Education

By Kelly Yates
Sue Ernsdoerfer said she took her son out of the school because of the personalised learning techniques used.
Ms Ernsdoerfer, who helped rally for the school, said she and other parents weren’t aware of the personalised learning system that was going to be implemented at the school.
To her knowledge, 113 Year 7 students enrolled at the beginning of the year with around eight students recently leaving.
“We have no faith in the public education system. We feel let down,” she said.
Principal Ian McKenzie has defended his school, saying he had heard of four students that had left the school.
“Parents have a choice about which school they send their children to,” he said.
Parent John Naffa said he removed his son Jason from the school at the end of term two after discovering his level of education had slipped to a Grade 5 level.
“The teachers couldn’t tell me why my son had fallen well below the standard of a Year 7 student,” he said.
Mr Naffa also claimed his son was bullied by teachers at the school.
“The teachers seemed to be picking on him and if he did the slightest thing wrong I would receive a call from the school,” he said.
“Enough was enough and I decided to pull him out.”
Jason now attends Casey Grammar School.
Ms Ernsdoerfer said some of students who left Grade 6 receiving A and B grades and were now at a Grade 4 or 5 level.
“We didn’t know our kids were failing until we saw the reports,” she said.
Darren Murphy, whose child still attends Casey Central Secondary College, said personalised learning was the way of the future.
“It seems this school is the test case,” he said. “It sounds good for Year 11 and 12 students but the 13-year-olds are thinking about footy and girls and need to be taught in a stable classroom environment.”
Mr McKenzie said personalised learning was brilliant.
“We test the child when they come to school to find their strengths and weaknesses. Then we tailor the learning to each individual child,” he said.
Professor of education at St Mary’s University in London John West-Burnham visited Casey Central Secondary College this week.
He said personalised learning proved to be the most effective way of teaching.
“It matches the way of learning with the individual,” he said.
“Here at Casey Central Secondary College the teachers are totally committed to the young people and their learning.”
Mr McKenize said he couldn’t comment on the bullying allegations against some teachers, as they were never brought to his attention.