22 March 2011

UC takes over the name of two schools

| johnboy
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Andrew Barr has announced that he’s handed over the names of two schools to the University of Canberra:

Today I launched the University of Canberra (UC) partnership with the ACT Department of Education and Training, which sees Lake Ginninderra College and Kaleen High School officially become the University of Canberra Senior Secondary College, Lake Ginninderra and the University of Canberra High School, Kaleen.

The UC partnership with these two schools is one of the most significant in the history of ACT public schooling and a first for Australia.

Long experience of ACT Government attempts to innovate do not inspire confidence.

One wonders why a general agreement to give all schools access to university resources would not have been preferable to an exclusive deal with naming rights changing hands to the Territory’s schools.

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I-filed said :

UC is straightsville and largely Asian. Kaleen High is polarised between Cronulla-esque/druggie/”Mediterranean” gang member/ types (according to my friend who teaches there). The branding on this venture is going to be interesting. I guess it will simply be fractured – like any of UC’s sad and failed branding.

Do people think about what they say on the net, or does the thought not go through filters before you type?

According to your friend who teaches at my school, I doubt your friend is at all liked by any of the students. I know that all of the teachers that are liked by students, know almost all the students well enough to know that they are not the stereo-typical kids that everyone thinks they are. Everyone at my school knows each other, we are small enough to know most, if not all, the students names in the school and know them personally. We look out for each other and look after our classmates with disabilities. Even teachers don’t really know how lovely the students really are. Also, just because someone has a Mediterranean, islander or middle-eastern, doesn’t mean they are gang-type or druggies, that, my friend is RACIST!

Gerry-Built said :

I’m not exactly sure what the benefit to any of the institutions actually is – are they simply a naming rights sponsor?

We are getting numerous opportunities to work with the university, a lot more excursions and we are also getting access to the UC library (which is a large improvement seeing that neither the school library or ACT library are very good at all.) and study sessions at the UC.

boobook said :

Gungahlin Al said :

And the naming – just doesn’t work does it?

Funnily enough, it has apparently caused some comment already: one of my kiddies goes to UCKHS and recently attended an ACTPS/student forum on, well, something or other, and said child reported that his cohort was consistently mis-identified as “Canberra High School”, as a result of an insistence on the “branding” being expressed as “UNIVERSITY of CANBERRA …(pause) kaleenHIGHschool” rather than say “UC Kaleen High”.

Being a crafty bunch of teenagers, and having been made to remove their uniform shirts to wear convention sponsor shirts instead, they spotted the opportunity for some light-weight mischief under cover of this mistaken identity and proceeded to defraud the Territory of a few kilos of Mentos courtesy sweets and raid the food tables. No idea what the convention was about, but they ate well that day. Thanks Mr Barr.

It’s actually UCHSK University of Canberra High School KALEEN, the Kaleen part goes last. I went to that, that was really fun, and our table was not the only one to be taking advantage of the free food, and our name wouldn’t have changed that fact. The Summit was a ACT summit with 6 year 9’s from a LOT of schools from all over the ACT and we did a leadership workshop and then we did a lot of things based around the digital world and cyber bullying, which is a very important topic.

Although the changing of the name may be a bit over the top, the partnership is very beneficial to students and teachers.

UCKHS – ughhhh

Gungahlin Al said :

And the naming – just doesn’t work does it?

Funnily enough, it has apparently caused some comment already: one of my kiddies goes to UCKHS and recently attended an ACTPS/student forum on, well, something or other, and said child reported that his cohort was consistently mis-identified as “Canberra High School”, as a result of an insistence on the “branding” being expressed as “UNIVERSITY of CANBERRA …(pause) kaleenHIGHschool” rather than say “UC Kaleen High”.

Being a crafty bunch of teenagers, and having been made to remove their uniform shirts to wear convention sponsor shirts instead, they spotted the opportunity for some light-weight mischief under cover of this mistaken identity and proceeded to defraud the Territory of a few kilos of Mentos courtesy sweets and raid the food tables. No idea what the convention was about, but they ate well that day. Thanks Mr Barr.

Diggety said :

What exactly does Andrew Barr do at work all day?

Picks out schools to close and earmarks sites for superschools.

Kaleen was one set to be closed by actgovco, but actgovco, being the superhero’s they are, “saved” it by bringing it under the UC banner and reducing the costs of their education minister.

Gerry-Built said :

vintagediva said :

Perhaps RiotACTers should look at (and understand) the big picture before criticising.

