OUR VISION FOR YUMI - Microsoft · attainment between Indigenous and non-Indig enous children could...

A submission to the Queensland Productivity Commission’s 2017 inquiry into service delivery in Queensland’s remote and discrete Indigenous Communities.

Prapa PathwaysOUR VISION FOR YUMI

May2017

AsubmissiontotheQueenslandProductivityCommission’sinquiryintoservicedeliveryinQueensland’sremoteanddiscreteIndigenousCommunitiesfromtheTorresStraitIslanders’RegionalEducationCouncil(TSIREC)-theTorresStraitNation’speakadvocacybodyonissues

ofeducationandtraining.

PrapaPathways:OurvisionforYUMI May2017

TSIREC’ssubmissiontotheQPC’sInquirytoservicedeliveryinQueensland’sremoteanddiscreteIndigenousCommunities

ThevisionoftheTorresStraitNationisofaPrapaPathwayforallofouryoungpeople.

That is, theopportunity forallchildren livingwithintheregiontoengage in,andseamlesslytransition between early education, formal schooling, training and employment services inorder to achieve quality personal, social, and economic well-being in the society of theirchoice.

Achieving this significant vision, however, requires productive partnerships at all levels,national, state, regional and community, between families, communities, schools,governmentsandcommunityorganisations.

ThissubmissionprovidesdetailsofthreekeyservicesthatareconsideredvitalbytheTorresStrait for ensuring that their children can successfully access, participate in and completeschoolwithagenuinechancetoachievetheiraspiration.

1. Transitionsupportservicesforsecondaryschool-agedstudentsfromtheTorresStrait2. EarlychildhoodeducationandfamilysupportservicesintheTorresStrait3. StudentresidentialboardingfacilitiesintheTorresStrait

EachproposalhasbeendevelopedbyTSIREC–as theTorres StraitNation’speakadvocacybody on issues of education and training - through years of consultation with families,community leaders, Government representatives, schools and service providers. All havebeen officially endorsed by Local Government Leaders, community groups, schools, privateandgovernmenteducation,andtrainingprovidersaswellasotherserviceproviders.



MessagefromtheTSIRECChairperson:LuiDavid

Thehistoryofwesterneducation intheTorresStraitregiondatesbacktothe late1800sandcanbepinpointedtothearrivalofChristianmissionariesandteachersin1871

In the 135 years since this event the Torres StraitNation have sought to improve their life throughbettereducationalopportunitiesandtostrengthentheiridentityasthefirstpeoplesoftheislandsandwatersoftheirhomeland.

The establishment of the Torres Strait Islanders Regional Education Council (TSIREC) to representcommunitiesin1983signifiesapivotaldevelopmentinthejourneyoftheregion.Sinceits’inception,TSIRECas thepeakadvocacybody for the regiononeducationandtraining,hassecureda rangeofinitiativesandinfrastructurethathasassistedwithraisingthestandardofeducationprovision.

Mostnotably;

§ The transfer of responsibility in 1985 from the Department of Native Affairs to Department ofEducation inQueensland foreducationdeliveryandsupervisionofallouter islandschools in theTorresStrait.

§ Thepresenceofthefederalagency,ComEdonThursdayIslandtosupportparentsandstudents.§ ThenewsecondarycampusonThursdayIslandwithinclusionofsenioryears11and12.§ RemoteAreaTeachersEducationProgramforindigenousteachingstaffintheouterislands.§ MostrecentlytheestablishmentofTagaiStateCollege

However great these outcomes are they have not been matched by further measures required toensurethedemandsofpresentdaycontextaremet.

Thesubmissionsetsoutawayforwardbasedonexperiencedandcurrentresearchfindings,itprovidesasolutiontomeetthedemandsoftheuniqueTorresStraitregion.

LuiDavidChairperson

TorresStraitIslanders’RegionalEducationCouncil(TSIREC)



TRANSITION SUPPORT

SERVICES FOR Secondary school-

aged students

IntegratedtransitionsupportstructuresarevitaltoensuringthatyoungpeopleintheTorresStraitcansuccessfullyaccess,participateinandcompletesecondaryschoolwithagenuine

chancetoachievetheiraspiration.



SecondarySchoolCompletion:ANationalPriority

National Completions Rates COAG’s “Closing theGap”agendaand the IndigenousAdvancementStrategyhas set theambitioustargetofhalving thegap inYear12 (orequivalent) attainment ratesbetween Indigenousandnon-Indigenousstudentsby2020.

Addressingthisgaprequiressustainedinterventionthatistargeted,community-ledandfoundedonevidence-basedapproached.

NationaldatashowsthatsecondaryschoolcompletionratesforAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentsarewellbelowtheratesfornon-Indigenousstudents.Despiteadeclineinthegapoverthepast15years, thecompletionrates for indigenousyoungpeoplearestillalmost30%belowthatofnon-indigenousstudents–41%comparedwith72%formalesand49.5%comparedwith82.7%forfemales.Infact,a2009reportshowedthatschoolcompletionratesforIndigenousstudentsarethelowestofeveryotherdemographicgroupinAustralia.

This national data does not illustrate the significant influence of relative remoteness on schoolcompletion rates. ABS data has consistently shown that school completion rates are significantlylowerforstudentsinveryremotelocations–suchascommunitiesoftheTorresStrait.Ratesinthesecommunitiesareupto50percentagepointsbelowthoseofnon-indigenousstudents.

CausesofLowerCompletionRates

The literature identifies three main factions thatinfluence school completion rates for Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander students: access,attendanceandachievement.

1. Access: Indigenous students in remote areasdo not have the same access to secondaryschoolsasyoungpeopleinotherpartsofthecountry. For these students, barriers tosecondaryschoolingare:

§ Physical – geographic isolation forcingrelocation from home communities tocontinuewithsecondaryschool,

§ Economic – lower employment opportunities in home communities results in fewerincentives for persisting with education and lower household incomes to cover tuition,transportandliving-awayexpenses

§ Informational – lower levels of literacy in home communities and fewer adults who havecompletedsecondaryeducation,highereducationortraining.

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL COMPLETION

Achievement

AttendanceAccess



Despite improvedaccesstosecondaryschoolbeingfacilitatedbyGovernmentpolicies,suchasABSTUDY, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote communities fail toarrive to school on-timeandoften returnhomeduring the year for extendedperiods. This isclearlyevidencedbythesignificantlyhigherratesofabsenteeismfor indigenousstudents fromremotecommunities.

2. Attendance: A national study by Purdie and Bucklet showed a clear attendance gap betweenIndigenous and non-Indigenous students across Australia, with a difference of up to 10percentagepointsintheproportionofdaysattendedinthepastyearacrossgovernmentschoolsin all states and territories. The study also showed that the gap widens greatly in the earlysecondaryyears,especiallyforindigenousstudentsfromremotecommunities.

Research shows that school attendance has a significant impact on a child’s achievement ineducation, and that the effect is more pronounced for disadvantaged children. A child’seducationisconsideredatriskiftheyfrequentlymissmorethanhalfadayofschoolaweek(lessthan90%attendance).Ifitfallsbelow80%,itissignificantlydiminished.

Not only does school attendance have an impact on positive life outcomes, limited schoolparticipation is associatedwith a greater chance of dropping out of school andmay lead to acycleofdisruptivebehaviour.Theseoutcomeshavelater implicationsforemployment,arangeofhealthriskbehaviours(drugandalcoholabuse),homelessness,poverty,welfaredependence,andinvolvementinthejusticesystem.

A recentWestAustralian studyhas found thatasmuchasone-thirdof thegap ineducationalattainmentbetweenIndigenousandnon-IndigenouschildrencouldbeattributedtopoorerratesofschoolattendanceforIndigenouschildren.

