St Brendan-Shaw College

- published, October 2009

School profile

St Brendan-Shaw College is located in Devonport, Tasmania. It is a co-educational Years 7–12 Catholic College with 650 students and a staff of 50. A significant number of students receive government financial assistance. The college aims ‘for every student to enjoy, to learn, to feel safe, and have many rich experiences – here in our vibrant community. We endeavour to be a place of learning for the 21st century and to be ready to embrace new possibilities.’

College website: www.sbsc.tas.edu.au

Frank Rice, Principal

My participation in the Leading 21st Century Schools: Engage with Asia (L21CS) project and a study tour of Korea in 2008 have opened my eyes to the possibilities in our college for the progressive implementation of Asia-focused programs and activities designed to broaden students’ understandings of Asia. It was clear to me that our initial tasks were to expand teachers’ understandings of Asia and their awareness of education resources and the provision of opportunities for teachers to develop Asia-focused curriculum activities for students. My approach has been to encourage staff to think reflectively and critically upon current and future curriculum directions with regard to Asia education. In this way I believe that teachers are allowed to take ownership of the studies of Asia agenda.

View video of an interview with Frank Rice at the 2009 L21CS Forum

New possibilities

We recognise that our students require knowledge, understandings and skills to enable them to operate effectively within a rapidly changing world. Currently, our current curriculum programs are not sufficiently broad enough to enable students to explore the experiences and cultures of other people. This has been brought home to me through personal reflection on the importance of engaging staff and students with Asia. I was impressed by the quality and scope of the resources developed by the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) and welcomed the opportunity in 2008 to engage with colleagues nationally and here in Tasmania. In particular I saw many of the resources, including the Tool Kit Modules and teacher resources as ones giving practical advice and ideas for immediate use in the school setting.

I was determined to commence processes within the college to raise awareness of Asia and of the need to engage our students with Asia in a way that would significantly expand what I consider to be their limited horizons.

I saw new possibilities in addressing a key aim, as stated in our college strategic plan, ‘to provide a diverse and contemporary curriculum which satisfies the requirements of all students’. 

Engaging the College Board and the wider community

I wanted to get the College Board involved. Using information from the National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools (National Statement) and the 2020 Schools Engage with Asia DVD together with my personal experiences of Korea, I introduced the studies of Asia agenda to the Board. Board members responded positively and began to recognise that the College may be deficient in providing opportunities for students to engage with Asia. It was a reality check for all of us.

I received a similar response when I made a presentation to the local Rotary Club where connections with Asia became a significant topic of discussion. Rotary members drawing on their business and industry experiences identified the important agricultural trade connections between northern Tasmania and Asia.

Responses from these key groups in our community strengthened my resolve to start processes to ensure that studies of Asia would be incorporated into school programs and practices.

The way forward

Raising staff awareness

It was important for College Faculty Heads to be drawn into strategic discussions about ways to develop staff awareness and understanding of the need for inclusion of studies of Asia in teaching and learning programs. Consideration of the 2020 Schools Engage with Asia DVD, the National Statement and a range of Asia-focused teaching and learning resources helped our leadership team to develop a sharper focus on the need for students to develop knowledge about, understandings of, and connections with Asia. Through these discussions an expectation that we needed to address this issue was generated.

Japanese language learning

We commenced a Japanese language program a few years ago but with limited success due to staffing issues. However we are currently in the position of having two staff members who can teach Japanese.  One is a science teacher and the other teaches at Year 7. Consequently we are now able to consider the re-establishment of the Japanese program in 2010. I have asked the Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning, to investigate how we can do this and to develop an implementation proposal.

There is no doubt in my mind that the incorporation of language teaching, together with studies of Asia, into our school programs will add significant value to student learning.

Taking a broader view

I have asked a staff member with significant international education programs experience to prepare a concept proposal for the establishment of an international student program in the College. This work is at a preliminary stage but already the indications are that an international student program should be introduced in the context of a suite of internationalisation initiatives including internationalising the curriculum, establishing sister-school relationships, and staff and student exchange programs. The concept paper contains many innovative ideas for our College and will require extensive discussion by the Board and the College leadership team before its adoption. Incorporating the studies of Asia and the teaching of the Japanese language into our curriculum programs sits well within this broad internationalisation concept.

Focus on the curriculum

Auditing the curriculum

We are at an early but important stage of incorporating studies of Asia into the curriculum. My first step was to assign the role of studies of Asia leader to the Head of Society and History. With my support he planned and conducted an audit of College teaching and learning programs to discover the extent to which classroom programs incorporate studies of Asia. Proformas derived from the AEF’s Teacher and School Resource were used for this exercise. In general, the audit results showed that our approach was ad hoc at most year levels with the exception of Year 10 where there is a more systematic approach.

It became clear that significant work was required. But I was also mindful that in order to progress, staff ownership was essential. College culture is based on encouragement, support and collegiality and consequently it was important for to me to generate a collective understanding of studies of Asia as an integral part of school programs and not a new curriculum area. I'm conscious of the current workload of teachers and the need to approach studies of Asia in incremental steps. We are still some distance from achieving this.

Professional learning and curriculum planning

An Asia education planning team led by the Head of Society and History  is now in place. The team has turned its attention to professional learning and the progressive development of Asia-focused curriculum content. Some teachers were given time release to attend a global learning professional development activity organised by the State Asia Education Advisor in conjunction with the University of Tasmania.  The planning team has spent a full day planning for ways to incorporate studies of Asia. Initial tasks are to assist the development of Asia-focused units of work, and the purchase of teaching and learning resources.

Religious education as a lever

It is recognised that the College religious education program provides a significant opportunity to students to develop an understanding of the beliefs and values inherent in religious practices in Asia. I expect therefore that through the comparative study of religions, students will come to a deeper understanding of Asian life and culture.

Our next steps

We recognise that we have much more to do. We have made inroads but we are conscious of the need to continue the process of raising staff awareness. Planning for the incorporation of a Japanese program is well advanced. We will continue to explore the possibility of a sister school in Asia and the feasibility of an international student program. Our planning team will continue to expand the curriculum planning work which is beginning to show tangible outcomes.