More schools fast tracking students, despite push to SEAL them off

The number of Victorian secondary schools offering accelerated learning programs has risen to 40, despite the Department of Education restricting access.

As of this year, schools which use select entry accelerated learning (SEAL) programs to fast-track highly capable students are only allowed to test or interview children who have already accepted a place at their school.

Year 9 student Flynn Megahan does the accelerated learning program SEAL at Brighton Secondary School.Credit:Scott McNaughton

As part of the policy shift intended to ensure that gifted students can excel at their local school rather than be concentrated in SEAL programs, the department has also confined enrolments to students who live within a school’s designated zone.

The changes are designed to ensure students can attend their zoned high school and schools do not cherry-pick the brightest young people from outside their boundary to boost their academic results.

An Education Department spokesman said it funds “every Victorian government school to give their high-ability students the opportunity to undertake extension programs – to support equity and excellence in every government school”.

SEAL students are generally separated from mainstream students from years 7 to 10, and usually maximise their ATAR by doing VCE subjects early. Some students rejoin their year level in year 11, some combine schoolwork with university subjects, and others finish school early.

The department also no longer accredits SEAL programs, so schools have developed their own accreditation process, giving them more autonomy over the type of programs they offer.

Box Hill High School principal Losh Pillay said about 100 local year 6 students apply to her school’s accelerated program each year. The school in Melbourne’s east accepts up to 25 students per year level, from years 7 to 10.

“The students in the program have access to a more challenging curriculum that focuses on analytical reasoning, problem-solving and abstract thinking,” she said.

Jeff Megahan’s 14-year-old son Flynn is one of 217 students doing Brighton Secondary College’s SEAL program.

Brighton Secondary College.Credit:Joe Armao

Meaghan says the program puts “a lot of pressure on the kid to direct his own studies, and they encourage parents to back off a little. For the right kids, they can really do it themselves”.

Flynn, who is in year 9, is part of Brighton Secondary’s English, literature and humanities accelerated group, which studies content about one year level higher than their grade.

“The expectation is that you have to do more work than the students in the mainstream, and you are expected to stay consistently above standard,” Flynn said. “We don’t consider ourselves elite or anything, we’re just hard working.”

Each government primary and secondary school has access to a specialist teacher known as a “high-ability practice leader”, who helps students access online extension courses and excursions.

SEAL student Flynn with his family, Pip (10), Minnie (6), father Jeff, mother Karen and brother Mikey (12).Credit:Scott McNaughton

But Monash University gifted education expert Dr Leonie Kronborg questioned whether all mainstream schools could challenge gifted students, as research showed high-ability kids benefited most from working with like-minded peers.

University of NSW gifted education expert Jae Yup Jared Jung said NSW had far more schools, both state and Catholic, devoted to addressing the educational needs of gifted and high potential students.

“While programs such as SEAL programs are not suitable for all gifted and high potential students, they need to be widely accessible as an option for these students,” he said.

Annette Paroissien, executive director of Hendersons, which tutors students looking to gain entry to SEAL programs, said while they were a “fantastic opportunity for gifted students who crave the academic challenge and stimulation, others may find the academic rigour and fast pace too much pressure so early on in their academic journey”.

Hendersons executive director Annette Paroissien says accelerated learning is too challenging for some kids.Credit:Justin McManus

She said parents should also consider if their child had the maturity and personality to adjust back in to the mainstream cohort in year 11, sometimes one year younger than their classmates.

“Looking beyond this, one should also consider the implications should your child have the opportunity to start university as young as 16,” Paroissien said.

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