3. Achievement:Researchhasconsistentlyshownasignificantcausallinkbetweennon-attendanceand reduce learning outcomes. It is also be used as strong predictor of non-completion.Lowacademicachievementmakesitmoredifficultforstudentstosuccessfullycompleteschool.Academicachievement,asmeasuredbyacademicprogressandtheNAPLANresults,isoneofthestrongest influences on Year 12 completion. According to NAPLAN, a high proportion ofIndigenous students fail to meet national minimum benchmarks in academic achievement inYears3,5,7and9.ThismeansthatmanyIndigenousstudentsfromveryremotelocationsentersecondaryschoolswithoutthecoreliteracyandnumeracyskillsrequiredtoactivelyengagewiththecurriculum.



Theroleofsecondaryschoolsinnon-attendanceandnon-completion

In the last decade, there has been greater recognition that school-based factors are of primaryimportance in relation to the non-attendance, low achievement and non-completion of Indigenousstudents.

“Whilemobilitywithin the Indigenouscommunityandstudent transiencearewidely recognised in theliterature as significant ‘out of school’ factors influencingabsenteeism, themost frequently identified‘school-based’factorsrelateto:

§ Theinadequaciesinandinappropriatenessof,theschoolingprocessitself;§ Inadequate pre and in-service training of teachers and their unpreparedness for teaching in a

crosscultural,bilingualsituation;§ Poorteacher/studentrelationships;§ Teacher attitudes, expectations and a tendency to rely on deficit explanations of low levels of

academicachievement,and§ AsignificantlackofIndigenousparental/communityinvolvementintheschoolingprocess”(Burkeetal.2000:3)

The Torres Strait Context GrowthinCohortsize

BasedonhistoricalprimaryschoolenrolmentsandABSdata,thereareapproximately720studentsofsecondary school age living in the Torres Strait. Of these, at least 500 live in remote islandcommunitiesandmustrelocatetoattendsecondaryschoolonThursdayIslandormainlandAustralia.

InJanuary2015,thenumberofsecondaryschoolagedstudentsintheregionissettorisetoover850– as a result of the Queensland State Government’s Flying Start initiative. Further increases arepredicted,withprimaryschoolenrolmentsandABSdataindicatinga30%increaseinthecohortsizeby2017.

TablePredicatedsizeoftheTSIsecondaryschool-agecohort2013-2017

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

TSISecondarySchool-ageCohort 723 706 856 856 947

Completionrates

TherecurrentlyexistsnoofficialschoolcompletiondateforyoungpeopleintheTorresStrait.NeithertheStateGovernmentnortheCommonwealthpubliclyreportsregional figures.Despitethis,schoolenrolmentfigures,ABSdata,QCAAresultsandstate-widereportstogetherindicatethatcompletionratesfortheregionaresignificantly lowerthanthestateandnationalaveragesforbothIndigenousandnon-indigenousstudents.



AcrosseverymeasureofretentiontoYear12–thatisYear8toYear10,Year8toYear12,andYear10toYear12–theratesforstudentsfromtheTorresStraitmaybebetween10and30percentagepoints lower than the state’s rates for non-indigenous students.While almost 80% of QueenslandstudentscompleteYear12, it isestimatedthatonly56%ofstudents fromTorresStraitachievethesameoutcome.Moreover,arecentcommunity-fundedsurveyreportedthatacrosstheregion13%ofcompulsoryschoolagedstudents(between13and16yearsofage)weredisengagedfromschooling(thatis,notattendingand/orenrolledinasecondaryschool).

1. Access:BarrierstoaccessingsecondaryschoolshaveanegativeimpactonstudentsintheTorresStrait.Thelowestcompletionratesintheregioncanmostoftenbeassociatedwithoneorbothofthefollowingfactors:

§ The student livesonouter island communities (thosewithnodirect access toHorn IslandairportorThursdayIsland)

§ The student is enrolled in secondary schools on the mainland (completion rates at TagaiStateCollegeThursdayIslandareequaltoStateaverages)

Thisdataposesgreatconcernasat least65%ofstudents liveonouter islandcommunitiesandapproximately50%ofthetotalsecondaryschoolagedcohortenrollinmainlandschools,

2. Attendance; Primary attendance is a hidden issue in the Torres Strait.While average primaryattendanceratesappearon-trackwithFarNorthQueenslandrates,theymaskthefactthatthemajorityofstudentshavetheequivalentof1dayoffperweekeveryyear - thepoint inwhichresearchshowsthateducationissignificantlydiminished.Moreover,manyoftheseabsencesaretakenin“chunksoftime”-extendedperiodsduringwhichstudentsmissoutonwholestagesinfoundational skill development.Forthesecondaryschoolingyears,IthasbeenestimatedthatsignificantnumberofstudentsoftheTorresStraitdonotstartschoolon-timeafterschoolholidays–itisreportedthatatleast1in5missbetween1and4weeksof school each year after returning late fromhomevisits. Thisdata,inparticular,ishardtoquantifywithoutspecializedtrackingasstudentsareenrolledacrossstateandprivateschools,boardingcollegesandfamilyhomes.

AnotherfactorthatsignificantlyimpactsonattendanceofyoungpeopleintheTorresStraitisthehigh enrolment mobility rate. It is estimated that there are approximately 234 changes inenrolment (movement between secondary schools) each year. Each one of these changesrepresents a crisis point; an opportunity in which a student potentially misses an extendedperiodofschoolingorbecomesdisengagedcompletely.

3. Achievement;SecondaryschoolswhoenrollstudentsfromtheTorresStraitoftenreportthattheyoungpeopledonothavethefoundationalliteracyandnumeracyskillsthenneedtosuccessfullyengagewiththeschool’scurriculum.

Despitemovements intherightdirection,NAPLANresultsconsistentlyshowthatalmost1 in4Year7students in theTorresStraitbelowtheNationalMinimumStandard–that is, theyhavenotachievedthelearningoutcomesexpectedfortheiryearlevelandareatriskofbeingunabletoprogresssatisfactorilyatschoolwithouttargetedintervention.Thisiscloseto10timeshigherthanthenationalaverage.



Inaddition,nearly1in2studentsareratedasperformingattheNationalMinimumStandard,alevelthatmayalsorequireadditionalassistancetoenablethemtoachievetheirpotential.Thisisover3.5timeshigherthanthenationalaverage.

Despite an obvious and persistent need, no government-funded services has been provided tosupportsecondaryschool-agedstudents fromtheTorresStrait, their familiesordestinationschoolsto ensure the successful transition to and completion of secondary school. By contrast, theCommonwealthcurrentlyprovidesrecurrentfundingviatheStatefortheTransitionSupportServicesforCapeYorkcommunities(estimatedatover$1.5millionperannum).

ThePrapaPathwayServiceModel

TSIRECproposesaspecialisedsupportservicefortheToresStrait.

ThePrapaPathway.PrapaFuture.model isdesignedtoset inplacethesupportstructuresthatwillensure that young people of the Torres Strait can successfully access, participate in and completesecondary school. It aims to nurture and educate children and their families to achieve improvedpathwaystoengagement,achievement,prosperityandwellbeing.

Objectives TheTorresStraitNationisunitedbyitsaspirationtoincreaseschoolattendanceandtheeducationaloutcomes for their young people. This model supports this aspiration by establishing productivepartnerships at both the regional and community-level to ensure students can successfully access,participateinandcompletesecondaryschool.

ThePrapaPathway.PrapaFuture.modelisfocusedonbuildingthecapacityoffamilies,communities,schoolsandserviceproviderstomeettheneedsofyoungpeopleontheirjourneythroughsecondaryschooling.

