Kununurra community meeting, 17 May 1999 - notes
Four Kununurra community members (one from a Kununurra Youth Service) attended this meeting.
School truancy
The Youth Service caters for children aged 10-20 years, although the core group are aged 10-14 years. Between 90-95% of are Aboriginal, although a few non-Aboriginal children also come to the Youth Service for special programs, for example a dance program or Youth Arts festival. Between 20 and 50 young people use the Service every afternoon.
Many of the younger boys who attend the Service (9 to 12 years old) are not attending school regularly. "We have estimated in the last couple of years that there are probably 100 kids of that age group who do not attend school."
The transition from primary to secondary school is the critical time, especially for students who attend St Joseph's primary. The Youth Service is trying to keep track of children in the outer communities whoa re not attending school.
The Youth Service runs self-esteem programs and the youth workers remind children to go to school. However, the Service cannot provide education for truants, and cannot operate services in school hours. To ensure school attendance St Joseph's runs a program to take children to school from the communities. The high school also once ran this program.
One parent said it was difficult for the school to chase up truants in some cases because there was no support at the children's homes. Another said that there is a different attitude among Aboriginal people to being 'told off' by the authorities and there needs to be some understanding of this to address the issue effectively.
Students who do not attend school regularly can be a distraction for students who want to be at school. The education of other children can suffer.
The Barramundi School for 13-15 year olds is one solution for children who do not fit into regular school. But the school needs to have more places available. "Those kids need that type of school to build up their own self-esteem. Also they don't fit into mainstream schooling, which disrupts other kids, and makes the kids have even worse self-esteem. Support for that type of school is very important."
Help is also needed within mainstream schooling for these types of students in addition to providing alternative education.
Cross-cultural understanding
"One of the big problems I think is the lack of cross-cultural understanding, from teacher to student and also from student to teacher. There needs to be a lot more cross-cultural training with staff and with kids at schools. The racist issue is a big issue in Kununurra. The Aboriginal kids feel isolated or they hang in little groups by themselves."
The Youth Service is working on a reconciliation group aimed at bringing young people together. They hope to develop more self-confidence and communication skills.
Aboriginal support teachers
There should be more Aboriginal Integration Education Workers (AIEWs) at the state school. The conditions for AIEWs also should be regularised. There is no formula funding for them at this stage. In the Catholic system they have systematised the employment of AIEWs, with regular pay scales, whereas in the Department of Education (EDWA) schools the AIEWs are all employed under different conditions. Because many of them are casual workers they do not get housing assistance or holiday pay.
Small schools and composite classes
"Obviously a class of 30 students doesn't work. I had a stint of teaching at Wyndham a couple of years ago and I think I had a class of twenty seven 11 and 12 year olds. But the literacy age range was between Year 3 to Year 7, and so the age group structure I don't think works well at all."
The new curriculum centres on students learning at their own pace. Parents raised concerns about this because they worry that a teacher cannot deal with many students at different levels in one class.
"I think the individual child emphasis is important, but it's difficult in a large class to work with different groups of kids. It needs to be recognised by the State government that class sizes in the metropolitan areas are not necessarily applicable in remote areas where there are different requirements."
Employment and literacy
Literacy and numeracy is a critical issue. "Clearly something is not working if there is a whole lot of kids of 16 or 17 years old with no literacy or numeracy skills."
The Youth Service recognises that the problem is no longer about trying to get people educated to fill all jobs but about finding jobs that do not require a high level of literacy and numeracy. It is important to focus on finding a place in society for a young person. For example, a young person might work as a landscape worker for a while and develop the literacy and numeracy needed on the job, with ongoing support.
DETYA provides extra support for literacy and numeracy through schools and employment programs. TAFE also runs literacy programs.
The Youth Service has also organised some extra classes for some young people to give them help with literacy.
"They don't want to be CDEP workers for the rest of their lives. They actually do want a job. It's about broadening horizons for young people. If that means we have to work harder for a little while to give them a chance to be equal, I think that just has to happen."
