Notes of a meeting with Year 8 and 9 students from Weipa North High School, Qld - 8 July 1999
The students formed into groups and each was asked to describe, evaluate and make suggestions for change regarding one of the following topics
- the students at their school
- the subjects
- sports and other activities
- resources
- school buildings and grounds
- staff.
Students
There are about 300 students at Weipa North High; between 20 and 30 are Aboriginal and about 15 are Asian. "Many of our students feel like they don't get much attention." "Racism has caused a lot of arguments and many fights. "Jealousy is a big problem to our school." "Many disabled students get pushed around from being different." "There are students that had to put up with name calling because of skin colour and different personality." "It could be improved by working better together." "They need to keep the bad kids under control."
This group suggested that the homework centre should be open longer for students that need more help and that more back-up and support is needed for new students. Some students "purposely make class difficult no matter what teachers do" "If the kids had a better attitude towards their work it would be easier for the teachers." Other kids, though, "work faster and get to do games or read".
Although the students say there is no bullying so they "can feel safe" "money gets taken from bags and, amazingly, lockers" Also, "if something embarrassing happens to you every knows about it", although they conceded that "every school has big mouths" "Secrets are hard to keep. Things spread fast".
The group agreed that the School Council was influential in getting things done. It also organised fundraising activities like discos.
The kids decided that the students themselves didn't need to change, but "we want more advertising. No one knows who we are up here at Weipa North"
Subjects
"We have subject lines and we are only allowed to choose one subject from each line. If we want to choose two or three of them, we're not allowed; we're only allowed to choose one." "We are forced to do subjects that we are not good at because.of limited choices" "We would like to be able to do drama, music, ancient and modern history, tech studies, IPT, economics and hospitality."
"It affects us because we don't have as many subjects: ie music, drama, Aboriginal studies, sports." "Some teachers have big classes because of the subject choices we are given." "Some students are disadvantaged because the subject lines are too short. It affects our careers because all the subjects to do with the same careers are on the same line." This group said they realise "that the subjects and teachers are hard to mix around but if a career is involved they should get more teachers and move the timetable around to fit."
"There should be two classes for Japanese, it would be really easy. Everyone would learn something."
"High school students go across to TAFE for computer studies."
Sports and other activities
Weipa North students can take drama and dancing (including participation in the Croc Eisteddfod, which is drug and alcohol free). PE includes swimming, softball, soccer and touch football. Music and public speaking are not offered but the kids do orals.
Drama classes "give you more confidence and makes you feel good; once you finish you can look back". PE "keeps you fit and healthy". The Croc Eisteddfod "like Drama, gives you confidence in front of other people".
There is a need for more social plays in front of schools, music, more sports equipment and maybe two sports teachers for each class, more boys need to get involved in Croc Eisteddfod.
If you are good and go and compete in sports events against other schools, your parents bear the costs of transport, unless you are Aboriginal and the Aboriginal Students Committee may fund it.
Resources
The school library is "small and we do not have really all the resources we need for projects". "Some students may be doing work on some assignment and there just isn't enough books to go around, which most students fight over them." "We need new books." There is a need for more computers and books which have up-to-date information.
"With computers we have a fair few of them but need more in the library with more up to date information. We are not allowed to use the internet access because students don't obey set rules that are set by the school." "The computers are old and slow and it takes longer to complete our work""The internet access affects us because we cannot get up-to-date information which allows us to go ahead with projects." "Letting some students who are trustworthy go on the internet with a few teachers on supervision." Or get "new computers and programs. A server should be established" "In Weipa the Internet can be used for school research".
Using the internet at the public library costs $8 per hour but it's quite fast. More kids borrow books than use the internet there but the books are often frozen, so they cannot take them away and have to work there.
"When you've got an assignment you still have to pay to use the photocopier in the school library." The teachers freeze the books when they know that there's a high demand.
The basketball court isn't made correctly - there are no lines of indication. It should be "fixed up".
School buildings and grounds
At Weipa North Higher there are 2 science labs, 1 art room, 3 computer rooms, a library, 1 home economics room, 3 manual arts rooms, 2 undercover areas, an oval and a basketball court, a shotput area and a volleyball court. "Because we go to school there", the buildings and grounds "affects our education. "The volleyball courts are not in good condition.we now play volleyball on the cement". "The basketball courts could look like basketball courts". "The balls are good . people donate stuff". Tennis and swimming take place in town.
The premises are now air-conditioned which makes it more comfortable and enables students to concentrate a lot better.
The campus could be updated with better toilets, a paint job and a better watering system. "A music room is needed and staff to run it; instruments as well." Students would also like more sports options. "Classrooms need to be updated with blinds and curtains as well as better quality air conditioners and heaters".
In some classrooms it is very hard to hear. The example was given of those trying to learn Japanese in a classroom where every Year 8 student is studying (not all of them studying Japanese).
Staff
There are two Indigenous staff at Weipa North: one Torres Strait Islander teachers' aide at the high school and one aide at the primary school. There is one sports teacher who covers all sports, some really well and some not so well.
Some teachers have trouble handling really big classes which, as a result, are really noisy making learning very difficult. Other teachers "make it fun so everyone's quiet or, if there's noise, it's not annoying noise". "They need to keep the bad kids under control." "They should suspend them as a last resort."
Some staff are "a good influence"; they are "either really good or really bad teachers". This affects "our attitude towards our work and how much we learn". "The good ones don't stay long enough." "You get used to one, then they leave therefore teaching patterns change" "The student-teacher relationship is "close" and they are "always willing to help".
Staff "should study not only one subject. Most of them teach more than one which are not their specialty which means we don't learn as much as we could. Or they should only teach one subject". "A specific teachers for each subject [is] needed."
There is a need to "find a way to get the teachers to stay longer and have the qualifications for more than one subject, or only teach one subject". "You get used to one, then they leave and therefore teaching patterns change." Teachers should not be demoted if "they are good at what they do".
There is "a limited number of teachers". "If you don't understand something the teacher can't spend much time with you because they have to spend time with the other class."
There are two Indigenous staff at Weipa North: one Torres Strait Islander teachers' aide at the high school and one aide at the primary school. There is one sports teacher who covers all sports, some really well and some not so well.
Some teachers have trouble handling really big classes which, as a result, are really noisy making learning very difficult. Other teachers "make it fun so everyone's quiet or, if there's noise, it's not annoying noise". "They need to keep the bad kids under control." "They should suspend them as a last resort."
Last updated 2 December 2001.
