Bialik College
Bialik College is a secular, Zionist Jewish day school in the Melbourne, Australia suburb of Hawthorn. It has grown substantially in student numbers in recent years, and has offered the VCE since 1990.
. This also saw the school's facilities in Shakespeare Grove, catering for Kinder, Prep and Year One students closed down in 1998, following the construction of an Early Learning Centre at the Hawthorn Campus. The school currently has a capacity to cater for over 1000 students, from 3-year old Kinder to Year 12 (a total of 15 year levels).
Bialik College focuses on the worth of each child, recognising individual differences and interests and aims to develop the full potential of each student. By creating an environment of mutual respect and support among staff and students, Bialik maintains the flexibility and open-mindedness required to deal with a constantly changing educational environment.
The school aims to develop an awareness within students of their Jewish identity and an appreciation and respect for the wisdom, spiritual depth and ethical foundations of Judaism in its students. Endeavouring to ensure that its graduates are committed, tolerant and informed Jews, Bialik also encourages proud, responsible and committed participation in Australian life. It does not favour any one stream of Judaism, but does however encourage a love of Zionism and the State of Israel.
The college describes its 7 key values as being:
- Our Jewishness, rich sense of history and purpose
- Our positive beliefs and assumptions about children and staff to learn and to grow
- Our informal atmosphere that fosters a connected community that uses experience to enhance learning
- Our Jewish and civic rituals, celebrations and commemorations that reinforce our core values
- Our environment which symbolizes joy and pride, and values those who live/operate within it
- Our experiences, many of which are sheer fun
- Our taking the time and care to know and value each member
Courses Offered at VCE Level
- Accounting
- Art
- Biology
- Business Management
- Chemistry
- Drama
- Economics
- English and ESL
- French
- Health and Human Development
- Hebrew
- Hebrew (University of Melbourne Extension Program)
- History
- Revolutions
- Renaissance Italy
- Information Technology
- Information Systems
- Information Processing and Management
- International Politics
- International Studies
- National Politics
- Jewish Civilisation (Monash University Enhancement Course)
- Legal Studies
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Further Mathematics
- Mathematical Methods
- Specialist Mathematics
- University of Melbourne Extension Program (MUPHAS)
- Media Studies
- Music
- Physical Education (PE)
- Physics
- Psychology
- Religion and Society (R&S)
- Theatre Studies
Prominent Members of Staff
Coordinator of History and International Studies, author of several prominent pieces of Holocaust literature, and a member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Pioneered the school's Year 10 course in Comparative Genocide Studies, which a number of Victorian schools have expressed interest in offering. Coordinator of Business, Economics and Politics. Author of the Indigo Handbook for National Politics (formerly Political Studies). This publication is updated on a yearly basis and used in many schools offering VCE Politics.
Prominent Graduates
- Joshua Frydenberg, Director of Deutsche Bank and defeated candidate for Liberal party pre-selection in the Division of Kooyong