Indoingso,thetargetedobjectivesofthemodelareto:

§ Improve attendance rates of secondary schools students – including an increase in on-timearrivalsafterschoolholidays

§ Decreaseenrolmentmobilityrates§ Improved academic achievement, such as in national testing (National Assessment Program—

LiteracyandNumeracy(NAPLAN));§ ImprovedattainmentofQCE§ Engagecommunityinservicegovernanceanddelivery§ Establishareliablesystemofdatacollectionofsecondarystudent’sattendanceandretentionto

Year12§ Improvesecondary-schoolreadinessofyoungpeople§ Improveinformationsharingbetweenprimaryandsecondaryschools§ Improveinformationsharingbetweenfamilies/communitiesandsecondaryschools



§ Improve support for secondary schools to embed cross cultural perspectives, deliver targetedsupportservicesandestablishapositive,school-widelearningenvironmentforstudentslivingintheTorresStrait.

Overview BasedonresearchfromAustralianandoverseas,thePrapaPathway.PrapaFuture.modelincorporatesstrategiesthathave been shown to be effective for increasing access,engagement, achievement and completion amongindigenousstudents.

In particular, the model is designed around three corecomponents:school,communityandinteragency.

School-focusedcomponents

The model will see the establishment of a Secondary Schooling Accord between TSIREC (as arepresentativebodyoftheTorresStraitcommunities)andthe10mostpopularSecondarySchoolsforTorresStraitIslanderstudents.

Throughthisagreement,secondaryschoolswillcommittoarangeofserviceguarantees–alignedtotheAITSL’sAustralianProfessionalStandardsforTeachersandPrincipals-inreturnforsupportfromthe Prapa Pathway service, feeder primary schools and communities. For example, schools willcommitto:

§ Developingandimplementingapositiveschool-widesupportplanforTorresStraitstudents,thatsponsorsthe“culturalsafety”ofstudents’TorresStraitidentity

§ Providingquarterlydataonstudentenrolment,attendanceandachievement§ NominatingatleastoneschoolliaisonofficerforfamiliesandthePrapaPathwayservice§ Providingteachingstaffwithaminimumnumberofhoursprofessionaldevelopmentperyearin

teachingstudentswithESLandonembeddingcrossculturalperspectivesinthecurriculum§ Establishing a internal indigenous senior student mentor program – in which senior school

studentsmentormiddleyearslearnersduringtheirtransitiontosecondaryschool§ Establishregularanddirectcontactwithstudents’families§ Offeringadditionalliteracyandnumeracysupportforstudentswithadditionallearningneeds.§ Inreturn,schoolswillbesupportedwith:§ Theequivalentof6daysTRSperannumforserviceplanningandengagementwithotherservice

providers§ Individualised Student Profiles for new Year 7 students upon enrolment, including results from

literacy and numeracy testing (on agreedmeasurement tools) and information on behaviouralresponses,social/emotionalneeds,medicalandeducationalassessments,interests/strengthsandfamilycircumstances.

§ ProfessionaldevelopmentthroughTSIREC’sMuraGubalGediracrossculturaltrainingpackage

School

InteragencyCommunity



§ Access to a range of specialised support material and professional development activities forteachersonembeddingcrossculturalperspectivesandworkingwithstudentswithESL

§ Access to Prapa Pathway service providers – including Case Managers and CommunityEngagementOfficers

§ Anannualforumtodiscusschallengesandsharebestpractices.

Theseschoolswillbeprovidedwithaccesstoarangeofspecialisedsupportmaterialandprofessionaldevelopment activities for teachers on embedding cross-cultural perspectives and working withstudentswithESL.

Community-focusedcomponents

ThemodelwilldevelopthecapacityofremotecommunitiestobetterpreparetheiryoungpeopletotransitiontosecondaryschoolandcompleteYear12.

CommunitySupportOfficerpositionswillbeestablishedineachofthe16communitiesandbasedinTagaiStraitCollege’sprimarycampuses.Inapartcapacitytime,theseofficerswillberesponsiblefor:

§ Promotingschoolattendanceforprimaryschoolagedstudents§ DevelopingindividualisedTransitionPlansforeveryYear6student§ Supporting primary school teachers to prepare individual Student Profiles for every Year 6

student§ Facilitating lines of communication between Accord secondary schools and families in the

community§ Support parents in their application for ABSTUDY – including preparing for on-time departures

afterschoolholidays§ Community-basedofficerssupporttosecondaryschool-agedstudentsandtheirduringperiodsof

transitionorcrisis–includingreferralstootheragencies§ Supportingtheseamlessmovementofenrolmentbetweensecondaryschools,asrequired§ Trackingstudentdisengagementinthecommunity§ Providingthecommunityperspectiveattheannualforum

Interagency-focusedcomponents

The model will establish a web-based database to facilitate the tracking of secondary studentmobility, attendance and retention. Based on data from primary school enrolments, informationcollected from Accord Secondary Schools and communities will be used to monitor studentenrolments, engagement and achievement. With appropriate data protocols in place, informationfromthisdatabasewillbesharedwithcommunities, serviceprovidersandgovernments tosupportfuture,evidenced-baseddecisionmaking.

Themodelwill facilitate an annual forumbetweenAccord Secondary Schools, PrapaPathwayCaseManagers, Community Engagement Officers, parent/community representatives and other keyserviceproviderstodiscusschallengesandsharebestpractices.



The model will sponsor the development of specialised support material and professionaldevelopment activities for teachers on embedding cross-cultural perspectives and working withstudents with ESL. These materials will be specifically aligned to the new Australian ProfessionalStandardsforTeacher.Theywillprovidetemplatesandillustrateexamplesofbestpracticethrougharangeofmediumsandplatforms(e.g.onlinevideosandprintresources).Materialswillcovertopicssuchas:

§ Knowingyourstudents,theirbackgroundsandtheirlearningneeds§ Embeddingcross-culturalperspectivesintoyourcontentarea,§ Creatingsupportiveandculturallysafelearningenvironments§ Assessment,feedbackandreporting§ Engagingwithfamiliesandcommunities

Themodelwillalsoprovidecase-managementforschools,studentsandfamilies–facilitatingaccesstocross-agencyservices.Thesefulltimepositions,basedinbothCairnsandonThursdayIsland,willberesponsiblefor:

§ Scheduledvisits toAccordSecondarySchools -offeringsupport to individual students,assistingstaffwithcommunicatingwithindividualfamiliesorcross-culturaltraining

§ Recordingstudentenrolment,attendanceandachievementdata§ Supporting students, families and schools during periods of transition or crisis (such as,

disciplinaryabsences,homesicknessoremergentfamilyissues)§ Providingreferralstogovernmentagenciesandcommunitybodies§ Coordinatingtheannualforum§ Sharing school-specific data on student enrolment, attendance and achievement togetherwith

storiesofbest-practice/success

Measuring Success Note: Given the limited data available in the region, it is impossible to establish accurate baselinemeasures.Itisthereforeproposedthatthefirstcollectionyear’sdatacollectionisusedasthebaseline,withsuccessmeasuresbeingthatofStateaverages.

