29/2005 Friday, 2 December 2005
DEFENCE GOES DIGITAL FOR TRAVELLING TEENS
Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence De-Anne Kelly today announced the introduction of further innovative programs to help school-aged children of Australian Defence Force personnel benefit positively during relocations on posting.
Mrs Kelly said that ADF personnel, along with the broader community, place great importance on the educational needs of their children, but face a number of additional challenges because of the requirement for them to relocate frequently on postings around Australia and overseas.
"The Government is mindful that ADF personnel must relocate frequently to meet Defence capability requirements and that a highly mobile lifestyle can sometimes impact on families with children, especially when they are in the later years of schooling," Mrs Kelly said.
"Moving house can be stressful enough for families but when children are faced with settling into new schools and different education systems, the challenges can be magnified.
"I am pleased that Defence has put so much focus on looking after the needs of school-age dependants and that the Department is so actively participating in other Federal Government programs that focus on mobile students."
Three new resources were presented to ADF school children at Parliament House today. The first was the 'Digital Student Portfolio'. This is an interactive multi media program that captures the academic, sporting and social history of a child over each year of their schooling.
The second new resource is a book titled 'Travelling Teens: A Parents' Guide to Relocation' written by leading parenting author and counsellor, Pam Linke. The book offers practical strategies and good advice to help teenagers cope when they are relocating to new schools, leaving old friends, and establishing new ones.
Complementing the book is a 'Travelling Teens Z card', a small wallet sized reference card for teenagers to help make moving easier and know who to call on if they are experiencing any difficulties.
Mrs Kelly specially thanked her ministerial colleagues Dr Brendan Nelson and Senator Kay Patterson, for their assistance and support for ADF families through the development of these new programs. She also acknowledged the creativity and dedication of the education team in the Defence Community Organisation and the delegates of Defence Families of Australia.
My Opinion on this as one who did change address and schools often coz of the military (disclaimer: only my opinion not those who share my house or who are members here)
Point 1: A student portfolio was always available - it was called a "report card" - today seems to be an era of over-paperize stuff AND putting it "out there" on computer - This is no more, no less than our old report cards etc that we took from school to school - now it's on web (multi-media) which most high school kids should at least be able to orchestrate for themselves and if not should be shown how courtesy of Repat.
Point 2: Glad to see a book released on guides for help but are they going to help? - Anytime that I've rung these same numbers for assistance or a chat even as far back as my schooling days - I was fobbed off - these are the same numbers and departments to call, it's just now "ditigal"
Point 3: The small sized wallet card is nothing but a reference business sized card and should have the same information on it as the book(let) that is to be released - wow
Once again the "kids of" are being given pieces of crap as help and I don't want to be derogatory to any and all who do/have helped the kids of veterans or serving personnel but I believe that they are rehashing over the same stuff and should get out of the "rutted claypan" and give out something new and worthwhile.
For instance:
1) Personal subject tutors that come without the red tape or cost coming out of scholorships from Repat during school years but especially needed to be available for those that have left school pre 25 and with no asperations of Uni but do want to continue their education; or are having enough difficulties to be classified in "special ed" but not enough to be sent to institutions catering for handicaps; or have married but want to follow through (asset tested of course).
2) To be allowed to build own "portfolios" if they are web-based to show original creativity, accomplishments and understanding of at least the basic internet subjects and to allow the page/site to be "qualifiable" to the Repat Education Board and the Education System, if not credits accounted toward final marks - once again those that don't know how should be given specific instruction, the internet etc IS a necessary prerequisite for any subject or work factor today.
3) Instead of a list of phone numbers to the various call centres (which when rung and questioned are university students studying a course subject and NOT necessarily affiliated/related/or understanding of Military Brat's needs or even in Australia). Having a "mentor/monitor/big brother or sister" assigned to you from day one would be better - like the big brother style programme but for military kids (serving or deceased). This way the kids never think that they are alone out there - opportunities for a bond, a friendship, a unit for us to back us up with. Suicide and depression are very real factors and number one on the list of reasons why is because these people feel as if they are alone - a bunch of phone numbers alone is not going to solve this problem especially if no one rings back.
4) Wallet cards etc are only another style of ID card - get over it; in Australia we can get driver's licence from 16-18 yrs - juniors have a school card and those under the subsidy scheme have cards to prove that too. Those that do not get should once again have the help available to them NOW to deal with the reasons why.
5) If it's all digital does that mean the government is going to pay for these kids to have a computer at home and fees covered etc? One thing that couldn't have been afforded in the house I grew up in nor the one my son did his schooling by - 1st year high school assignments today are rejected if not "printed out".
This is all a load of hog wash giving no more than what is already available just labelled differently - and don't forget quote/unquote from Repat - "If you're qualifiable for any other government payment (eg single parent pension, away from home allowance, newstart or Austudy) You'll get more from from them than thru our military department."
The only phone numbers that came with this post are not to De-Anne Kelly - no email addys either - I'll post when I find them out and will be conducting a letter to her department. For those that are current military or family members of please consider what is being made available (all worthy but we already had this) and kick up a stink - This woman needs educating and only those that are in the positions of .... can!
Bindii's / Honouring Aussie Heroes
