On the Coast – Families Issue 105 I April/May 2020 | Page 20

E T AU S T R A L I A
Q&A with Tony Myland,
ET Australia CEO
and founding principal of ET Australia Secondary College
P
arents/carers and students have
chosen ET Australia Secondary
College (ETASC) as their first
choice of high school on the Central
Coast. ETASC has experienced constant
enrolment growth since opening its
doors to Central Coast students and
enrolments are occurring through
reputation and word of mouth.
So why is it that those in the know
about ETASC are so positive about it?
We spoke to Tony Mylan, ETASC’s
founding Principal, to find out more...
When did ETASC open and what
type of School is it?
ETASC opened in 2013 and is a Year 7
to Year 10 independent high school,
focusing on providing students with the
literacy and numeracy skills to be
successful in employment and/or
future study by delivering the
mainstream curriculum in a safe and
supportive learning environment.
ETASC is a member of the Association
of Independent Schools of NSW
(AISNSW).
Why did you start a School?
ET Australia has provided youth
employment, vocational and literacy and
numeracy programs to young people on
the Central Coast since 1977. In those 43
years, ET Australia has delivered all sorts
of programs and activities aimed at
helping young people post-school to get
and keep a job.
With all the knowledge gained from
delivering programs to young people who
had left school, it was logical to create a
school that could cater for students for
whom mainstream schooling was not the
best fit. In creating an alternative option
for students, it ensures young people
remain in school and continue learning
in a supportive environment.
What’s different about ETASC?
ETASC is a small school, for 2020, a
maximum of 170 students will attend
Year 7 to Year 10. This small school
setting provides a safe and nurturing
learning environment where every
student is provided the learning and
personal support they need to succeed.
Some features not always found in
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ON T H E C OA S T – FA M ILIES
most schools, are available at ETASC,
including:
ƒ Students never having homework
ƒ Staff and students are known by their
first names just like in the workplace
ƒ A teacher assistant in every class
ƒ There is no school uniform, students
can wear what they feel comfortable
in providing it is appropriate for the
work place
ƒ The school operates as an adult
learning environment, like TAFE or
University
ƒ The school provides Learning
Enrichment and Gifted and Talented
programs for students
ƒ Free after school tutoring with a
literacy and numeracy focus along
with extension class after school
ƒ Everything is included in the school
fees, parents don’t need to buy
stationery, or notepads or pay extra
for school excursions
ƒ iPads are available for every student
to use in class
ƒ Our school rules align with those
found in the world of work.
How is ETASC the same as other
high schools?
All of our teachers are qualified
professionals who teach the NSW school
curriculum provided by the NSW
Education Standards Authority (NESA).
Our focus is on the core curriculum, we
don’t provide electives in Year 9 or Year
10. With less subjects, our school
timetable provides students extra time to
focus on core subjects like Mathematics,
English and Science and this extra time in
class eliminates the need for homework.
All of our students have assessments,
exams just like you would experience
in other schools, and our Year 7 and 9
students participate in NAPLAN.
All classrooms are fitted out with
whiteboards, smart TVs and we have
high speed internet via fibre to the
premises from the NBN network.
What type of student attends ETASC?
We have a diverse student cohort
enrolled at ETASC coming from all over
the Central Coast, northern Sydney and
from the Lake Macquarie region. The
most common reasons students attend
ETASC are our safe and supportive
learning environment, the level of
individualised support we can offer and
the small school setting.
Families are attracted to the college
because of the supportive and safe
learning environment our strict school
rules have created. In mirroring the
world of work, ETASC doesn’t have
suspensions. Students who engage in
unacceptable behaviour face being
expelled from the college.
The transition from primary school
to high school can be quite daunting for
many students. Our small school setting
provides students the ability to transition
to high school without being a small fish
in a very large pond.
Overall, students at ETASC are the
same as those students that are in any
comprehensive Central Coast high
school. The difference is ETASC has a lot
less students.
Are there any misconceptions about
ETASC you would like to address?
The common misconception we hear is
that ETASC is a behaviour school. ETASC
is definitely not a behaviour school. The
expectations and rules we have in place
ensure students behave in a manner
that is consistent with that of an adult
learning environment or workplace.
Our rules are strictly enforced to
ensure students are provided a safe and
supportive learning environment.
When is the best time for parents to
enrol their child?
We are able to enrol students and accept
an admin fee years ahead for parents/
carers who wish to secure a place in
advance. We also have a rolling
enrolment policy where we take
enrolments all year round, so long as
there is a place for the student and if not,
we have a waiting list.
We are currently accepting
enrolments for Year 7 for 2021 and 2022.
How do On The Coast ~ Families readers
find out more information about ETASC?
Parents/carers can go to
www.etaustralia.com and navigate
to our Secondary College page to learn
more about ETASC or alternatively they
can call the school office on 4323 1233.