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Cape Culture Program wins Premier’s Reconciliation Award
by Priyanka Shewpersad
C
APE York Aboriginal Australian Academy’s Culture Program received the honour of the Premier’s Reconciliation Award at a recent ceremony held at the Brisbane City Hall. The award, jointly received with Myuma – Main Roads Alliance - recognises a nominated project that has demonstrated the most outstanding and innovative outcomes towards advancing reconciliation. In addition, CYAAA’s Culture Program also received a “highly
commended” in the education category. The awards were received by Aurukun Culture tutor, Kathy Owokran, Hope Vale Culture and Language teacher, Lillian Bowen, CYAAA board member and Coen parent and ranger group coordinator, Billy Pratt, Coen student, Keishia Pratt, Cape York Group and Cape York Welfare Reform Advisory Board member, Phyllis Yunkaporta, Culture Program Manager, Priyanka Shewpersad and CYAAA CEO, Danielle Toon. Proudly receiving the award, Ms Bowen said: “The students in my
community delight in learning their local language. It is not uncommon now to hear students using Guggu Yimidhirr words on the playgrounds or asking their parents about their totems. This is what we need to keep our Culture alive and pass it on to future generations.” The awards were presented by the Premier of Queensland, The Honourable Campbell Newman MP, during the ceremony to celebrate NAIDOC week. About the Culture Program The Culture program aims to instil children with a robust understanding of their own history, Page 1
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Aurukun students preparing dye. Image supplied
identity, tradition and environment. The program also seeks to equip children with the skills and knowledge necessary to orbit between Cape York and the outside world. Content has been designed in consultation with community members and is specific to each community. The content also maps to Australian curriculum in the areas of Science, Study of Society and Environment (SOSE), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and The Arts. The Culture Program is jointly delivered by Education Queensland teachers and local Culture Tutors, who are employed by the Academy. It has been running in the communities of Aurukun, Coen and Hope Vale for two and a half years. In that time, it has formed significant partnerships with indigenous organisations such as ranger groups and art centres; importantly, it has been well received by parents. An Aurukun parent said: “Culture they learn at school and at home. My son always helps his Dad
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to make spears and my daughter is going out to get Pandanus to make bowls. The elders come in to the school and teach them more. The culture is really good. They are painting and making art. They are singing in English and in language. And they do dancing in the culture way and in the white way.” A highlight of the program is the remote Culture camps delivered in partnership with a ranger or family group. Students are able to experience traditional activities in their intended setting delivered by community members. The End-of-Year events showcase the songs, stories and dance of the community, performed by the students. This is generally the biggest event of the year and, in Aurukun, draws over 800 spectators from the community. BACKGROUND In January 2009, the Cape York Group embarked on developing a business model for a radical new education approach that was borne out of 8 years of work in education and welfare reform.
In January 2010, the Group set up a wholly owned subsidiary called the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) to operate primary schools in a unique partnership with Education Queensland. CYAAA commenced the operation of a new education approach in the Cape York communities of Aurukun and Coen. In January 2011 the Academy expanded to Hope Vale. CYAAA is a not-for-profit education organisation delivering a ‘best of both worlds’ education to Indigenous students. It aims to close the academic achievement gap between Indigenous and mainstream students, and to support Cape York children’s bi-cultural identity. CYAAA is governed by an independent board led by indigenous leader, Noel Pearson, which sets the curriculum approach for the school and governs relevant aspects, whilst the facilities and teachers remain part of the public school system. CYAAA is part of the Cape York Welfare Reform initiative.
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The Academy’s program incorporates three distinct but related learning domains into an extended school day: • Class: dedicated to teaching mainstream curriculum in English literacy and numeracy using Direct Instruction; • Club: enriching artistic, musical and sport programs delivered as part of an extended school day; and • Culture: comprehensive Indigenous culture and language programs. Community initiatives support the learning domains. This includes a student case management approach which ensures that children are at school, but also ensures that those things that determine their capacity to engage in education – their health, nutrition, wellbeing and material needs – are systematically addressed so that no one child is allowed to ‘fall through the cracks’. The approach includes Student Case Management on attendance; school readiness and health, supported by products such as Student Education Trusts (SET) and Food Clubs; and working closely with the Family Responsibilities Commission and Cape York Partnerships through Cape York Welfare Reform. The objectives of CYAAA are to ensure that every child: • Regularly attends and is school ready and, with their family, are engaged in education; • Has the literacy and numeracy building blocks in early primary school; • Is at or above the national
Kalan Rangers with Coen students. Image supplied
minimum benchmarks for literacy and numeracy; • Regularly engages in their culture, sporting and artistic pursuits; • Transitions into a high quality, high expectation secondary school at the required level. The CYAAA Education Reform Model Effective instruction as the starting place and the central organising principle: Education Queensland teachers deliver Full Immersion Direct Instruction programs, with proven effectiveness supported by the CYAAA team to maximise learning time, collect and assess student data and undertake relevant professional development. A domain for cultural transmission separate from the primary instruction domain: Indigenous cultural transmission should not compete with western education for classroom time, nor should it be a token part of the curriculum. Education Queensland teachers together with local cultural experts and supported by CYAAA staff deliver a specially-designed
local cultural curriculum in a separate, dedicated cultural domain as part of an extended school day. A domain for enriching activities: Classroom instruction and extended school day activities in sport, music and art delivered by Education Queensland teachers, supported by national sporting and music bodies along with CYAAA staff to accelerate children’s development and learning and offer opportunities not consistently available in remote communities. Ensuring parents are meeting their responsibilities and are engaged in their children’s education: Cape York Welfare Reform and Student Case Management helps ensure children have 100% attendance and are school-ready, as well as the engagement of parent and the wider community in childrens’ education through participation in Class, Club and Culture activities. Providing for special needs: Students have access to holistic health and nutrition programs as part of a Student Case Management approach to working with parents to ensure school readiness.
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