A FRANKSTON North mother has gone back to school to complete her VCE aged 44. Melissa Carling dropped out of high school to have a child. Now a mother of four, Carling has returned to complete her schooling.
Carling has studied one subject a year for the last four years. This year marks the end of her studies. She said “I felt supported, guided and encouraged” to undertake the effort. “Doing my VCE has opened doors to better opportunities,” Carling said. After finishing her VCE exams, Carling has her sights set on finishing further education in disability care and leaving her cleaning job. “It’s time to move on,” she said.
Around 4000 Victorian adults completed their VCE studies in the last five years. Box Hill Institute is one of the state’s largest providers of VCE education outside of secondary schools – director of BHI’s foundation education college Matt Hetherington said “not everyone has a great experience at secondary school. People leave early for various reasons but don’t want to miss out on completing Year 12. That’s where we come in.”
“The curriculum is carefully curated with popular subjects favoured by mature-aged students. Learners can also tap into various support services including financial scholarships, a ‘Head Start’ program and ongoing curriculum assistance. Our teachers are experts at supporting people to become confident, lifelong learners.”
For more information visit boxhill.edu.au/courses/vce-victorian-certificate-of-education-vce01-vce
First published in the Frankston Times – 29 October 2024