COODANUP College has hit back at high truancy statistics with deputy principal Kelly Bennett saying you have to tackle the problem rather than hide from it.
Last month the Mail reported 20.4 per cent of Coodanup College students were at severe risk of truancy while a further 26.4 per cent were of moderate risk.
Taking statistics from this year’s Auditor General report, the college had the highest percentage in the Peel region.
With 560 students and primary schools from Riverside, Dudley Park and Greenfields feeding into the college Ms Bennett said they catered for the most disengaged, low socioeconomic and high indigenous population within Mandurah.
“We want to highlight that our school does have these needs and we are doing something about it,” she said.
“We are certainly not trying to hide it.”
The college has a number of different programs running from primary through to high school year groups.
Each course focuses on the individual needs of a student whether they are struggling with depression, basic literacy and numeracy skills or severe bullying.
These students have access to the Success Centre, Flexi Link and Focus programs.
Focus operates like a primary school classroom with a one teacher model.
Ms Bennett said the college had five classes of 21 students accessing the program from year 10 to 11.
“Next year the year 11 students will have two focus classes and one mainstream class after they voted in favour of this learning model,” she said.
The college Flexi Link works with students with mental health issues who don’t attend school.
“We have around 15 students who we are trying to build a relationship with one on one teaching in their homes.
“We hope they eventually want to attend school regularly,” Ms Bennett said.
“There is a high demand for this service which can involve working with the department of child protection and I think we are the only high school to offer it.”
The Success Centre targets students who lack parental support and have a history of low attendance.
“These students aren’t necessarily academic or looking to go to university but they have aspirations to go into the workforce,” she said.
“We try to make them competitive in the work place with various certificates and basic numeracy and literacy skills.”
Ms Bennett said the college was working with outside services including the Peel Youth Service and the College was becoming the school of choice, not truancy.
“It’s significant what we’re doing,” she said.
