Guest posting to voced-coord email list.
Item 9 of 10:

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 20:27:31 +1100
To: voced-coord@owl.qut.edu.au
From: Jim Cumming
Subject: VocEd: Years 9 and 10 (guest)

Dear Colleagues

The discussion on Years 9 and 10 to date has been somewhat discursive. This is probably due to my attempts to generate debate in a relatively broad context and to question some basic assumptions about learning, teaching and assessment at this level. In retrospect, this may not have been the most effective strategy. So, let's try and bring the discussion back to your core business - vocational education.

Traditionally, Years 9 and 10 have been the engine room for developments such as work experience and careers education. During the past decade or two, most schools have allocated human and physical resources to integrate the world of work across the curriculum and/or to pursue it a discrete area of study. Many have implemented enterprise education, school-industry link and targeted work education programs.

If these are established practices, then what is the nature and extent of reform and innovation in vocational education in Years 9 and 10?

Earlier this year, I was involved in a national research project funded by ASTF that endeavoured to throw some light on that question. Three of the most commonly-cited examples of reform in Years 9 and 10 across all sectors and systems were identified:

1. Access by students in Years 9 and/or 10 to school-based or system-endorsed courses in work, careers, vocational, enterprise education /learning.

2. Access by students in Year 10 to accredited stage one units/modules of Year 11 courses (e.g. academic, vocational, community studies etc).

3. Access by students to students in Years 9 and 10 to individualised programs that operate either within or beyond mainstream curriculum provision (e.g. 'at-risk' programs that involve a blend of education, training and work; 'gifted and talented' programs that involve extenstion activities and accelerated learning etc).

By the way, a summary of the key findings from that project can be found in the August issue of VOCAL, the Australian Journal of Vocational Education and Training in Schools.

It seems to me that in the light of recent developments outlined in earlier postings, a major challenge for vocational education coordinators in 1998 is to clarify their position with regard to Years 9 and 10. For example, is it to be a case of:

(a) 'steady as she goes' (eg continue with improved forms of work experience, career education and other established vocational education practices);

(b) 'full-steam ahead' (eg further develop and extend the three vocational education reform initiatives identified above);

(c) 'change direction' (eg create a new suite of models and approaches that embrace vocational learning); or

(d) some other option (eg reconstruct contemporary ideas and practices)?

Jim Cumming
Educational Solutions Pty Ltd
Tel (02) 6254 8538
Fax (02) 6255 2072
jcumming@dynamite.com.au