Beyond Standard 5 meeting minimum standards for under-18 international students Daisy Adams & Gary Bourton

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9.00 – 10.30: Chair: Joanne Fischer

Beyond Standard 5 … meeting minimum standards for under-18 international

students

Daisy Adams & Gary Bourton

Daisy Adams and Gary Bourton are senior staff members of the Victorian Registration &

Qualifications Authority (VRQA)- statutory authority responsible for the registration and quality assurance of all schools in Victoria.

Daisy and Gary will provide an update on key regulatory changes regarding international students in the schools sector, including:

 Commonwealth ESOS and Student Visa (SSVP) changes  VRQA/ETRA changes for registered schools in Victoria  new Victorian Child Safe Organisations standards

Their discussion will be in the context of increased public and regulatory scrutiny on CRICOS schools, and the significant challenges of providing courses to younger international students.

They will reference the key issues identified in recent VRQA reviews of CRICOS registered schools, including:

o school’s capacity to provide appropriate care and welfare arrangements for under 18 international students

o Principals understanding CAAW letter responsibilities

o ensuring students have sufficient levels of English and maturity to complete the course

o recruiting, vetting and monitoring of homestay accommodation providers

o monitoring of younger students living with parents/relatives

o effective student incident management

o due diligence in the use of companies offering to provide ‘guardianship’ and other services

Their presentation would be for 35-40 minutes leaving time to take questions from participants.

10.30 - 11.00 Morning Tea & networking

11.00 – 12.30 Chair: Joanne Fischer

INTEGRATION & COHESION OF ASIAN (AND PARTICULARLY CHINESE) YOUTH

IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS

Guest Speaker: Joanna Zhu

Panel: Melanie Duncan, Michelle Wang, Emilia Fields, Natalie Siritzky

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a) Introduction 30 minutes Guest Speaker: Clinical Psychologist

Joanna Zhu is a multilingual clinical psychologist in full time private practice. Focus of Joanna’s presentation is to give a context to our discussion of integration

- Present day cultural and historical influences affecting Chinese students - Common characteristics of Chinese youth

- Common issues for Chinese youth b) Focus Group – 35 minutes

Member of the focus group from the Tertiary and Schools sectors will outline - the issues surrounding integration at their institution

- what their institution does to help Asian students to be at home - programs and strategies that are successful

 Tertiary Sector 15 minutes

Melanie Duncan

Manager, International Student Services

La Trobe University  Secondary Sector 15 minutes

Independent Michelle Wang

Previously: Secretary (President) CCP Youth League, Shanxi Province, Lvliang

Present: Administrative Assistant Wesley College, St Kilda Road Campus

Natalie Siritzky

International Student & Homestay Coordinator,

Wesley College, Glen Waverley Campus

Catholic Emilia Fields – Director of

International Student Program, Whitefriars College

c) Discussion & questions from the floor 35 minutes 12.30 – 1.30 Lunch & networking

1.30 - 3.00 Chair: Joanne Fischer

EFFECTIVE SUBJECT SUPPORT & IMPROVING ENGLISH COMPETENCY

Panel: Angela Bielby, Sue Katsavos, Helen Nicholls-Stary, Emilia Fields

Effective strategies and programmes to improve English competency and provide subject

support for international students

Short Presentation by each panel member about what is done in their institution to support international students academically.

3 School Sector – 40 minutes

Government Angela Bielby, International Student Coordinator Camberwell High School

Independent 1 Sue Katsavos Senior EAL Teacher Wesley College St Kilda Road Campus Independent 2 Anne Height EAL Coordinator Ivanhoe Grammar

Catholic Emilia Fields – Director of International Student Program, Whitefriars College

Tertiary Sector – 20 minutes

Tertiary: Helen Nicholls-Stary – Team Leader Priority student, Student Engagement & Retention Unit, Deakin University

Questions from the floor & discussion about effective strategies used in their experience and strategies that are useful.

3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon Tea

3.30 – 5.00 Chair: Emilia Fields

TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PROBLEM SOLVING, ASSERTIVNESS

AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Guest Speaker: Deborah Eyles

Roleplay presentation: Manorani Guy

Dr Deborah Eyles is a Clinical Psychologist with many years’ experience working with adults, adolescents, and children. Deborah has worked extensively with individuals and student groups to help them to develop a range of skills including problem solving, assertiveness and leadership.

Manorani Guy is the founder and director of Asian Student Accommodation ( ASA) and Asian Student Education (in operation for 20 years)in Melbourne.She holds a degree in Psychology, Business Management and a Diploma in International Education.

 Roleplay presentation Manorani Guy 15 min

 Problem solving activity with partner 15 min 

Presentation

30 min

Why learning PROBLEM SOLVING, ASSERTIVENESS & LEADERSHIP skills are important for International students?

What kinds of activities can help students to develop these skills  Discussion & questions from floor 30 minutes

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Joanna Zhu

Joanna Zhu is a multilingual clinical psychologist in full time private practice who is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. Joanna has extensive clinical experiences both in private and public mental health sector. Although Joanna works with a wide range of clinical problems for children, adults, elderly, family and couples, Joanna is particularly interested in working with young people and their parents. She is often invited by secondary schools to give talks to teachers and parents about how to work better with children and parents of Chinese background. Joanna believes in working closely with school counsellors, teachers and parents in order to better help our young people to grow and thrive.

Dr Deborah Eyles

Dr Deborah Eyles is a Clinical Psychologist with many years’ experience working with adults, adolescents, and children. Deborah has worked in a variety of mental health and tertiary academic settings including the Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Monash University, Monash Medical Centre, and Albert Road Clinic. Deborah currently combines work in her own private practice with days at Wesley College. Deborah specialises in the treatment of anxiety, depression, stress, adjustment disorders, parenting and relationship issues, and corresponding communication problems. Deborah has experience in the provision of workshops in educational, academic and organisational settings, providing material related to stress management, anxiety, depression, resilience and parenting.

Professional Affiliations

Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists

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Manorani Guy

Accommodation ( ASA) and Asian Student Education (in operation for 20 years) in Melbourne. She holds a degree in Psychology, Business Management and a Diploma in International Education. She enjoys studying and is currently completing a Diploma in Management and Leadership. She also has significant training in cross cultural

communication, active listening, negotiating, time management and conflict resolution which are portable skills she sees as a necessity when dealing with international students, parents and the various education providers.

Having being born in Malaysia, with Chinese/Indian heritage, Manorani has had true life experiences of the cultural differences and the appreciation required to understand the complexities of international students when they are away from home. She moved to Melbourne 30 years ago and has been heavily involved in caring for students from a diverse range of multicultural backgrounds who are under and over 18 years old at her

accommodation and within her guardianship business.

She is a member of several committees and has been active over the years to promote and advance the role and quality of life of these students in Melbourne.She is passionate and committed in improving student accommodation and is proud that ASA is seen as a role model in best practice. She is an active member of the RAAV and ISANA. She has grown professionally to become an effective leader, mentor and motivator.