[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”50″ overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″][vc_column_text]
Mount Erin Deaf Education Centre
Mount Erin College
Robinsons Road FRANKSTON SOUTH 3199
Deaf Facility: 5971 6005
Webtelephony: 5971 5043
Fax: 5971 1421
Email: rowling.geoffrey.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: www.mounterin.vic.edu.au
Contact: Geoff Rowling, Deaf Education Centre Coordinator[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
Mount Erin Deaf Education Centre
We are the ONLY government Secondary Deaf Facility in the South East Metropolitan Region (SEMR).
In 2014, The Age named Mount Erin College as one of the 5 most improved secondary schools in the State for VCE results. In 2015 the median study score increased again to 30. This places the college as one of the higher achieving state schools in South and South East Melbourne.
In the DEC at Mount Erin College we provide specialist Deaf/Hearing Impaired (HI) provision catering for all communication needs and technological support including cochlear implants, different types of hearing aids, Roger and FM systems and soundfield systems. We support students with bi-lateral sensori neural moderate losses and above. The support provided is flexible so that the needs of each student are met specifically, whether they are purely oral, sign language users or a mixture of both.
We are the only government secondary school in the SEMR to have qualified and highly experienced on-site Teachers of the Deaf and specialist Educational Support Staff. The teaching staff at MEC are also are very experienced in teaching deaf and HI students. Regular training is provided to teachers to ensure that they have the skills to meet the needs of our students.
Research makes it clear that having a peer group is very important for deaf students. This prevents them feeling isolated which also has a positive impact on their academic work. Mount Erin is the only facility in the South East that provides this. Our students, and their friends whether deaf or hearing, are also welcome to use the DEC at recess and lunchtimes. We also have a mentoring program where a current student is paired with a Year 7 to help ensure a smooth and successful transition to High School.
We have monthly visits from an audiologist from Australian Hearing which all our students attend. These visits are often led by the questions of our students. They also provide an opportunity to update equipment when needed, such as hearing aid mould fitting. These sessions are highly valued by our students.
We also offer regular events for the students. These have recently included a Deaf Sports day at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and seeing an Auslan Interpreted performance of The Lion King. Next year we will hope to offer a subsidised residential camp which will have many other deaf students from across Victoria.
We have established partnerships with a number of Universities to enable access for our students to many exciting tertiary pathways. The College offers a vibrant Arts Academy and a dynamic visual and performing Arts program, offering drama and instrumental music. Mount Erin College also has a Sports Academy for high performing athletes as well a wide range of sporting opportunities. With a range of camps and excursions; a sister school in Indonesia; an Equestrian group; an active Student Leadership Program; including the Order of Australia Award winning program “Supportive Friends”; it is a rich and supportive learning community.
The Department of Education and Training provides financial assistance in the form of a conveyance allowance to help families with the cost of transporting children to their closest facility, providing that they live more than 4.8km to school. This would be available to the families of all funded deaf students provided they live within the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Please contact the Geoff Rowling, Coordinator of the DEC at Mount Erin College for more information and to arrange a tour at any time.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
