A joint initiative between the Department and Curtin University, ITEC is a pilot in-prison academic study program providing a pathway to higher education opportunities.
The bridging course, which has been tailored to Indigenous prisoners, runs for 12 months and is delivered at participating prison education facilities by Curtin tutors with support from the Department鈥檚 education staff.
Seven prisoners from Bandyup Women鈥檚 Prison (six) and Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women (one) and six prisoners from Casuarina Prison will begin their ITEC journey this year, while Greenough Regional Prison will roll out its inaugural ITEC program in 2023 with two prisoners.
Casuarina produced 10 successful ITEC graduates in 2021 and 2022 despite COVID-19 lockdowns.
Female prisoners who successfully complete the course will be among the first cohort to have done so and will hopefully pave the way for others to follow.
鈥淲e see them transform from thinking of themselves as a criminal to 鈥業鈥檓 a student鈥 and that鈥檚 a huge shift,鈥 Acting Director of the Department鈥檚 Education, Employment and Transitional Services (EETS) Abdul Abdullah said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e on a journey of self-improvement, looking forward to a future that鈥檚 better than the past.鈥
Curtin鈥檚 Centre for Aboriginal Studies and course co-ordinator Ana Blazey said ITEC was designed to help 鈥渟caffold students to upskill academically, even if they start at a lower level due to having less educational opportunities previously鈥.
The prisoners earned their place in ITEC after gaining a pre-qualification Certificate II in literacy and successfully applying to the Department鈥檚 Tertiary Studies Assessment Committee for approval to enrol.
鈥淚n prison I鈥檝e had time to reflect on my past and to think about what changes I need to make for a better future,鈥 a Bandyup ITEC applicant said. 鈥淚鈥檝e literally been waiting for an opportunity like this.鈥
In addition, four Casuarina Indigenous prisoners have applied to commence undergraduate studies after completing ITEC.
The ITEC and the UniReady Enabling Program bridging courses form part of the Department鈥檚 new Learning Partnership memorandum of understanding with Curtin.
鈥淟earning can depend so much on the relationship with your teacher, so I think the in-reach model of both ITEC and UniReady is fantastic,鈥 EETS External Partnerships Co-ordinator Fiona McGregor said.
鈥淪ending tutors in has made all the difference to our Indigenous students. They are voting with their feet and coming into class.
鈥淭he collegiate, collaborative nature of in-person taught classes seems to appeal to them much more than working individually on a laptop.
鈥淭he style of delivery and learning is culturally appropriate as well as the content.鈥