ThesuccessofthePrapaPathway.PrapaFuture.modelinachievingtheoutcomesoftheIndigenousAdvancementStrategywillbeascertainedthroughanumberofmeasures,including:

StrategicObjective Measure

IncreasedAttendance

School-basedattendancedata

On-timeschoolarrivals

ApparentretentionratestoYear12

ImprovedLearningOutcomesYear9NAPLAN–%abovenationalminimumstandard

QCEattainment



ThesuccessofthePrapaPathway.PrapaFuture.modelinachievingthespecificmodelobjectivesandoutcomeswillbeascertainedthroughanumberofmeasures,including

Objective Measure

Engagecommunityinservicegovernanceanddelivery

NumberofCommunitySupportOfficerpositions(16)

Establish a reliable system of datacollection of secondary student’sattendanceandretentiontoYear12

Number of students being tracked compared to historicalprimaryschoolenrolmentsandABSdata(100%)

Improve secondary-school readiness ofyoungpeople

PercentageofYear6studentswithaTransitionPlanbyTerm4(100%)

Improve information sharing betweenprimaryandsecondaryschools

PercentageofYear6studentswithaStudentProfilebyTerm4(100%)

Improve information sharing betweenfamiliesandsecondaryschools

The number of Accord Secondary Schools that providestudentenrolment,attendanceandachievement(100%)

Theannualpublicationofschool-specificdatatocommunities

The number of facilitated contacts between school andparents by Case Managers or Community EngagementOfficers

Improve support structures forsecondary schools in embedding crosscultural perspectives, deliver targetedsupportservicesandestablishapositive,school-widelearningenvironment

NumbersofschoolssigningtheSecondarySchoolAccord

Percentage of Accord Secondary Schools with a positiveschool-widesupportplanforTorresStraitstudents

Percentage of Accord Secondary Schools providing MuraGubalGediracrossculturaltraining

PercentageofAccordSecondarySchoolsthatprovideteachingstaff with a minimum number of hours professionaldevelopmentinteachingstudentswithESLandonembeddingcrossculturalperspectivesinthecurriculum

Percentage of Accord Secondary Schools offering additionalliteracyandnumeracysupportstructuresinplaceforstudentswithadditionallearningneeds.

Improve attendance rates of secondaryschools students– includingan increaseinon-timearrivalsafterschoolholidays

School-basedattendancedata

On-timeschoolarrivals

Decreaseenrolmentmobilityrates Numbersofnewenrolmentsandexits



Objective Measure

Improved academic achievement, suchasinnationaltesting

Year9NAPLAN–%abovenationalminimumstandard

ImprovedattainmentofQCE QCEattainment

Rationale The consensus of both national and international research is clear that non-attendance and non-completion of school causes significant harm. While the most harm is to the young peoplethemselves, non-completion has adverse effects on teachers who become demoralised, otherstudentswhoreceivelessattention,supportjurisdictionpersonnelwhofacetheincreasedcostsandtime to provide alternative education services and families and communities who are stigmatisedwhentheirchildrendonotattendschool.

It is therefore an imperative for schools, governments and community to implement policy andpracticesthatwillworktominimizetheseharms.

Whatweknowdoesn’twork?

Research has shown that the following strategies are not effective in increasing the engagement,academicachievementorschoolcompletionratesforIndigenousstudentsinAustralia:

§ A‘onesize fitsall’approachthateithertreats Indigenousstudentsthesameasnon-IndigenousstudentsorassumesthatallIndigenousyoungpeoplearethesame

§ Short-term, piecemeal interventions that are not funded adequately or implemented for longenoughtomakeasignificantimpact

§ InterventionsthatareadoptedwithoutconsideringlocalneedsandcollaboratingwithIndigenouscommunities

§ Attemptingtosolvetheproblemofleavingschoolearlywithoutdealingwithitsunderlyingcausesandprovidingsustainedinstitutionalsupport.

Whatweknowworks?

While there is no one approach that has been found to increase rates school compliance forIndigenous students in remote communities, consensus does exist that the reasons for non-attendance and non-completion of school are complex and contextual; that there is no simpleanswer;andthatrealchangeoccursovertime.

National and international literature supports strategies that target the underlying causes orantecedents of non-completion – that is, the barriers to access, attendance and achievement – inovercoming non-completion. In particular, research and practice promote a focus on the keycomponentsthatcanincreaseengagementinlearningandthereforeschoolretentionoverthelongerterm. These components include strategies that are school focused, community focused, andinteragencyfocused.

§ School-focused components attempt to make learning environments more responsive to theneedsofyoungpeople



§ Community-focusedcomponentsinvolvelocalcommunity, includingfamiliesandprimaryschoolstaff,programsthatpromoteandrecognizetheimportanceofattendanceandretention.

§ Interagency approaches improve cross agency linkages and providing wrap-around support tostudentsandtheirfamiliesattimesoftransitionandcrisis.

Thecriticalneedforpositiveschoolenvironments

In the last decade, there has been greater recognition of the school-based factors thatdirectly impactontheattendance,achievementandcompletionof Indigenousstudents insecondaryschools.

Apositive school environmentplays a significant part in determining theextent towhichstudents participate and engage in schooling. Researchers have emphasised the linkbetweenstudents’perceptionsofschoolandtheirmotivation,achievement,andbehaviour.Studentswho feel connectedwith schoolaremoremotivated toattendandengage.Thisenableslearningandacademicaccomplishmenttooccur.

Aparticularschool-basedissueofimportance,andonehighlightedbyAustralianresearch,isteacherquality.Goodteacher/studentrelationshipsarefundamentaltoapositivelearningexperience and teachers must be aware of and respect the cultural heritage of theirIndigenous students.Curriculummustalso reflect a valuingof Indigenoushistoryand thecommunicative styles that are a part of Indigenous cultures. Nevertheless, the bestcurriculum taught by the most capable and dedicated teachers will have no effect onstudentswhoarenotregularlyinclassroomstoparticipate.

“Failure to establish meaning in the curriculum or to build satisfactory teachingrelationships reduces the possibility of successful learning, which is the most importantintrinsicmotiveforstayingonatschool”(Lambetal.2004:9).)

Inparticular, thenationalresearchclearlyprovidesanevidencebasefortheeffectivenessofthefollowingschool-basedstrategiesinsupportingindigenousstudents:

§ Provide professional development training for staff, raising their awareness of andsensitivitytothehistory,culture,contemporarylifestyleandenduringcharacteristicsoftheirIndigenousstudents.

§ Recognise the need to value the students’ cultural background and the skills andknowledgethattheybringwiththemintotheclassroom.

§ Useawhole-schoolapproachbasedonacommitmenttoprovidingsuccessfullearningexperiencesandoutcomesforallstudents.

§ InvolveIndigenousteachingpersonnel,parentsandcommunitymembersinallaspectsof the schooling process from initial planning, to implementation and delivery ofprograms,todevelopIndigenousownershipofeducationalprograms.

§ Provide a safe, secure school environment, characterised by good teacher/studentrelationships,whichisfreefromracismandwelcomingtoIndigenousstudents,andtoparentsandcommunitymembers.



§ Take a whole-school approach that involves all students, all teachers, parents, andancillarystaff,andenliststhesupportoflocalbusinessandcommunityservices.

§ Implementappropriateearlyinterventionschemes.§ Implement straightforward, plain language, behaviour management policies that are

appliedconsistentlytoaddressbullying,harassmentandpeerpressures.

TorresStraitExperience

The Prapa Pathway. Prapa Future. model is clearly modeled on setting in places the structuresrequired to address the underlying causes or antecedents of student absenteeism and non-completionintheTorresStrait.

NotonlyisTSIREC’sapproachsupportedbytheliterature,ithavebeenprovenassuccessfulthroughatrial,conductedin2012/2013.Overan18monthperiod,TSIRECrespondedtocommunitydemandsforservicesbyself-fundinganinformaltransitionsupportserviceforsecondaryschool-agestudentsfromtheTorresStrait.DespitebeingrestrictedtostudentsenrolledintheGreaterCairnsRegion,thistrialillustrated:

§ TheneedforspecializedsupportforstudentsandfamilieslivingintheTorresStrait§ Theimportanceofservicesincommunitiesandregionalcentrestosupportschools,studentsand

families§ Alackofinformationshaingbetweenschoolsandcommunities/parents§ Thegapinsystemicdataabouttheattendance,achievementandcompletionofstudents inthe

TorresStrait§ The importance of community ownership, not just consultation, in the design, delivery and

evaluationofservices§ The value of family relationships and cultural connections with the Torres Strait for service

delivery§ Consistencyofservicedeliverystaff



Early Childhood Education & family support services

FamiliesintheTorresStraitunderstandthatchildrenareborntolearnandthatlearningtakesplaceacrosstheentirespanoflife.Thequalityofchildren’slearningexperiencescanoptimise

theirindividualpotentialand,equally,contributetobuildingthefutureofanation.

