By Ann Marie Angebrandt
A VICTORIA University academic has launched a project that could see more students from the West studying medicine, law or other elite university courses within the next decade.
Students from the West suffer from “entrenched educational disadvantage”, making it far less likely they will get into strongly contested courses and universities compared with other Melbourne students, says Professor Brenda Cherednichenko.
“Students here are not dumb kids, but they are not having the same success with their educational outcomes,” she said.
As director of VU’s “access and success in the West” project, Prof Cherednichenko is hoping to give western suburbs students the same chance as their cross-city counterparts in pursuing whatever careers they want.
“This is all about equality of choice,” she said. “We have growing aspirations, but restricted opportunities here.”
She points to the lower “social capital” of the region as part of the problem.
Students in the West are more likely to have both parents working, a lower level of tertiary education in the family, a non-English-speaking background, and fewer books and educational resources at home.
They are also less likely to go to the theatre or on holidays compared with other students.
“Those factors all add up,” she said. “We’re not talking capacity for learning here – we’re talking about background.”
Recent research from University of Melbourne professor Richard Teese quantifies the disadvantage.
It shows students at government schools in the eastern suburbs have seven times the chance of getting into medical courses compared with students from government schools in the West.
And students at independent schools in the East have 16 times the chance as their government school peers in the West.
“As educators, we could choose to accept those influences on students’ results, or do something about it,” Prof Cherednichenko said.
Her project involves several long-term strategies that are expected to yield improved retention rates or a trend toward different subject choices over time.
University resources, especially VU’s student teachers, will work with 50 or so schools in the West on “student–centred” projects the schools have identified.
That could include extra help for students in literacy or numeracy, or supporting students in other projects.
One student teacher, for example, recently devised a way of keeping the canteen at a Footscray primary school open when it was threatened by dwindling parent volunteers. She recruited some older students to manage the shop, turning it into a way of teaching about food handling as well as running a small business.
“It was a negotiated outcome with the school that was a win for everyone,” Prof Cherednichenko said.
Another strategy involves developing youth transition programs, using successful university students from the West to mentor younger students.
The project will also work with the state government, as well as local skill training programs.
“We’re not necessarily interested in getting 100 kids from this region into medicine, but we want to give them a real shot at it if that’s what they want,” Prof Cherednichenko said.
