Young mums tell Women’s Weekly why they’re Aim’n High

Young mothers from Mission Australia’s Aimin’ High program in Melbourne’s south-east have told this month's Australian Women’s Weekly how the educational program has changed their lives for the better.

Provided in collaboration with Hallam Senior Secondary College and the South East Local Learning and Employment Network, Aim’n High is a response to the high number of teenage mums in the area who have dropped out of school. Last year, 107 teenage mums left school in this part of Melbourne.

Among the young mothers who shared their story with Michael Sheather in this month’s Australian Women’s Weekly is Bethany, who was just 15 when she found out she was pregnant. Her boyfriend broke up with her a day later.

“I was always the one my family thought would one day head off to university,” she told The Weekly. “But having a baby meant I couldn't stay at school. It was just too hard. People would call out when I walked past, they whispered behind my back and sometimes they'd call me names, nasty names… But the worst thing was that people thought it was okay to judge me.”

The program was started in mid-2011 by Mission Australia's Stuart McGougan, who was inspired by the success of a similar successful program at Plumpton High School in Sydney. The young mums attend classes at Mission Australia’s Early Learning Centre in Doveton, where their kids receive childcare at the same site.

"The program gives the girls time to focus and concentrate on their lessons while their children get quality childcare," he said. "We're creating a place where the girls can do their work and not also have to deal with the stress of being a mother with a young child. They have the support of others who know what they are going through as well."

In 2011, Aim’n High helped 13 young women to maintain their studies off-campus while also offering support for other issues (such as family conflict, parenting skills) and providing high-quality childcare in a supportive learning environment. Twelve of the young women are now planning to return to the main school campus this year. There are plans to enrol another 20 students in the Aim’n High program.

Learn more

• You can read more of Bethany’s story in the January issue of The Australian Women's Weekly
• Bethany and one of her classmates from Aim’n High recently spoke about their experiences on Sunrise
• ‘Call for compassion in program to move young mothers off welfare’ in the Sydney Morning Herald.