Bullying: The Daily Grind

Posted on October 25th, 2004 in Bullying, Otherways Magazine

By Susan Wight

During the holidays Marie Bentham cried as she told her family of the relentless bullying she had endured at school. It was not the first time Marie had suffered in this way and her concerned mother had already contacted the school which had followed its bullying policy and fully investigated the incidents. The bullying had not stopped. The day before school was to resume, Marie flatly refused to go back. Her mother was unsure how to deal with the situation and sent Marie to bed convinced that children must go to school. Eight-year-old Marie Bentham strangled herself with her skipping rope that night - it was her only way to ensure she would never have to face those bullies again.

AYCE - Alternative Secondary Education For Young People

Posted on October 19th, 2004 in Resources

The AYCE (Access Yea Community Education) is a program of the future operating today, run by Yea High School. It is a program that enables teenagers to complete their entire secondary curriculum (Yrs 6 - 12) outside of mainstream schools. We, as adults, are able to access VCE subjects through day and evening classes and still have the freedom to pursue other interests in our lives. Our teenage children should also have this choice in life - the AYCE program gives them that.The AYCE program is a multi-purpose program. It is available to young people who for many reasons need a break from attending school on a daily basis - this could be anything from 6months to several years. If needed - teachers at Yea will council and encourage these children to return to mainstream schools. The AYCE program is also an independent program in itself and students are able to complete their entire secondary curriculum if that is their aim.

School Programs

Posted on October 19th, 2004 in Resources

There are a number of schools supporting homeschoolers with flexible and sympathetic education programs:FAST (Foundation Access Studies) Programme at Ballarat University is an alternate pathway to tertiary study. It is a 13 week fulltime course designed to prepare adults for university courses. However the co-ordinator is very keen to encourage homeschoolers to also apply. Her email is Yeomans@smbits.ballarat.edu.au

Closer to Melbourne, the AYCE. program run by Yea High School is an exciting new alternative for home-educated young people or teenagers wishing to home-educate. This program provides educational access for young people outside the school system in years 7-12. For more details about the Access Yea Community Education click here. Contact the program director, Mrs Annette Scales by sending an email to ayce.yhs@bigpond.com. The AYCE program also provides VCE courses that are fully recognised and approved by the Department of Education.

CAE is starting a VCE program - see the CAE website at http://international.cae.edu.au and check with CAE for more details

Please send an email to webmaster@home-ed.vic.edu.au if you know of other useful links.