School Mates

The MATES program has really contributed to the positive inclusive learning environment at Matraville Sports High School

Lisa Keating
Deputy Principal Matraville Sports High School

What is MATES?

  1. MATES is an acronym for Mates Assisting To Engage Socially
  2. It’s a simple concept; it’s a proactive rather than a reactive solution to exclusion.
  3. MATES is a school based, peer led, social inclusion and leadership programme.
  4. MATES pairs students, one playing a leadership role by socially supporting a peer who may have difficulty with socialisation.
  5. The MATES leader is recognized as part of the school leadership team – creating more leadership opportunities for students

Outcomes For Students

  • Creates a sense of belonging at school for all students
  • Empowers students to believe they can make a difference
  • Develops a sense of empathy
  • Leadership skills are nurtured
  • High peer expectations of fellow students are established
  • Allows students to challenge the status quo

Outcomes For Schools

  • Creates a more caring and engaged student cohort
  • Social Justice is concretely implemented in the school
  • Creates a paradigm shift in the school’s culture, by empowering the students to lead the change and set the standards of inclusion in their community
  • Removes the onus from the teachers to the students
  • Making school about success, not just education
  • Can reduce negative behavior in class triggered by frustration
  • Students’ sense of belonging promotes a more settled class

You don’t have to change the whole world,
but you can change one person’s world.

Randa Habelrih

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