Schools in some of the most isolated areas of Western Australia have joined an initiative aimed at motivating children to regularly attend school and advancing the progress of Aboriginal students.
The Kimberley Schools Project focuses on targeted teaching to students’ specific needs in literacy and numeracy, providing improved learning and care in the early years, in order to strengthen regular attendance and increase student and community engagement.
“The Kimberley Schools Project continues to support principals and teachers in the Kimberley with specialised resources, coaching and professional learning, specifically tailored to meet the needs of students in the area,” said Western Australia’s Education and Training Minister, Sue Ellery.
The first 10 schools to be involved were announced earlier this year, with another nine set to join the program in 2019.
The program involves expert staff, based in Broome, who visit schools to provide advice to teachers and principals and work with them one-on-one. Curriculum materials have also been developed.
“We are already seeing tangible benefits on the ground from the Kimberley Schools Project; teachers are reporting real gains in students’ literacy skills and enthusiasm for school,” said Western Australia’s Regional Development Minister, Alannah MacTiernan.
“The expansion of the program will bring this explicit instruction approach to a further nine schools in the region, spreading the benefits widely across the Kimberley – especially important because many students are transient.”
The project is a collaboration between the Department of Education, Catholic Education Western Australia, the Association of Independent Schools Western Australia and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
