2018: The Melbourne Indigenous Transition School presented by Edward Tudor
The 2018 Oration was presented by Edward Tudor, Executive Director of the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. MITS is a transition school for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities. Each year, 22 boys and girls come to MITS for Year 7. It is a place of wellbeing support, and of academic enrichment and extension that supports young people as they take on the challenge of away-from-home schooling. We have a classroom ratio of 1 teacher to 4 students, ensuring that we can differentiate our program to provide for each student. In the Boarding House, two thirds of our staff are themselves Indigenous people, and all have experienced the challenge and reward of education away from home.
At the end of their MITS year, our students graduate into scholarship positions at our Partner Schools – now totalling 13 schools across the Independent, Catholic and Government sectors. Once they have transitioned, we continue to provide support to our alumni, the Melbourne Families they often live with, and their Partner Schools, through our Pathways Program.