Engagement, in the education industry, is a broad term. It can refer to the level of engagement of students, how often they’re attending school or how attentive they are in class. Recently, it has also been used to describe the teacher’s role in forming an engaging classroom, known as teacher engagement.
So, what are the several connotations of the term ‘engagement’ and what does it mean if your child is disengaging at school?
Anglicare Victoria explain what ‘engagement’ means to teachers, students and parents.
Student engagement: how engaged is the student?
When discussing student engagement, teachers are talking about the level of engagement of a student during school. This is a broad term and it can mean how much attention they pay in class, how they’re performing, or their attendance rate.
Right now, there’s a particular focus on that last matter. Attendance rates are becoming an increasingly large problem in the Victorian government school system. Between 2018 and 2021, school refusal grew 50% in Victoria, with 11,825 students in government schools recorded as absent in 2021.
Disengagement and school refusal
Disengagement is another term you may have heard from a teacher. If a student isn’t attending school, or isn’t performing optimally in school, they may be disengaging from education. Disengagement, or school refusal, can be due to a number of factors, but it’s usually related to a personal issue experienced by the student. These issues typically include:
- Bullying, peer conflict or social pressure at school
- Difficulty with learning or lack of confidence in the classroom
- Anxiety and depression
- Body image issues
- Family breakdown and issues at home
- A range of other issues that can affect willingness to go to school
Re-engagement
On top of this, re-engagement is the term we use to define methods and services that are available to re-engage a student in school. This includes the Victorian Government’s re-engagement programs. These programs are in place to support Victorian government school children from years 7-10, who are disengaging or at risk of disengaging from their education. They’re delivered by third-party Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
Anglicare Victoria’s Navigator program
Anglicare Victoria’s Navigator program is an example of a re-engagement program which has seen some incredible results in getting students to start attending school again.
The Navigator program is a school re-engagement program for students between the ages of 12 and 17. In our re-engagement program, we offer tailored support for your child at a time when they need it the most. Whether your child is dealing with issues in the schoolyard such as bullying, lacking confidence in the classroom, falling out with friends, or experiencing depression and anxiety, our case managers are expertly trained and qualified to give top-quality support. Contact Anglicare Victoria if you’d like to know more about how we can help you.
