The Catlins Area School virtual trades academy director
Allan Jon, learning adviser Tracy MacCreadie (centre) and
administration developer Fiona McGregor are looking forward
to the academy launch in February. Photo by Rachel Taylor.
The New Zealand Virtual School Trades Academy at the
Catlins Area School, Owaka, will begin classes next February.
The school is one of five trades academies selected from
among the 113 who applied to be part of the scheme.
It opened for enrolments a week ago and has taken its first,
from Auckland.
Director Allan Jon said pupils would be dual-enrolled with
their school and the trades academy and would work towards
both NCEA and industry-relevant qualifications.
The virtual trades academy is the umbrella organisation that
provides the administration, while the collaborating schools
- Catlins Area School, Blue Mountain College, Telford Rural
Polytechnic and Unlimited, in Christchurch - act as
departments, offering subjects that include aviation and
tourism, horticulture, 3-D animation and gaming.
Core literacy, numeracy and digital literacy, work placements
and industry elective components will also be included in the
qualification.
The school could cater to pupils anywhere in the world but
would have its 2011 roll capped at 100, Mr Jon said.
"At the moment, they are being forced to go through a linear,
book-based world, and it's not relevant," he said.
"If we make them turn off all their devices, we are
disengaging them."
Learning adviser Tracy Maccreadie said today's world was
interconnected and the virtual trades academy was about
meeting children halfway. Learning there was a collaborative
approach, which differed from many traditional schools.
"Traditionally, schools have hidden their knowledge.
Virtually everything we do is being dumped on YouTube," Mr
Jon said.
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