relationships, and provide the unconditional positive regard that they needed to support their learning.
“This enabled teachers to support them emotionally and socially as well as academically, which is often missing from mainstream settings, and key to their success.”
Mr Wiese said he was disappointed when he learnt of the relocation because the program at Etty Street had become so important.
“We did all the hard work and finally got it there after so many years. It really is ready to thrive and these changes are really devastating,” he said.
“These changes make me worried for the FLO students, especially around their feeling of safety and increased exposure to the stigma, which is often directed at FLO students. I think this will likely negatively impact their attendance and disengagement now they are on the main site.
“Equitable access to education is so important and the FLO program is vital for providing this to our community and for having any hope of ending the cycle of negative and traumatic school experiences, which are often intergenerational. It also has important implications for our services down the line.”
