SCHOOL PROFILE

Australian Turkish Educational & Cultural Association Inc. (AUSTURK) After Hour Ethnic School.

The Australian Turkish Educational & Cultural AssociationInc. (AUSTURK) After Hour Ethnic School is the main function of the Association. AUSTURK was established in 1970s. It is a non-political, non-religious organisation formed top serve and represent the interest of the members of the local Turkish community who recognise a common set of needs and wish to take positive actions to achieve the aspirations.

The after hour AUSTURK Ethnic School has been established to educate and train Turkish children living in Australia on national education and training, sports and culture and to prepare them for the future and provide an environment that helps the learning of the Turkish Language. Since 1977, the school has grown from 68 students to its current population in excess of 350 students. Classes are available from “Year Prep to Year 10”. VCE Turkish Curriculum and documentation curriculum framework by the AUSTURK school teachers are recognised by the Austurk Ethnic School.

The objectives of the school are:

1) To teach listening, speaking, reading and writing of the Turkish language, so that the students will be able to use both language fluently as a bilingual (English/Turkish)
2) To introduce some Turkish history, culture and philosophy to the students.
3) To provide students with a better understanding of the Turkish Heritage.

AUSTURK has been located at Broadmeadows Secondary College since it was established in 1977. The School has never changed the premise. There are sixteen classrooms available at the school and the classrooms are conducted in three sessions between 9 AM and 2 PM on Saturdays during normal school terms. The school also runs Modern Turkish Folk Dance and Drama classes.

A committee of Management, which consists of parent volunteers, manages the school. The teaching staffs of the school are properly qualified and have the required skills and experience in teaching of LOTE (Languages Other Than English). The school is in the process of enhancing the school charter within the school context.
The charter will ensure that the school can deliver courses that are of high quality for the students and which are consistent with the CSF (Curriculum and Standards Framework) set by the Department of Education and documented curriculum framework prepared by the school teachers.

Australian Turkish Educational & Cultural Association
Inc. (AUSTURK) After Hour Ethnic School     Association /Registration No: AOO25898C

The students have different interests and motivations for learning the Turkish Language, but the common aim is to achieve a level of sophistication in communication and understanding of Turkish culture. Regular cultural and recreational activities are also offered as a part of curriculum during the last sessions to get prepared for the cultural events which are held during the school terms by the other Turkish organisations and AUSTURK. To increase the contact of the students with Turkish Heritage, some other activities throughout the year over the weekends are also conducted by the specialists at the Main Office Building. The activities include:

-   Turkish Folk Dancing
-   Modern Turkish Dancing
-   Music and Drama classes
-   Sport activities (soccer and athleticism)
-   Environmental activities (picnics and outdoor cultural games)
-   Celebration of Turkish National Days and important historical events such as 23rd  April, National and Sovereignty Children Festival, 29th October Republican Festival, 10th November, Remembrance Day of Ataturk, the founder of Republic of Turkey.
-   Participating Turkish Day.

All these activities are provided as a back drop for the total learning to enable students and their families to pursue their own particular interest though self-learning and life long learning. To develop common purposes between teachers, parents and students,
Parents have always been encouraged to involve and participate in activities of AUSTURK.

SCHOOL GOALS

                   GOAL                       IMPLEMENTATION                          ACHIEVEMENT
                                                          STRATEGIES                                   MEASURES

  CURRICULUM
                                                   * documented curriculum                   *  records of policies and
* To provide a high quality              policies                                              methodology
   sequential Turkish Language      * documented methods of                  * time table
   Program is designed and               teaching
  delivered to meet the needs,       * develop courses of study                 * course outlines completed nterest and aspiration of                  that is appropriate to the level
   students from years 1 to 10          of students
* develop assessment and            * levels of student
    reporting procedures that is in      achievement based on the CSF
    line with CSF and Curriculum      and Curriculum developed by
    the school teachers                         the teachers

* community involvement and        * parents and community
   support                                                 participation rate
* professional development           * meeting with teachers
   program

 ENVIRONMENT

* To develop and maintain a          *  student code of conduct and               * observation of student
      safe, caring and stimulating           provide a happy and safe                    behaviour and number of
      learning environment                    environment                                          discipline incidents
* code of practice
* accident register procedure         * number and types of
     & policy                                     accidents
* early dismissal procedure &        * students attendance record
      procedure

