Flexible Enrollment is about the processes need when considering arrangements for students who come under the compulsory participation or compulsory schooling educational programs and their requirements. It’s designed to enable the system to be flexible enough to easily meet their various requirements.
All students between the ages of six and a half and sixteen years of age are of a compulsory school age unless they’ve completed year 10.
A young person’s or student’s compulsory participation phase begins once they have turned sixteen and are therefore no longer of a compulsory school age or when they have completed the year 10 level, whichever event comes first.
This phase of their education ends once they have turned seventeen years old, obtained a suitable Certificate of Achievement, this can be a Senior Statement, A level III or IV Certificate or the fact that they have participated in one or more of the eligible options that may be available to them as part of the Flexible Enrollment Scheme on the Gold Coast.
These provisions have been created to ensure that the Education Department and their tutors as well as various other tutors will always provide a service that is devoted to looking after the best educational interests of the students involved.
It’s also a requirement that students and educational services in general, find an easy solution to student enrollment in the different courses available, especially when an alternative education provider is assisting or giving/delivering an educational program irrespectively of whether it occurs in or off an official school site.
This type of program is expected to be equivalent to a normal student’s full-time school participation at a regular school and may be appropriate in situations where the courses or subjects that a secondary student desires to study are only available at another school or institution. This would require the ability of the different schools to allow a Flexible Enrollment ability with other Gold Coast schools
In some situations, a student may find it beneficial or necessary to attend a positive learning center at the same time as being an enrolled full-time student or a student is involved in an out of school activity but also has a proper educational program while doing so.
Where not appropriate
It’s not considered appropriate for students to try a Flexible Enrollment situation on the Gold Coast because the parents or guardians of a student have not been able to decide on which school they wish to enroll their child in so try to enroll them in several schools at one time.
Having a Flexible Enrollment arrangement is not required when
· A student is partaking in school based traineeship or apprenticeship
· A student is being tutored by a recognised educational provider during the compulsory participation phases of their education
· A student is involved in or accessing a hospital based educational program
Flexible types of arrangements available for school students
Arrangements are available for all students with disabilities that are appropriate for their needs in state schools and special needs schools.
These types of arrangements require the written agreement of both the schools and the student’s parents or guardians that appropriately meets the needs of the student.
It’s important that all the relevant information is readily available to all parents and students who may require it, with open and informed discussions between teaching staff schools, students and parents.
Monitoring and Evaluation
An authorised entity such as a state school principal must ensure that any proposed flexible enrollment on the Gold Coast is appropriate in regard to the student involved ant their individual circumstances and needs. They must also ensure that the educator involved has agreed in writing to the flexible enrollment and its conditions as well as acknowledging the individual needs of the student involved.
Attendance and absences
Proper records of attendance must be kept and the school where the student is enrolled advised of and absences and these are always recorded accurately and appropriately in accordance with the normal school roll marking procedures. Absences must be reported on the day of the absence to the school.
Proposing a flexible enrollment on The Gold Coast
A student, their parents, a teacher or the school may propose that a flexible enrollment may be appropriate for a student.
· The school and teaching staff would provide a detailed information sheet containing relevant information about the student when the idea is first proposed
· The involved teaching staff would then discuss the proposed flexible enrollment arrangement with both the student and the parents or guardians
· All those involved would gather and research any required or supporting documentation that way relevant regarding the proposal
· They would then liaise with the alternative teachers or education providers to find out about conditions and the availability of different options
· A verbal agreement would be made between all parties which then be forwarded to the relevant authority, such as the School of Distance Education to finalize the flexible enrollment
In all instances of Flexible Enrollment on the Gold Coast the best interests of the student are the main motivating factors in providing this option in schools.