Students coming to Australia have many options for pathways to their primary course, should their English language skills not be proficient: There are options to undertake foundation studies; diploma programs; pathway English courses or study for exams.
However, the journey for our youngest student visa holders is not as straightforward as it is for ‘adults’.
Bringing a young person to Australia to study is a major undertaking for schools. The personal well-being of a young person is dependent on the school and their homestay arrangements.
Picture sending your child overseas to the care of others. Then picture that the school your child enters teaches in the child’s second language. How do you ensure the child has the support necessary to be successful in their studies?
International parents are facing this decision all the time. Students and parents deciding pathways for school students have 4 major pathways to choose from:
1. Sending students to ELICOS providers. These intensive English courses are run external to the school the student will attend. Given that they are often city-based, this also means either a change of homestay or a lengthy commute for students who may attend a suburban high school.
Advocating for external ELICOS providers, Garth Keppie the director at Australian International College of Language on the Gold Coast, lists the benefits of studying with them as being ‘better nationality mixes and having their own homestay manager in-school to address issues’. Brendan Daly from Times Academy says that “ELICOS focuses on developing English language skills and students leave high school preparation courses as capable, independent learners who are ready for future studies.”
2. Sending students to boarding school ELICOS providers is another option in some states. This means that students will settle into a remote location to learn intensive English and then need to move again to go to their future school.
Running a boarding school in a rural location for intensive English is also a unique experience for young people. Amy Chiu, the Pathways Administrator at PLC Pathways in Armidale, says that they “offer tailored programs to students with targeted language areas to help them learn and engage in the program.”
Doug Parkin. from Avalon College in Victoria, espouses the “safety of an all-inclusive boarding experience for students who lack language skills” where they “immerse students in a comprehensive English language learning program that operates 24/7.”
3. There are also schools that have ELICOS or intensive courses registered on their campus. This allows students to study in the same place they will live. This requires international student numbers for the school, which make it economical to run a campus within a campus. It also requires dual registration as schools need to get their ELICOS centres recognized by state authorities.
Michael Bos, the Director of International for Moreton Bay and Moreton Bay Boys’ College, found that opening an English course on campus was the answer for his schools, which are in outer Brisbane. Bos says that the challenges of running in-school programs are that there can be many levels of English to teach. However, “by starting students in the school that they will remain in, brings comfort and belonging for the students right away“
4. For public school students the options are also there. “Some of the government schools have an intensive English Language Centre and run programs for students that need support. Students who are not able to attend these, go to private providers,” said Gavin Gottleib from the Victorian Department of Education, International.
Overall, there are such important decisions to be made for offshore families sending their children into the schools sector in Australia.
Keeping in mind that all students must be under 20 years old when they begin Year 12, students cannot have lengthened stays in ELICOS. The “what to do?” for schools and families is a serious question that they cannot dawdle on.
For families overseas, who are not comfortable doing this research on their own, agents play a vital part in deciding where students should go for their language studies.
Ryoko Atsumi of YAE Study Abroad in Brisbane says that it is “always challenging for agents who are after the best outcome and care for students.” Homestay quality is vital for students, and she also likes to consider the student’s age when looking at whether or not they can cope with city life. “Integration with the local community and the other key learning areas (beyond English), helps students to be motivated to get to the mainstream classroom more quickly.”
There are no easy answers, but what is needed is more alignment between the government and accreditation bodies for this sector. Currently, the accreditation for these non-award CRICOS courses is variable and confusing.
It often depends on which state a school is in, if it is a K-12 school or an ELICOS provider, and if it is public or independent. Each of these variables can change who the accrediting body is, making it fraught with paperwork and layers. With the goal being the care of young people, greater clarity and cohesion is required with a federal decision on who accredits school preparation language courses.
