Ninth Observsation - Fitzroy High School

This school is very different in terms of classroom atmosphere. There are no fixed tables and there is random seating almost in every classroom. The teachers are very close with the students.

This school is also considered as a 'new school'. It was closed and reopened in 2004. The school was redesigned again and implied new elements so that most of the things were similar to the primary section. This, they say, is very important as students will have a better transiction from primary to secondary. There are some things that were brought from primary to secondary such as class teachers teaching most of the subjects and having a relatively smaller class so that students could have a deeper learning environment.

I went to a Year 11 Arts Studio class. The class was preparing for their VCE and the students have to finish their own artwork so that some of therm could be sold in auction. In the class, there were 2 teaching assistants and 11 students. Some of them have not start on their final project and only a minority of the students are on the verge on completing their masterpiece. From what I have seen from the class, the teacher and student relationship is very deep as there are not a lot of arguments. The teacher did not even teach the students the skills and the techniques. The teacher rather asks students to go and draw whatever thy like. It is completely different back home as we were taught how to draw - only by the technique and give themes for students to draw. In Australia, the teacher would rather give the students a free hand and it is the students who develop their own feelings and personal development. The students could also express their views and their opinions through drawing so that people could understand that the 'artist' are doing. The teacher would also give opinions, feedbacks and checking the students progress. That is another thing that stands out comparing to Hong Kong.

There are some students that was far behind their own schedule. The teacher would give on-the-spot orders so that the students could meet the deadline. There are also students that would require advanced skills and the teacher would help them to the fullest. That could make the student very comfortable and it seems more like a friend talking to the students rather being a teacher and student.

To conclude, this school gave absolute freedom to students to develop and grow to a responsible citizens. The school is willing to try out new things and I could say that they are adventurous and ambitious. Even though we as Hong Kong students might not be able to cope with a school with no or limited rules, I do believe that the students at the school are able to control and with the guidance from the teachers, they would really, really feel like a second home and a fun school to go to.