Leaving town for education
Quite a number of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children leave Kununurra to attend school elsewhere. Whereas one group of Aboriginal children are funded to go away to Darwin to St John's, another group of more middle class Aboriginal kids might be sent to Perth boarding schools.
Many parents are being forced to decide whether to send their child away for high school years, or leave town altogether.
"We'll be looking at leaving in the next couple of years simply because we have a 10 year old child and we don't believe the high school has what it takes. Some kids might do well, but those particular students would do well anywhere."
There are not enough subjects on offer for tertiary entrance examination level students. This is enough for parents to send their children away to study.
One parent sent two of her children to boarding school in Perth in Years 9 and 10. She found it very difficult to send them away, and the children also hated it at first, although they said it was a great experience to be able to access the city and to meet other students.
"Being away from home is very difficult at that age. Because that's when they need to have their family around. They can be easily led one way or another."
More children seem to be sent away earlier than before, in Year 8 or 9.
"It's a Catch 22. They'd stay if there were more facilities."
The problem is not only lack of educational facilities, but also activities for young people. Sport, for example, suffers if there are inadequate numbers, as it is impossible to play team sport.
At TAFE the population problem also dictates choice. There are not enough people in the population to offer the courses, although if the courses were offered in the first place there may be enough people taking them up.
Combined primary and secondary school
One parent felt that although there were some advantages to Kununurra primary and high school sharing resources, it was undesirable that the primary students are exposed to the bad behaviour and language of the older students. She was especially concerned about the discipline in the school. This would be solved if a plan to move the primary school to Lakeside is implemented.
Distance education
Some children are fine with Distance Education subjects, but this does not suit everyone. Parents felt that the recent cuts to travel assistance to Perth for isolated students were unfair, especially when parents who send their children away to boarding school receive financial support.
Border issues
It would be much easier to go to Darwin than to Perth for various services, for example special education advice. It may even be cheaper to access professionals from Darwin than Perth.
"Darwin would be better culturally for us, especially Aboriginal children."
If children were sent to Darwin for boarding school instead of Perth, parents could visit them on birthdays and perhaps afford to bring the children home every now and then.
Students with special needs
One parent said it had been difficult to get a diagnosis for her child with dyslexia. Several parents have had to travel to Darwin or Perth to have their child assessed. Dyslexia is not classified as a disability. It is not a visual disability. It is therefore seen as a 'difficulty' not a disability.
The school had not been supportive of her requests for help. "The first comment they give you every time is that it's the mother that's got the problem not the child or school. But if you've seen your other children through school, you get to know when something is not quite right."
There is a school psychologist at the school but she covers a wide area in the East Kimberley and it is difficult to get an appointment. As a result, diagnosis can take a long time. Eventually one parent took her child to Perth for assessment by a specialist, who immediately diagnosed the child as dyslexic. Once the child is diagnosed, however, the problem of ongoing assistance remains.
"Down there in Perth at least you've got access to people, but I still can't get any help here."
Although dyslexia specialists offered to hold a workshop in Kununurra, this offer was not taken up by the school as they thought they could handle the problem themselves.
"There are lots of lovely things about living in Kununurra. But why should we suffer a chance at education, because we chose to live here. Why should we have to send our children away?"
There is also a lack of professional counsellors in town.
It was agreed that it was a good idea to send people away to train in counselling or special education, as long as they come back to train others. There are many good workshops but they do not take place in Kununurra. There is a need for skilled professionals.
Juvenile justice
Most juvenile offenders get sent down to Perth detention centres, which has been a bad experience for them. Some offenders have been involved in programs out in the bush, and this seems to be more successful. The literacy and numeracy levels of juvenile offenders is generally very low.
For several years there have been very few, if any, young offenders sent away to Perth, but recently this has increased (about 6 in the last few months). This is also very expensive. "Economically it would make more sense to have a facility out here."
There is a place out at Dingo Springs where some juvenile offenders have been sent. They can spend time with the elders and their own community. One young person who had been taking drugs and offending has stopped using drugs since he was sent out there.
"Our budget is more interested in building prisons than crime prevention . we have to look at ways for kids to have something to do.
Last updated 2 December 2001.