Other than that of Barr, there was no criticism of the union prior to your post…

Uh, seriously… really?

Gungahlin Al4:37 pm 23 Mar 11

I don’t know. It leaves me perplexed.

I would like to think, and have been actively campaigning for, the Gungahlin College curriculum to have very close links to the courses offered at both ANU and UC. Thinking being: if our kids can go to uni locally, they can stay at home (shudders a bit at that thought) instead of moving away and having to work to pay the rent instead of studying.

So I would have preferred to know that our kids have just as much chance of nabbing a place as a kids from Belco area.

And the naming – just doesn’t work does it?

aidan said :

I know a few pupils at Kaleen High and none of them could be described as above. They are nice kids.

“Nice kids” tend to keep themselves off the radar, you know, out of the spotlight. Leaving the poorly behaved to be easily spotted, and therefore easily generalised.

Teachers tend to learn the names of the poorly behaved students sooner than any of the others in the class – and spend a lot of time repeating those names ad nauseum…

colourful sydney racing identity12:05 pm 23 Mar 11

pierce said :

UC are planning on opening a polytechnic – wonder if there is a connection.

Yes, it is all part of VC Parkers cradle to the grave vision for UC. Wacth for the university of the third age announcement.

UC are planning on opening a polytechnic – wonder if there is a connection.

Kaleen High has had low enrolments for quite a while. Comments like this:

I-filed said :

Kaleen High is polarised between Cronulla-esque/druggie/”Mediterranean” gang member/ types (according to my friend who teaches there).

obviously don’t help. I know a few pupils at Kaleen High and none of them could be described as above. They are nice kids.

I see this as a marketing exercise by the Government to try and lift enrolments at Kaleen High. Good on them for trying something.

vintagediva said :

Perhaps RiotACTers should look at (and understand) the big picture before criticising.

Other than that of Barr, there was no criticism of the union prior to your post…

This is a bizarre situation for me.

Jess Junior goes to Melba Copland.

Does this mean she is excluded from the resources of UC? She cant attend this fine academic institution? What the hell does it mean??

RE: perhaps RiotACTers should look at (and understand) the big picture before criticising.

I agree. The information supplied indicates how teacher education students and staff at the Uni will benefit along with the schools.

any bets on when the first McDonald’s High School agreement is signed? Most schools would probably jump at any opportunity for additional resourcing…

I’m not exactly sure what the benefit to any of the institutions actually is – are they simply a naming rights sponsor?

UC are being innovative. Also, they are being responsive to the needs of the community and the recommendations of the Bradley review. This is another step in developing a polytechnic and simplifying access and pathways across schools, VET and Higher Ed.
As much as the system could indeed work better, the reality is that UC are working within the system they are given and are trying new and interesting things.
Perhaps RiotACTers should look at (and understand) the big picture before criticising.

I dunno, University of {Anywhere} School, makes me think that the school is a bit special needs or experimental. On a serious note I cant understand what this deal will do for UC? Is it designed to get more students coming to UC? I would have thought that targeting one high school would have such little effect on enrolments, especially as UC cant market itself as an elite institution to the better students who will invariably go to ANU or Syd/Melbourne

The addition of these students will surely have now raised the general academic standard of UC.

I-filed said :

UC is straightsville and largely Asian. Kaleen High is polarised between Cronulla-esque/druggie/”Mediterranean” gang member/ types (according to my friend who teaches there). The branding on this venture is going to be interesting. I guess it will simply be fractured – like any of UC’s sad and failed branding.

I-filed said WHAT? Why don’t you just say the Kaleen kids are wogs and don’t deserve to even be in the vicinity of a university?

UC is straightsville and largely Asian. Kaleen High is polarised between Cronulla-esque/druggie/”Mediterranean” gang member/ types (according to my friend who teaches there). The branding on this venture is going to be interesting. I guess it will simply be fractured – like any of UC’s sad and failed branding.

Diggety said :

What exactly does Andrew Barr do at work all day?

Screen his follow requests on Twitter?

What exactly does Andrew Barr do at work all day?

“The partnership aims to ensure that the ACT’s public education system continues to meet the needs of students, employers and the economy.”

Unless I am missing something, this partnership will benefit the students of both Lake G and Kaleen High School by giving them a leg-up into UC, and benefit the schools themselves by boosting enrollments through exclusivity. The downside to this is the obvious disadvantage to schools not in cohorts.

I’m with JB, surely an agreement for UC to open its resources to all ACT public schools would be a more even-handed approach.

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