ACCOUNTABILITY

*  To develop and maintain a          * procedure for parent/teacher               * record of parent/teacher
     safe, caring and stimulating            interviews                                              interview
     learning environment                  * procedure for parent                           * parent information meeting
     information meeting                       twice a year
* information leaflet to                    * regular distribution of
   parents                                           information leaflet
* school annual report                     * publication of school annual
* regular financial reports                   report
* audits

                GOAL                             IMPLEMENTATION                              ACHIEVEMENT
                                                             STRATEGIES                                       MEASURES

MANAGEMENT
* To develop clearly defined         * documented school decision                   * reports and minutes of
statements of rules and                     making structures and
responsibilities from all                    statements                                               * school charter
school members to enable             * defined and agreed school                      * teacher satisfaction with
effective decision making and          goals, priorities,                                         roles and responsibility
efficient adminisstration                   implementation plans and
                                                     accountability processes
* develop school efficient
   records keeping system
* staffing deployment which
   matches talents and abilities
  with school-based needs

RESOURCES

* To provide adequate                 * annual workshops for                               * adequate trained teachers
    resources to enable the                curriculum development                           * arrangements for providing
    achievement of the school’s      * develop resources through                           the resources
    goals and priorities                      Turkish Embassy and                               *  satisfactory financial audit
                                                       teachers’ self investigations                      * students participation in
                                                   * annual meeting for financial                           social and cultural activities
                                                      report twice a year                                       organised by community
                                                   * encourage stronger link with
                                                      parents and community to
                                                      provide facilities and
                                                      enrichment program

SCHOOL PRIORITY

Priority:

To improve the learning outcomes for all students.

Description:

A program that reflects social and cultural understanding the language as a system are both essential to language learning.

Better curriculum materials which are in line with the CSF will be developed to improve the performance of all students.

Intended Outcome:

Professional development workshops will extend the current teachers’ skills and provide them different points of views in teaching the Turkish language which implementing CSF in their work program.
 

    STRATEGY        1998       1999   2000

To develop a new                            investigate CSF &            trial new program      modify the
teaching and learning                       DSE Course Advice         monitor and                program based on
program that is                                 arrange a                         adjust the program     last year feedback
appropriate to the                              workshop to                    based on feedback    implement new
level of the students                          understand CSF in            from teachers and         program                                                                              To develop new                              and expand                     students                                          continue to
 curriculum materials                        teachers’ current          ? purchase of                   contact with other
 which are in line with                       knowledge about           resource materials        Ethnic Schools
 the CSF                                             CSF                              ? trailing sample             within the area
             ? develop new                    activities/units of
     progman                         work
             ? Investigate
                                              ? appropriate
     teaching/learning
     materials
             ? develop new
    curriculum materials
 

SCHOOL CURRICULUM PLAN

THE CORE LEARNING PROGRAM
Learning Turkish as a second language.

ENRICHMENT AND SUPPORT PROGRAM

Our program is enriched through a wide range of  social and cultural activities. Examples are Turkish Folk Dance, Drama, Music classes, Turkish festivals celebrations such as 23rd April National Sovereignty, sport activities, picnics with the participation of parents a few times in a year, contributing actively to the other Turkish organisations’ activities, school concert at the end of the year and so on. These activities are the most effective ways that the children understand and experience Turkish culture and the language. Therefore as AUSTURK After Hour Ethnic School we give importance to expand our facilities in those area working with the professionals from the Turkish community facilities in those area working with the professionals from the Turkish community.

TIME ALLOCATION IN HOURS

Clases are conducted between 9.00 AM and 2.00 PM for all levels from Grade 1 to Year 10.

ORGANISATIIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Classes are organised individually. There are 16 classrooms in the school.

Grade 1:        3 classrooms
Grade 2:        3 classrooms
Grade 3:        2 classrooms
Grade 4:        2 classrooms
Grade 5:        2 classrooms
Grade 6:        1 classroom
Year 7:          1 classroom
Year 8:          1 classroom
Year 9:          1 classroom

Curently Turkish textbooks, VSL samples of works for Year 7, 8 and 9 and teacher developed resources are used for Grade 1 to Year 9 as the main source of teaching.

The four aspects of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing are covered. The teachers develop their methods and strategies of teaching by working as team members.
As the new school curriculum is developed over the next three years emphasis will be gradually moved from textbooks to school designed materials on teachers’ contribution and local and overseas resource materials.
 

P.O Box 84, Dallas, 3047
168 Blair Street, Dallas, 3047