Thequalityoftheirlearningthroughoutlifecanbeenhancedbystrongandconsistentsupportfortheirdevelopmentintheearliestyearsoflife.



TheImportanceoftheEarlyYears

OutcomesforChildren

Internationalneurological andchilddevelopment researchunequivocallydemonstrates thathumandevelopmentispowerfullyinfluencedbycontextualsurroundingsandexperiences.Experiencesintheearlyyears (0-6)affect thestructuraland functionaldevelopmentofachild’sbrain,with long termconsequences–bothpositiveandnegative–forthechild,familyandsociety.

EarlyChildhoodDevelopment

CommunitydataprofilesoftheAustralianEarlyDevelopmentalIndex(AEDI)–collectedin2009and2012–illustrateaconsistentgapbetweenthedevelopmentofyoungchildrenintheTorresStraitandotherAustralianchildren.

TheAEDIprofilefortheregionshowedthatacrossallthedevelopmentaldomains,youngchildrenintheTorresStraitwereuptotwiceas likely tobe identifiedasdevelopmentallyvulnerableorat riskcomparedwithnationalnorms.Thedataalsoshowedthatourchildrenrecorded:

§ Lowerlevelsoflanguageandcognitiveskills§ Acquiredfewerearly-literacyandnumeracyskills§ Lowerlevelsofindependence§ Fewersocialandskills§ Lowerlevelsofemotionalmaturity

SchoolAchievement,ParticipationandRetention

National school testing illustrates that the gap in academic skill development (reading,writing andnumeracy) between children in the Torres Strait and national norms that exists in the early yearscontinues throughout all phases of schooling. Students who perform poorly in Year 3 continue toperformpoorlyinYear5and7.

In 2013, at least 25% of Year 3s across the Torres Strait were judged by NAPLAN as not yetdemonstratingfundamentalliteracyandnumeracyskillsrequired,comparedto3%nationally.

Otherschool-baseddataalso indicates that indigenousstudentsof theTorresStraitaremore likelyto:

§ Havehigherratesofenrolmentmobility (withapproximately1 in3studentschangingschoolatleastonceeachyear)

§ LeaveschoolbeforecompletingYear12§ Bedisengagedfrompaidwork,trainingorhighereducationtwoyearsafterleavingschool.



EngagementofParents

ParentinginEarlyChildhood

Incomparisonwiththeirnon-indigenouspeers,data indicatesthatfamiliesofyoungchildren intheTorres Strait are significantly less likely to engagewith early childhood education and preventativehealthservices.Withoutaccesstohighqualitylearningopportunitiesandearlyinterventionprogramsduring theearlyyearsof theirdevelopment,youngchildren in theTorresStrait toooftenstartatasignificantdisadvantageinlifeandlearning.

UsingdatacollectedfromtheTorresStrait,thefirstfourwavesoftheFootprintsinTime:LongitudinalStudyalsoillustrated:

§ Lessthanhalfthemothershadbreastfedtheirbabyforat least6months,with lessthan1 in4mothersbreastfeedingfor12months(asrecommendedbyNHMRC)

§ Over50%ofmumssmokedduringpregnancyand22%consumedalcohol§ 97%ofparentsconsideredtheirchild ingoodtoexcellenthealth,despiteCOAGdata indicating

significantlyhigherratesofoverweight/obesity,preventablediseasesandinjuries§ Lessthan1in5parentssoughtadviceabouttheirchildfromarecognisedprofessional

TeenageParenting

TeenageparentingisasignificantissueacrosstheTorresStrait.Inmanyofourcommunitiestherateofteenagepregnancy(mothersunder19yearsofage)iscloseto40%,comparedwithjust3-4%ofall19yearoldsinmajorcities.

Observationsclearlyshowthatnotonlydoesateenagepregnancynegatively impactonanalready-stressed familyunit; it canputyoungmothersat riskof long-termdisadvantage.Researchby Joen,KalbandVufoundthatyoungmothersare less likelytocompletetheirschooling,resulting inweakemploymentprospects, an increased riskofongoingwelfare relianceand significantly lessearningsovertheirlifetime.

IntheTorresStrait,notonlyistherearegreatunmetneedforcommunity-basedsupportservicesforteenage parents, but also school- and training-based services that promote reconnection witheducation,andsupportyoungparentstomakelong-termplansforfurtherstudyandemployment.

ServiceAvailability

Thereisasignificantgapincoordinatedservicedeliverytoparents,familiesandyoungchildrenacrossthe Torres Strait, despite the clear evidence of need. While there are a number of specific crisisintervention services and programs currently in operation in the region,many run in isolation andtargetonlycertaincommunitiesorparentgroups.

The following provides an overview of the early childhood education, health and crisis supportservicescurrentlyavailableintheTorresStrait:



EarlyChildhoodEducationServices

§ StraitStart–abirthto3-year-oldearlychildhoodeducationprogram–operatesin8communitiesacrosstheTorresStrait.TheseservicesoperatethroughajointarrangementbetweenTSIRECandTagaiStateSchool.

§ LongdaycarecentresoperateonThursdayIsland,HornIsland,BaduandYamIsland–enrolmentnumbersintotheseservicesareverylimitedduetospacerestrictions(e.g.YamandHornIslandcurrentlyserviceonly14childreneach).

§ There are no early childhood education services available in Saibai, Dauan,Mabuyag, St Pauls,WarraberandUgar.

ParentEducationandSupportServices

§ StateGovernmentChildProtectionservicesoperate intheTorresStrait,offercrisis interventionand re-engagement services. These services are based on Thursday Island with emergencyoutreachtoothercommunities.

§ Queenslandhealthrunsoutreachmaternalhealthandchildwellbeingservicestoallcommunities.TheseservicesarebasedonThursdayIsland.

Oftheapproximate1,125childrenunder4yearsofageintheregion,itisestimatedthatatleast1in4 have no access to early childhood education services before starting school, and 1 in 2 have noaccesstoscheduledspecialisthealthscreening(e.g.hearingandvision).

Asmostservicesarefocusedoncrisiscareandprimaryhealth,therearenoproactiveservicesacrosstheregiontoprovidesupportforteenageparentsorparentingeducation.

AboutStraitStart

Strait Start is an early childhood education developed in the Torres Strait for young children.Established through Commonwealth funding in 2010, it provides high quality learningenvironmentsforchildrenfrombirthtoPrePrepacrosstheregion’sremotecommunities.Staffedby trained community members, the program supports the development of children’s motordevelopment, language and literacy development, cognitive development, general knowledge,socialandemotionaldevelopment,independenceandselfefficacy.

Servicescurrentlyoperatein8communitiesfor2hours5daysperweek.ThroughaMemorandumofUnderstanding,Tagai StateCollege fundsallwagesandoperates,whileTSIREC funds trainingandsupervision.



TheMeribaModel

Meribameans:“allofOurs”inMeriamMer–thetraditionallanguageoftheeasternislandsofthe Torres Strait. The name was adopted to reflect the Torres Strait region’s desire for aholisticmodelofearlyeducationandcarethatencapsulatesall families intheregionandoftheregion.

TheMeribamodel isdesignedtoaddress theclearlyobservableandevidencedneedfor integratedearlychildhoodeducationandparentingservicesacrossthe16communitiesoftheTorresStrait.ThemodelalignswiththeIndigenousAdvancementStrategy’sChildrenandSchoolingprogrammearea.Itaims to nurture and educate children and their families to achieve improved pathways toengagement,achievement,prosperityandwellbeing.

Objectives

The Torres Strait Nation is united by a vision to increase school attendance and the educationaloutcomesfortheiryoungpeople.Thismodelsupportsthisvisionbyensuringthateverychildisgiventhe optimum learning environment for physical wellbeing and motor development, language andliteracydevelopment,cognitivedevelopment,generalknowledge,socialandemotionaldevelopment,andexecutivefunctions.

