Student Forum
Student forum creates global community
The buzz in the room was electric when students from all walks of life came together to discuss the future of global communities.
Conversation flowed and camaraderie was strong as delegations of international and local students from a number of government and independent schools gathered at the State Library of Victoria on 9 September to discuss how schools might continue creating global communities.
Students see themselves as global citizens and schools are creating global communities through curriculum, teaching languages, sister school relationships, and connecting their students around the world. In addition, Victoria has a large number of international students from over 70 different countries that also provide valuable contributions to the global outlook of our schools.
More than 100 students in Years 10–12 attended the International Student Forum:
Schools Creating Global Communities, which was opened by Minister for Education. International and local students from each school took the opportunity to learn more about each other, talk about their experiences and exchange perspectives on living, studying and interacting with students from different cultural backgrounds.
Lead facilitator David Mould from Second Strike said “the buzz through the room was electric” from beginning to end with students keen to start discussions straight away and continuing them long into their scheduled break times.
“The exciting thing was watching students from different schools reach across the table and connect with each other,” he says.
“Everyone came to the table with some solid questions in mind, and they came wanting to know all about the other students and their thoughts on being a global citizen. In many cases these students are separated by distance and school systems and frequently by cultures as well. They got really excited about asking questions, such as what it was like to live in Russia or to grow up in Vietnam or to come to a new country – and they did much of this in their breaks, which was fantastic.”
Student response to the forum was resoundingly positive, with many keen to continue in-depth discussions back at their schools, and also with the new friends forged throughout the day. Brentwood Secondary College student Jordan Lee said the day opened his eyes to different world views.
“It was a great day, encouraging fresh ideas from a range of people and different cultures,” he said. Christie Costello, from Melbourne Girls Grammar, said “the forum really highlighted how important it is to create a global community based on respect and understanding.”
Outcomes presented to Minister for Education
Following the Forum, a small delegation representing all of the attendees recently refined an outcomes statement for consideration in the development and enhancement of new and current programs and initiatives. The statement was presented to the Minister for Education on Wednesday 20 October 2010.
Recommendations included:
- There should be an ongoing statewide committee of secondary students to advise the Minister for Education on the topic of Schools Creating Global Communities and International Students. This Committee should include a balanced spread of private and public school students, local and international students and metropolitan and regional students.
- Schools should be encouraged to hold especially themed days that benefit the integration of international students and promote a global citizenship view of the world and that these days are part of a broader school commitment to international education.
- The curriculum should be modified at both primary and secondary level to include a greater understanding of:
- What it is like to be an international student
- What other cultures and countries are like
- Respect for and understanding between different cultures
- Targeted activities that involve and build relationships between local and international students, perhaps outside school hours
- Increasing the amount of English language tuition made available to International Students, with a focus on English for everyday use and providing greater flexibility in how and when this tuition is offered.
