Education Centre Gippsland College
Education Centre Gippsland (ECG) College is school… but not as you know it. Often described as ‘the education equivalent of a warm hug’, the senior secondary school is specifically designed to provide additional support to students with high needs. Over 90% of ECG College students present with social, emotional or environmental issues that have made successful participation in mainstream schooling impossible. These factors demand an innovative approach to teaching that enables students with serious learning barriers to feel safe, develop confidence, become connected, build life skills, manage their challenges and, eventually, rediscover education in a meaningful way. As such, ECG College is designed to be as responsive as possible to the needs of each student within a hands-on VCAL curriculum. The maximum class size at the College is 13 students, allowing an intense focus on student wellbeing and welfare. Teachers also provide students with a strong motivation to build confidence and self-esteem alongside skills, knowledge and experience. The school also provides additional support mechanisms such as free food and drink (an important factor for students experiencing low socio-economic circumstances), access to youth workers and a visiting psychologist.
