theMolisticView

I am struggling this year to come to terms with a proportion of my students in Construction. Since they started last year, my year 12 group has had a large group within the cohort that simply do not attempt to participate in any way, they will not even contribute to cleaning up.

This trend appears to now be starting in the new year 11 Construction cohort as well. This year the school has made all VET courses afternoon blocks instead of 3 periods week in an attempt to re-engage the students and have a more meaningful work like appeal. This on the face of it appears not to have worked for a minority of the cohort.

Now, I realise why many students choose Industrial Arts subjects for their HSC, though I have never had a classes before containing so many disengaged students.

Even workplacement and the week out of school does not engage these students. I currently have 9 out of 18 students who are yet to complete their first 35 hours of workplacement and another 6 who are not willing to complete their final 35 hours. This drives me insane, as unlike other HSC subjects there is not a feasible way in which to N award Construction students to a constructive out come.

I am struggling to work out the best way forward for these boy’s. Is it that they are the ones who in the past would be at school until the end of year 11 and then leave in search of employment, or is it the new schooling age rules? is it a location paradigm?

I don’t know and I do not like the future direction, if students can not be bothered to engage in a course that has the ability to make them more employable after school.

Any care to shed some light on my conundrum?