By CASEY NEILL
TWO Greater Dandenong schools are punching well above their weight – and are now teaching others around the country and the world.
Dandenong North and Silverton primary schools were last week named among eight from across Australia in the Social Ventures Australia (SVA) Bright Spots Schools Connection.
These Powerhouse Schools have risen above the “disadvantaged” label on their communities.
They’ll receive financial, mentoring and networking support to build on their strengths, and help SVA create a plan to turn around struggling schools.
SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection director Sue Cridge said the schools knew how to excite their students about learning.
“These schools have something to teach all of us – we can all learn from them so that success in these ‘bright spots’ can spread to become a bright system,” she said.
Dandenong North principal Kevin McKay said the school’s inclusion justified its efforts.
“You don’t get those results without a fantastic staff,” he said.
“It’s great for them to see people outside of the school are recognising what they’re doing.”
He said the key to the success was “hardly a revelation”.
“We actually teach,” he said.
Mr McKay said years ago teaching became geared toward kids learning for themselves.
“It might be all right in affluent suburbs where the kids have lots of great experiences at home,” he said.
“It doesn’t work for people who start school with no English language to begin with. It doesn’t work for people who’ve had disrupted learning or no learning at all.”
He said teachers worked with students until they understood a concept, and the school used the additional funding it received for its “disadvantaged” location to employ extra staff.
“That helps us to reduce the sizes of our groups and get to the point of need more quickly,” he said.
Mr McKay said it was all about giving kids from war-torn countries a better life.
Silverton principal Tony Bryant said Microsoft picked the Noble Park North school among the 12 best in the world in 2009.
“That was based around innovation, used of technology, performance, engagement,” he said.
“We’ve mentored other schools around the world and we’re now a ’world tour school’.
“Thousands of visitors come to Silverton every year to see what we’re doing and try to replicate us.”
Students have access to a TV studio, radio station, a laptop each and a planetarium and there’s a focus on team work through open, flexible working spaces.
“We’ve got a fantastic school community that’s embraced what we’re doing,” he said.
“We don’t want our kids to be disadvantaged for the rest of their lives.
“We give them every opportunity to succeed.”
SVA is a non-profit organisation focused on enhanced educational outcomes and improved employment participation as key to overcoming disadvantage.