TheMeribamodelbuildsontheregion’sexistingearlychildhoodeducation,healthandcrisissupportprogramstoestablishan integratednetworkofproactive family learningservices.Thisnetworkwillwork fromwithin communities to strengthen the capacity of parents, families and communities tooptimisethedevelopmentoftheiryoungestchildren.

Thetargetedobjectivesrecommendedforthismodelare:

§ Universal access to high quality, culturally reflective early childhood education programs andparentingservices

§ Community-ledgovernanceanddeliveryoflocalservices§ Improvedschoolreadinessofyoungchildren,includingfoundationalliteracyandnumeracyskills§ Improvedratesofearlychildhooddevelopmentacrossalldomains§ Increasedengagementbetweenparents/familiesandschools§ Increasedknowledgeandskill-baseofparentsineffectiveparentingbehaviours

Overview

The Meriba model will establish a network of Family Learning Centres across the Torres Strait,ensuringeveryfamilyhasaccesstohighquality,culturallyappropriateearlychildhoodeducationandparentingservices.



The model will create community-based learning centres in 16 communities of the Torres Strait.Brandedas“Meriba”(meaning“belongstous”intraditionalMeriamMir),theselearningcentreswillprovide:

§ StraitStartservicestoyoungchildren(agedfrombirthto4years)§ Targetedparenttraininginearlychildhooddevelopment,positiveparentingstrategiesandearly

literacyandnumeracydevelopment§ Homevisitsorcommunitybasedprograms§ Individualisedsupportservicesforteenageparents,frompre-birthuntilthechildis3yearsofage

–focusingonearlyparentingskillsandreconnectionwitheducationandtraining§ Thecommunitywithaccesstoculturallyappropriateandrelevantparentingresources§ Referrals to other early childhood education, early intervention, child andmaternal health and

familycrisisservices

Ahub,orcentrallearningcentre,willbeestablishedonThursdayIsland.Staffedbyaspecialistinearlychildhoodeducationandparenting,thishubwill:

§ Supervisecommunity-basedlearningcentrestaff§ Develop,collateanddistributeculturallyappropriateandrelevantparentingresources§ Developspecialisedparentingtrainingpackages,targetingdifferentgroupswithinthecommunity

(e.g.grandparents,youngerparents,fathers,aunties,siblings)§ Deliver pre-conception/preparation for parenting education to targeted audiences (e.g. all

SecondaryschoolstudentsintheTorresStrait)§ Leadcollaborateserviceplanningwithotherearlychildhoodeducation,early intervention,child

andmaternalhealthandfamilycrisisservices§ Identifyneedsandadvocateforadditionalparentingandfamilysupportservicesonbehalfofthe

regiontoGovernment

MeasuringSuccess

ThesuccessoftheMeribamodelinachievingtheoutcomesoftheIndigenousAdvancementStrategywillbeascertainedthroughanumberofmeasures,including

StrategicObjective

Measure Baseline ExpectedResult

IncreasedAttendance

Schoolstudentattendancedata(PrePrep,Prep&Year1)

Datafrom2013&2014ImprovedstudentattendancedatainPreprepfrom2016,Prep2017andYear12017

Schoolstudentenrolment–mobilityofenroment

Changesofenrolmentfrom2013&2014

LesschangesinenrolmentforchildreninPreprep,PrepandYear1from2016

ImprovedLearningOutcomes

BrackenSchoolReadinessAssessment(3rdEdition)-conductedfrom2015witheverychildinPrePrep

Resultscollectedin2012witheverychildinPrePrep

Improvementinschoolreadinessfrom2015



NAPLAN–Year3 Resultsfrom2013&2014

Improvementinreading,writingandnumeracyfrom2020

AEDI Resultsfrom2009&2012

Improvementacross5domainsinTorresStraitcommunityprofilefrom2016

The success of theMeribamodel in achieving the specificmodel objectives and outcomeswill beascertainedthroughanumberofmeasures,including:

Objective Measure Baseline ExpectedResult

Universalaccesstoparentingservices

Numberoffamilylearningcentres

0 16(with1hub)

Universalaccesstoearlychildhoodeducationprograms

NumberofStraitStartprograms

812(with4smallservicesonYamIsland,HornIsland,DauanandUgar)

Community-ledgovernanceandservicedelivery

Numberoflocaladvisorycommittees 0

16(with1overarchingstrategicadvisorycommittee)

Improvedschoolreadinessofyoungchildren,

BrackenSchoolReadinessAssessment(3rdEdition)

Resultscollectedin2012witheverychildinPrePrep

Improvementinschoolreadinessfrom2015

Improvedratesofearlychildhooddevelopmentacrossalldomains

AEDI Resultsfrom2009&2012

Improvementacross5domainsinTorresStraitcommunityprofilefrom2016

Increasedengagementbetweenparents/familiesandschools

Numbersofparentsattendingscheduledparent/teacherconferences

Resultsfrom2014 Increasedparentattendancefrom2016

Increasedknowledgeandskill-baseofparents

Self-reportingofonpre&posttrainingassessments

Pre-trainingselfassessments

Atleast50%ofparticipantsreportinganincreaseinknowledgeandskills

Outcome Measure Baseline ExpectedResult

Theestablishmentof16MeribaFamilyLearningCentresandaHub

Numberoffamilylearningcentres 0

16(with1hub)

Theprovisionofearlychildhoodeducationservices

NumberofStraitStartprograms 8

12(with4smallservicesonYamIsland,HornIsland,DauanandUgar)



Thedeliveryoftargetedtrainingtoparentsandcommunitymembersinearlychildhooddevelopment.

Trainingdelivered 0 Atleast256(atleast4coursespercommunityperyear)

Attendance 0 Atleast1280

Thedeliveryofpreparationforparentingeducation

Trainingdelivered 0 Atleast1courseeachyear

Attendance 0 Atleast400

Thedistributionofparentingresources

Numbersofresourcesdistributed

0 1200

Coordinationbetweenserviceproviders

Numberofinteragency/servicemeetings

0 Atleast4peryear

Rational

International and Torres Strait-specific research clearly demonstrates the benefits of community-basedearlychildhoodeducationandparentingprogramsinat-riskpopulations.

InternationalResearch

Internationalneurological andchilddevelopment researchunequivocallydemonstrates thathumandevelopmentispowerfullyinfluencedbycontextualsurroundingsandexperiences.Experiencesintheearlyyears (0-6)affect thestructuraland functionaldevelopmentofachild’sbrain,with long termconsequences–bothpositiveandnegative–forthechild,familyandsociety.

Research of high quality early intervention programs, such as early childhood education and careprograms and parenting education services, for socially at-risk children has shown significant andsustainedeffectsoverbothshortandlongtermperiods.

ShortTerm:

§ Parentsaremoreknowledgeableaboutchilddevelopment§ Parentsdisplaymoreskilledchild-rearingpractices§ Parentsaremoreknowledgeableaboutchildhoodhealthandsafetyissues§ Parentsengagemoreinlanguage-andliteracy-promotingbehaviours§ Childrenhavedevelopmentaldelaysidentifiedearlier§ Childrenaremorelikelytobeingoodgeneralhealth(arefullyvaccinated,withinahealthweight

rangeandaccessinggoodnutrition)§ Parents become more knowledgeable about discipline (show more positive involvement with

childrenandorganisetheirhomeenvironmentmoreappropriately)§ Familieshavefewerdocumentedcasesofneglect



Longterm:

§ Childrenachievegreaterschoolsuccess,§ Childrenachievehigherpost-schoolengagement,§ Childrenarelesslikelytorequirejuveniledetention,§ Childrenarelesslikelytoneedforremedialeducationservices,and§ Childrenarelesslikelytobecomepregnantduringadolescence

The research also concludes that children who have contact with high quality early interventionprograms also demonstrate better numeracy and literacy skills, better cognition and social skills,better interpersonal relationships and better behavioural self-regulation than children accessinglower-quality services. Indeed, experienceswith the latter have been shown to have a deleteriouseffectonlanguageandsocialskilldevelopment.

