Gentle correction

By Bridget Brady
The Victoria Police and Department of Education initiative is an eight-week intensive personal development program designed to help keep students engaged in education.
It is targeted at students aged 14 to 16 years of age who are disengaged from their learning, failing to attend school regularly, lacking confidence, or at risk of coming to the attention of police.
The students, from different secondary colleges in the municipality, were the first girls to complete the program from Casey. Two other groups of boys from Casey have finished the program. The girls graduated last Friday at the City of Casey Civic Centre.
Lyndhurst Secondary College student Sharni, 14, was one of the graduates and said she enjoyed every minute of the program.
“It was heaps of fun. We did tons of things and I met people from different schools,” she said.
The Year 8 student said she enjoyed all of the activities she participated in during the program, including abseiling and horse riding.
The students also got a taste for community volunteer work and attended a TAFE Taster course.
During the eight weeks the students took part in the program from Tuesday to Friday, and spent Monday at their schools.
Victoria Police facilitator Leading Senior Constable Christine Atherton said she was excited to see the girls graduate.
“It has been a lot of work but it has been fun,” Ldg Sen Const Atherton said.
“They have formed really nice friendships and worked hard to be cohesive, which is a credit to them.”
Ldg Sen Const Atherton described NEWSTART as an early intervention program designed to “catch young people as they start to take a wrong turn”.
“Ultimately it is designed to re-engage them back in learning, but it’s important that the young person wants to change.”
Ldg Sen Const Atherton said the girls had to adhere to a strict set of guidelines.
“They were exposed to things they wouldn’t normally have had the opportunity to experience, which got them out of their comfort zone, challenged them and helped them recognise their own abilities.”
Facilitators monitor the progress of the students for two years after they graduate.