Classes filling up

INCREASING numbers of young people are staying in school as a result of the determination of the Upper Yarra Community House (UYCH).
The UYCH is a registered provider of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) which has resulted in significant numbers of students enrolling who otherwise would be out of school altogether.
Programs are delivered at the Cerini Centre in Warburton which has meant that the steady increase in student numbers can be accommodated.
“We were bursting at the seams here in Yarra Junction,” Sally Brennan, UYCH CEO said.
“The Cerini Centre provides a wonderful learning environment and we drive the students up there in the UYCH bus from Yarra Junction every day so there’s no extra travel costs or stress.”
Students are able to complete their year 10, 11 and 12 with UYCH through both the Certificate of General Education for Adults and VCAL.
“It’s a wonderful thing when a young person who is at risk of leaving school way too early is able to stay and complete their year 12 in an environment that suits them and in which they thrive,” Ms Brennan said.
“Traditional schooling doesn’t suit everybody all the time,” Ms Brennan said.
For Upper Yarra Secondary College, the partnership with UYCH has enabled them to refer students who are identified as potential early school leavers, rather than being forced to let them go.
“It gives kids a second chance at something that will affect them for the rest of their lives – their education,” Ms Brennan said.
“In my view, there is nothing greater a community can give to its young people than a chance to learn and to get an education.”