TheTorresStraitExperience

DatafromtheAustralianEarlyDevelopmentIndex(AEDI)-thenationalcensusonthedevelopmentof4yearoldsconductedevery3years-hasclearlydemonstratedthattheStraitStartprogramhashadadramaticaffectonthedevelopmentofchildreninTorresStraitcommunities.

The2012AustralianEarlyDevelopment Index (AEDI)data revealed thenumberofdevelopmentallyvulnerablechildrenintheTorresStraithadreducedfromalmost60%in2009to35.8%.

School staff, local community leaders, parents as well as Commonwealth and State GovernmentshaveattributedmuchofthismovementonthesuccessoftheStraitStartprogram.

The Strait Start program illustrates the effectiveness of community capacity building – investing inlocally developed programs that are delivered in communities by trained communitymembers. Inaddition to enhancing the outcomes for children, Strait Start has also proven to be a way ofstrengthening community support structures and building families’ confidence in their role asparents.



student Residential

boarding facilities

StudentresidentialfacilitiesintheTorresStraitarevitaltoensuringthatyoungpeopleintheregioncansuccessfullyaccess,participateinandcompletesecondaryschoolwithagenuine

chancetoachievetheiraspiration.



BoardingintheTorresStrait

Background

The Torres Strait Islanders’ Regional EducationCouncil (TSIREC) has sought government support toestablish additional residential accommodation on Thursday Island (TI) to improve access to localeducationalservices.

TherearecurrentlytwohostelsonTIcateringfortheneedsofsecondaryschoolandtrainingstudentsintheTorresStrait;CanonBoggoPilotHostelandKaziwMetaCollegewithamaximumcapacityof35and65studentsrespectively.

These facilitiesareat capacityandTSIRECclaim thatmanyparentsareunable toaccess secondaryeducation and training for their children within the Torres Strait due to insufficient studentaccommodationprovisions.Theyhavelittlechoiceotherthansendtheirchildrentoprivateboardingschoolselsewhereinthestate.

It is estimated that approximately50%of secondary students in theTorres Strait leavehomeeachyeartoattendhighschoolinotherpartsofthestate.

TSIREC recommends a state owned and operated residential facility to be established on TIwhichmeans that more students will have the opportunity to complete their secondary education andtraininglocallywhileremainingrelativelyclosetohomeandtheirfamilies.

The Indigenous Education Division and the Far North Queensland Region have responded to theissues bymeetingwith stakeholders and carrying out preliminary enquiry to identify potential siteoptionsforastudentresidentialprovision.

Theprovisionofresidentialfacilitieswillprovidefullboardingservicesthroughouttheschoolyearonaweeklyor full-termbasis. Studentswillbeable to reside inasafeandcaringenvironmentwhilstcompletingtheirsecondaryeducationandtrainingonTI.

CurrentEnrolmentTrends

Therearetotalof17stateschoolsintheTagaiStateCollegegroupthatarecurrentlymadeupof16(Pre-PreptoYear7)campusesandthesecondarycampus(Year8-12)locatedonThursdayIsland.

Primary school enrolments andABSdata suggests that historically, on average, 150 students’ havetransitionedeachyearfromthe16primaryschoolsintosecondaryeducation.Thistrendispredictedtoincreaseby30%overthenext3years–dueinparttotheFlyingStartinitiative,andparttogreaterenrolmentnumbersinthemiddleprimary.

Overthelast6years,fiftypercentofstudentshavelefttheTorresStraitseachyeartocompletetheirsecondaryeducationelsewhereinthestate;usuallyatprivateboardingschoolsintheGreaterCairnsRegion.



Inpart,thistrendmaybeattributedtoestablishedconnectionsbetweentheprivateboardingschoolsectorandislandcommunities.ItmayalsobelinkedtothedeficiencyinsuitablestudentresidentialprovisionsonThursdayIsland.

Theother fiftypercent (70–80students)enrollat thesecondarycampusonTI. Of these,50–60come from the outer islands and require long-term residential options on Thursday Island for thedurationoftheirsecondaryeducationandtrainingprograms.

TheseoptionsarelimitedtoeitherplacementatoneoftheexistinghostelsorboardingprivatelywithrelativeswholiveonTI.

AllotherstudentsattendingthesecondarycampusgenerallylivelocallywiththeirparentsorrelativesonThursdayIslandorsomeoftheotherclose-byislandcommunitiesthathavedailywatertaxi/ferryservicestoandfromTI.

FlyingStart

TheimplementationoftheFlyingStartinitiativein2015saw90Year7studentsenrollingattheTagaiSecondaryCampusonTI–representinga30%increaseinsecondaryschoolenrolmentscomparedto2014.WhencombinedwiththeYear8enrolmentfigures,itshouldbenotedthatTagaiStateCollegeattracted60%ofthetransitionstudentenrollmentsfor2015–upalmost10%frompreviousyears.

ThisgrowthhadadirectimpactonthedemandforadditionalstudentresidentialaccommodationtobeestablishedonTI.CurrentprovisionsatCanonBoggoPilotandKaziwMetahostelsareinsufficienttomeetthisgrowingneed.

FutureTrends

Across theextentofYears7–12 it isprobable thatby2017up to350students (orapproximately75% of the enrolment) attending the secondary campuswill require long term accommodation ofsomekind(overa6yearperiod)whilstundertakingtheirsecondaryeducationandtrainingprograms.

From2016,enrolmentsinthesecondarycampusarepredictedtocontinuerising,in-linewithhighermiddleprimaryenrolments.Thiswillputevenmorepressureoncurrentboardingfacilitiesandforcemorefamiliesintosendingtheirchildrentomainlandschools.

The community preference is for a state owned and operated student residential facility to bedevelopedonlandatthesecondaryschoolsiteonTI.

StaffingTrends

Increasedstudentnumbersatthesecondarycampuswillalsoresultinadditionalteachingstaffbeingappointedtothesecondarycampus.

This situationwill subsequently impacton theavailabilityofexistingDETEhousingonTI. CurrentlythereisinsufficienthousingtomeetthestaffingmodelsbeingimplementedbyTagaiStateCollege.



The quantity and quality of existing housing on TI is also an issue that will need to be reviewedseparatelybytheregionpriortotheimplementationofFlyingStart.

Attendance,RetentionandAchievement

Attendance,retentionandachievementarekeyareasofconcernasstudentswholeavetheirhometoattendsecondaryfalloutoftheeducationcycle.

Thelongdistancesbetweenhomeandschoolandthelackofregularfamilyconnectionareimportantfactorsthatcontributetothissituation.

Although accurate figures cannot be identified, it is estimated that at least 1 in 10 compulsorilyschool-agedstudentsaredisengagedwithlittlehopeofcompletingtheirsecondaryeducation.

TagaiStateCollege’sapparentretentionandYear12attainmentratesareamongstthehighestintheFarNorthQueenslandregion,andcertainly thehighestofschoolswithacomparableproportionofindigenousenrolments.

StudentCapacity

The overall student capacity for the Tagai State College Secondary Campus is approximately 590students.

With future enrolment trends suggesting 455 students by 2014, it is believed the school containssufficientclassroomspacetoinitiallycaterforincreasedenrolmentsrealisedthroughFlyingStart.

However, future demand for additional specialist teaching areas or the transformation of existingclassroomspacetomeetfuturecurriculumneedsasaresultofFlyingStartisamatterthatwillneedtobeseparatelyreviewedandaddressedbytheregion.



