Language the key for foreign high school students in Australia
Updated
There are concerns about a lack of support for international students in Australia's high schools, who may face difficulties breaking through cultural and language barriers.
Some students say attending high school in Australia makes for an easier transition to university, but they may need extra help improving their English language skills.
Presenter: Myke Bartlett
Speakers: Dr Sophia Arkoudis, Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne; various students; Peter Roberts, Association of Independent Schools
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(protest sounds)
BARTLETT: Once again, the streets of Melbourne fill with angry international students. This time it's a protest demanding transport concessions.
But while foreign students at universities are raising their voices, little has been heard from their high school counterparts.
Every year, 22,000 international students enrol in Australian secondary schools, but many struggle to break through cultural and language barriers to succeed academically.
Dr Sophia Arkoudis from the Centre for the study of higher education at the University of Melbourne says the main problem is the poor level of language support offered to students.
ARKOUDIS: Sometimes schools might not put in the required effort in terms of supporting the students develop their English language skills and that's the one really important area. There has been an assumption that students can come here and they'll simply slot into the rhythm of what's going on in the high school curriculum.
BARTLETT: Many international students come to Australia in secondary school to improve their chances of gaining entry to university. They can expect to pay around $US10,000 a year to enrol in a government school and much more for a place at a prestigious independent school. But even those who make it through often feel they have been dropped in the deep end.
(university audio)
I met with a group of international students at Melbourne university and asked them about their high school experiences.
STUDENT 1: I'd liked to have had more classes to improve my English.
BARTLETT: Did you feel at times that you'd been dropped into a class room and been expected to sink or swim?
STUDENT 2: Yes, actually. Like, I actually wanted to do history and a couple of other arts subjects but I only came in at year 11, I didn't have any basic background so I was sort of forced to do maths and science which personally I don't enjoy.
BARTLETT: Maths and science are seen as being safe choices for international students, but Dr Arkoudis says many still struggle.
ARKOUDIS: They tend to rely more on the type of subjects which don't require much language, so for example, they'll choose a maths subject, assuming that they don't need a lot of language for that. But in reality they still need language to be able to decipher the problem, to understand what it's asking, to work out the mathematical formula and then solve it.
BARTLETT: Most international students choose to enrol in independent schools, often on the basis of the school's strong academic results. Some find, however, language support can still be an issue.
Peter Roberts, of the Association of Independent Schools, says while these schools must meet strict criteria to take overseas students, they are not required to have a specific English second language program.
ROBERTS: They need to demonstrate that they can support students whose English is perhaps not as strong as it might be, but generally the schools would be running assessments beforehand.
BARTLETT: This assessment is the International English Language Testing System - or IELTS - the same test used to assess proficiency for Government schools.
There are questions, however, whether the test is enough to ensure students are ready to study.
STUDENT 2: I had to take this test, but it's pretty simple. To be honest, I thought it was a bit lenient.
BARTLETT: Do you think schools and universities should provide tougher testing for English language, in a way that might be helpful to students?
STUDENT 3: Yeah, definitely. Being a harder exam would be better for all students but there are those who are already struggling to cope up with what they're already having right now.
BARTLETT: Dr Arkoudis again.
ARKOUDIS: All that test does is indicate that the student can be starting a course but that they need a lot of support and it's that support aspect which hasn't really kicked in adequately.
There are no government figures available on how many international students fail to complete secondary school studies in Australia.
But the Department of Education says the needs of international students are well-supported, while students that do make it through say university has been a much easier experience because they spent time in Australian high schools.
