INDIGENOUS EDUCATION Improving outcomes for Indigenous students at Pymble Ladies’ College By Deputy Principal, Mrs Julie Shaw, Indigenous Student Co-ordinator, Miss Kate Howie, and Dr Sarah Loch, Director of Research and Development The number of Indigenous students finding success in attaining student leadership positions in the College is worthy of note. This reflects their selfconfidence, skills and feelings of connection to their school. It is also important to note the high esteem in which Indigenous students hold their Indigenous peers. Girls naturally look up to older students as role models.”
THE INDIGENOUS SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT PYMBLE
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ince 2007, Pymble’s Indigenous Scholars Program has been making a difference to the lives of Indigenous students by providing access to a Pymble education. The benefits for staff and students are evident in the conversations and activities now embedded in the fabric of the program itself. As a result, an increased cultural understanding for students and staff has evolved and enabled a two-way exchange between Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community. Increasingly, and intentionally, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have been brought together as learners and teachers as the College plays a part in improving cultural knowledge and understanding. It is our hope that the Indigenous Scholars Program will make a lasting difference to the wider community as our students complete their secondary studies and progress to the next stage of their lives.
There are currently 19 Indigenous Going to Pymble was the students at the College. Of these, most amazing experience 16 girls have Indigenous Scholarships; I’ve ever had, and I was so proud however, all 19 students are included to be there. Everyone was so in the program. The girls are from welcoming, kind and caring metropolitan and rural/remote which made it feel like home. locations with homelands including I love the trees, birds and the Daly River and Darwin in the Northern people at Pymble. When I came Territory; Townsville and Toowoomba last year, I saw a kookaburra as in Queensland; Moree, Lightning Mum and I drove in, since then Ridge, Dubbo, Narrabri, the Central I have known this is the school Coast and Sydney in New South Wales. I want to go to.” In partnership with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) and the Goodes and O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation, Abstudy and a number of private donors, the College supports the students educationally, financially and socially. IMPROVING ACADEMIC AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES AND BUILDING CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Shakira Tyson (Year 11) with fellow diver Paige Jackson (Year 12)
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Illuminate EDITION 2 2019
Following a two-year grant from the NSW Association of Independent Schools (Improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, 20162018), we recently submitted a report on the College’s program. The report highlighted important strengths and key features relevant for our community which we now recognise as hallmarks of our approach. Of interest to the investigation team were the shifts observed in relation to cultural change in the College. An increase in awareness, interest and pride in Indigenous history, language and society, encapsulated by the term ‘cultural competency’, was identified amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff and students.
Pymble Ladies’ College
