The State’s special adviser on indigenous affairs, Lt-General John Sanderson, is correct in identifying a need for more schools specifically for Aboriginal children and youth.  

It’s beyond dispute that Aboriginal people generally lag way behind in the education stakes, in both attendance and achievement.  

“The problem is already urgent, and will only magnify with the continuing high birth rate in indigenous communities,” said Executive Director Brian Wyatt.  

“The priority for government is to successfully deliver an education to Aboriginal children and youth, not to blindly adhere to a politically correct one-size-fits-all model that continues to fail them.”  

The case for tailoring schools and programs for the benefit of Aboriginal people is compelling. Better education would:

§         Provide more Aboriginal children with access to the career and lifestyle opportunities that most other Australians take for granted,

§         Reduce the high rate of unemployment for indigenous people

§         Reduce indigenous dependence on government welfare support, and

§         Assist in halting erosion of indigenous culture and fragmentation of indigenous communities.

All of the above would help curb the incidence of a range of social and health problems in common to many Aboriginal communities, such as low life expectancy, high infant mortality, high incarceration rate, domestic violence etc.  

Schools providing for special needs and interests are already commonplace in the wider WA society – as well as indigenous-specific programs such as the Clontarf Aboriginal College , we also have trade apprenticeship courses, dance schools, music schools, religious denominational schools and so on.  

“It is important that care is taken in choosing the location of new indigenous-specific schools and programs so that adequate family and cultural support is available.  

“Generally, the schools would need to be in rural areas, close to students’ traditional country and extended family,” Mr Wyatt said. 

Media Contact: Brian Wyatt 0417 970413; David Berry  0417 963089   9263 8715)