CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
Students urged to break out of their postcode box…
TWO primary schools are at the forefront of changing Dandenong and Noble Park’s reputations for the better.
It’s Just a Postcode is a project that counters the assumption that a student’s aspirations can be shaped or hindered by where they live.
Under the project, Bev Hansen of Dandenong West Primary School and Marg Batt of St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School plan not just to make a difference for their schools but to whole suburbs.
“Where you live doesn’t determine what your destiny is going to be,” Ms Hansen said.
“Our families have high aspirations and we are determined to support those high aspirations.
“We want our school to be the centre of the community.
“People will see Dandenong West as a place to be involved, to meet and be social.”
Ms Batt said the project was about putting out the “good-news stories” to the wider community.
“It will hopefully bring people to invest in the area.
Project leader and education consultant Adam Smith said a postcode was classified as the “most powerful determinant” of student success in such papers as the Gonski schools funding report.
“We want to change that perception.”
The project works on the idea of building ’social capital’.
The two principals came back from a UK study tour bristling with ideas on how to give their students and the wider community more opportunities.
At Dandenong West Primary School, there are plans for a community mens shed to teach men to use power tools, paint and to hone other home-handy skills.
The school has forged a partnership with Dandenong Hospital.
Its students filmed a documentary to demystify the services at the hospital’s childrens ward as well as conducted fund-raising.
It has also partnered with RACV to provide driving lessons for its parents, a women-in-leadership program with Rowville Neighbourhood House as well as Medicare Local, United Way, AMES, Rotary and playgroups.
“If we support the parents we know we’re also supporting our students.
“It also helps them to operate in the communities they’re in.
“Parents comment on how much they enjoy coming here.
“In the past we were lucky to get two to three parents come to a meeting, now 40 come in and have a say on what they’d like to see at the school.”
She said outsiders had a negative perception of Dandenong but she found quite the contrary.
“It’s full of wonderful people with a multitude of skills and stories.
“I work here and I love it – it’s vibrant and it’s exciting.
“I think I’ve got the best job in the world.”
At St Anthony’s there are hopes to send 120 year five and six students to Canberra to see democracy in action.
It runs a book club with Dandenong Library, an early-intervention program with Monash Health and English language classes with AMES.
Ms Hansen said the school had been offering cooking, computing and English language classes to its parents – many of them being new arrivals.
The Scanlon Foundation will next year fund the schools as sites for community hubs to help settle newly arrived families.
The schools are also hoping for further funds and programs from businesses, governments and philanthropic groups to help make this project happen.
“We hope people will give not just financial support but support in any way they can,” Ms Hansen said.
Details are at itsjustapostcode.com.au.
