Not only do Carinity Education schools support students in the classroom, they also help young people to achieve other goals.
assists its students to gain their learners license while teaching them important driving and road safety skills.
The initiative is steered by Sian Fullagar, who teaches part-time at the school and also operates A+ Drivers Academy.
Sian enjoys combining her two passions which ultimately serve the same purpose: empowering and equipping young people to succeed in the community.
“I teach Maths Essentials one day a week at Carinity Education, but now I also teach the students to pass their PrepL assessment and teach them how to drive,” Sian said.
“I have helped students to get their learners licence and I helped with a few students to pass their practical test. Driving is a skill that gives a young person so much more freedom in their lives.
“Having a driving licence is virtually essential for young adults living and working in our region, and it is a privilege to support our students to safely operate a motor vehicle.”
Sian said helping students to acquire a driving licence is “the most rewarding kind of teaching that I have done in 35 years of teaching”.
“I love having such engaged students and to make a real difference in someone’s life is a very rewarding and fulfilling experience,” Sian said.
“They are always so excited and so grateful to learn a life skill that adds so much value to their lives. It helps with freedom and in getting a job.”
Carinity Education Rockhampton Principal, Lyn Harland, said the driving program was helping to ease time constraints and financial burdens faced by some students’ parents and guardians.
“The process of obtaining a driver’s license takes considerable time and it isn’t cheap, especially given the cost of driving lessons and the price of purchasing a license itself,” Lyn said.
“Some families can’t support their young person with the cost of petrol and don’t always have time to supervise them when they are behind the wheel.”
Lyn said the school driving initiative was also helping to drive greater student attendance and engagement.
“Students know that if they don’t attend a prerequisite number of academic classes, or aren’t thorough with completing and submitting assessment tasks, they’re not entitled to do driving lessons with Sian,” Lyn said.
“We love seeing our young people succeed in all avenues of their life and helping them on the road to achieve their goals.”
