Portland Secondary College

The latest 'off the edge' reported that Portland Secondary College year 9 students were in the bottom 20% in literacy and numeracy throughout Australia. In response the colleges’ administration continue to push for larger class sizes (up to 54 in some cases) in order save money to pay for a trade training centre that does not get used.

This goes to show that the school has second rate administration managing second rate staff producing second rate results at the expense of the students. As one other post suggests this school need decent administrators brought in and audit the colleges books and to hold those people accountable.

On 17/12/2014 the local newspaper the Portland Observer on page 2 published a story ‘District students celebrate high academic achievements’. The top student from Monivae gained an ATAR score of 98.05. Bayview’s top student gained an ATAR score of 97.25. However Portland Secondary Colleges top student gained an ATAR score of 87.17, nearly 11 percent lower than her counterparts. While these figures are disturbing it also should be noted that the colleges NAPLAN scores are in decline. This poses the question that although Portland Secondary College claims to be the biggest school in the shire, is bigger better? The colleges administration are pushing for class sizes of 27 students (54 students plus in open learning spaces). The college’s administration is ripping money out of program budgets in order to keep Whalers cafe (the trade training centre) afloat.

Recently a leaked document from the college also said that the college was combining VCAL classes with VCE classes with the intent of further saving money. I urge parents to look past the propaganda that the schools administration publishes in newsletters and in the local paper and start looking at the colleges statistics published on government websites that include myschool. I also urge parents to question these figures with the schools administration as it is your child’s future and the writing is on the wall.

Teacher

Portland Secondary College.

Portland Secondary College in South West Victoria, Australia was caught out fudging documents, using unqualified trainers and assessors to deliver and assess several VETiS units. An external audit carried out also found that Portland Secondary Colleges RTO manager was falsifying documentation to the TAFE provider and the VCAA during 2013/14.

As concerned parents of the students involved in the VETiS units at Portland Secondary College, we understand that our children are now disadvantaged due to malpractice at Portland Secondary College.

These insights raise serious concerns into the professionalism, integrity and honesty into the Portland Secondary College, its teachers and its administration.