RecommendedSiteOptions

The following alternatives have been identified as possible site options for the establishment ofstudentresidentialfacilitiesintheTorresStrait:

1. DevelopastudentresidentialvillageattheTagaiSecondaryCampusonThursdayIsland;2. DevelopastudentresidentialvillageattheTAFECampusadjacenttheTagaiSecondaryCampusto

caterforhighschoolandtrainingstudents;3. DevelopastudentresidentialvillageattheHornIslandCampusofTagaiStateCollege.Students

willneedtobeferriedbyboateachschooldaybetweenTIandHornIsland.

Option1:SecondaryCampus

This option contains a range of operational benefits for the school and the proposed residentialprovisionallowing students to liveon the sitewith access to all sporting, recreational, cultural andeducational facilities on offer; before and after school and on weekends. It also eliminates dailytransportationofstudentstoandfromschool,aswouldbethecasewithanoff-schoolsitesolution.

Thisoptionalso supportsopportunities to forge strongoperational linkswith theotherestablishedhostels, especially the KawizMeta Collegewhich borders the school boundary at the back of thesportsoval.

Initial site inspections reveal sufficient land is available at the back of the school to develop asubstantial student residential complex. The school sits at the base of a steep hill and excavationworkswillberequiredtocreatesuitablebuildingplatformstositefuturebuildings.

A property search reveals the school site is freehold and contains 6.038 hectares of land,which issufficienttodeveloptherequiredfacilities

Option2:TAFECampus

Thisoption considers theexpansionof theexistingTAFE sitewhich is locateddirectly adjacent thesecondarycampus.ThisoptioncontainsallofthebenefitscontainedinOption1inthatstudentscanmakefulluseofschoolandTAFEfacilities.Theycanlive,playandstudywithoutleavingthegeneralschool/TAFEprecinct.

This option also provides future scope to transform, revitalize and improve the overall use andfunctionalityoftheexistingTAFEcomplex.Someoftheexistingfacilitiescouldhaveadual functionanddoubleas learning/servicesareas in theevent thata futureresidential facility isestablishedonthissite.

Under theTradeTraining initiative, theschool is injectingalmost$1million toupgrade theexistingstudent refectory into a training kitchen and dining facility to Certificate 3 level. These resourcescouldhavedualfunctioninthefuture,inthatstudentsengagedinhospitalitytrainingprogramswillgain hands-on industry experience through the delivery of services to students boarding at theresidentialfacility.



IsthisparagraphnecessarySuchinitiativespotentiallynegatetheneedtoreproducesimilarfacilitieselsewhereonsitegeneratingsavingsinoverallestablishmentcostsforafutureresidentialprovision.Administration offices and student services areas are also locatedwithin the same complex, all ofwhichareintegraltotheneedsofafuturestudentresidentialfacility.

Additionally,theopportunityexiststoamalgamatethetwocampusesintotheonemulti-disciplinaryeducation precinct catering to the needs of the community in the areas of secondary education,training and tertiary level study. Other TAFE buildings could be refurbished to cater for seniorsecondary,VETandothertertiarylevelprograms.

TheTAFEsitecontains3.66hectaresoflandthatisalsolistedasbeingfreehold.

Option3:HornIsland

This option explores the opportunity to expand theHorn Island State School to develop a studentresidentialprecinct.

The land ismore conducive to construction in that the school site is relatively flat and should notpresentanyunforeseencomplications.Itisalsolikelytobethemostcostefficientoptionintermsofprojected building costs. The land is also listed as being freehold and contains 11.75ha that issufficient toallow the futuredevelopmentof a student residential precinct toaccommodateup to100students.

HornIslandisalsoamajorconnectionhubfortheTorresStraitswithdailyflightstoandfromCairnsanditisadistributionpointfordeliveryofgoodsandservicestotheouterislands.

Operationally, this site does present substantial restrictions for school functionality with studentshavingtobeferriedbyboattoandfromtheThursdayIslandsecondarycampuseachday.Logistically,thismaynotbeapracticalsolution.

Inadditiontoschoolinfrastructure,therearealsothreestaffhousesandplanningisinplacetoaddafurthertwoduplexstyleaccommodationunitsonthesite.ThereisscopetoacquireadditionallandonHornIslandforadditionalstaffhousing,shouldtheneedarise.



FacilitiesInfrastructure

It iswellknownthatbuildingcostsintheremoteareasofFarNorthQueenslandareatypicallyhigh.This ismainly due to remoteness issues including the logistics of transportingmaterials, travel andaccommodationcostsforconstructionworkers.

Bywayofcomparison,aproposedresidentialcomplex locatedattheTagaiStateCollegeSecondaryCampus on TI is not likely to require facilities infrastructure as expansive as theWeipa project asadministrationareasandcarparkingfacilitiesarealreadyestablishedattheschoolcampus.

Exploringcontemporarybuildingmethodsincludingtheadaptabilityoftransportableand“flat-pack”buildingsystemsmayalsodeliverhighquality,valueformoneyoutcomesinthisparticularscenario.

Itisplausiblethatconstructioncostsforaresidentialfacilitytoaccommodateupto100studentsonThursdayIslandwillbelowerthanWeipa;potentiallyupto20%less.

Itisenvisagedthatsomeofthekeydesignelementswillinclude:

§ Studentresidentialunitswheremaleandfemalestudentscanbeaccommodatedinseparateandsecurefacilitiesthatconsistofmultishare,airconditionedrooms(consistingof2and4beds)thatarefullyfurnishedwithstudydesks,wardrobeand lockerspaceandall thenecessarybasicsforeachstudent.

§ Eachstudentblockwillalsoprovideaccesstosharedbathroomandtoiletfacilitieswhichprovidestudentswithappropriatelevelsofprivacy.

§ Access toageneralcommonareacompletewith loungestyle furniture,TVsandentertainmentspace completewith pool tables, video games and the like. The provision of quiet study areaswithaccesstoon-linecomputerswillalsobeafeaturewithinthegeneralstudentareas.

§ Generaldiningandkitchen facilitieswheremealscanbepreparedandservedtostudentseachday.

§ Staff quarters including the provision of individual bedrooms and amenities for supervisingstaff/houseparents.

§ Outdoorenvironmentincludesshadedcourtyards/decksandaccesstoschoolfacilities.

ThepreparationofaProjectDefinitionPlan(PDP)willconsiderallofthenecessarydesignelementsassociatedwithafacilityofthisnatureandcommunicateaclearunderstandingtotheCommitteeanddraw attention to crucial factors that include: Project objectives; Site investigation and analysis;Functionaldesignrequirementsincludingsketchdesigns;Riskassessment;Implementationplan;andCostplanning.



Management&OperatingModels

ThefollowingalternativeshavebeenidentifiedaspossiblemodelsofmanagementandoperationforthestudentresidentialfacilitiesintheTorresStrait:

Option1:DETEManagement

DETEmanagestheresidentialprovisionincludingalloftheassociatedoperationalservices.

Spinafex College at Mount Isa has a similar model in that a Deputy Principal/Campus Head isemployed directly by DETE to manage the residential campus. All support staff includingadministrativeandoperationalarealsoDETEemployees.

TSIREChaverecommendedapreferenceforastateownedandoperatedresidentialfacility.

Thisoption is likely topresent the lowest levelof riskasall staffworkingat the facilityaredirectlyemployedbyDET.Also,theappointmentofaCampusHeadensuresthatthereisadistinctreportingandaccountabilitystructureinplace.

Option2:DETEManagementwithOutsourcingAncillaryServices

Thismodel reflects similaroperatingassumptionsasdetailedabove in so farasDETEmanagesandoperates the residential provision. However, itwould be adviseable that consideration is given tooutsourcingassociatedancillaryservicessuchasdailycateringservices,cleaningandlaundryservicesandgroundscare.TheseservicescouldbesourcedfromlocalserviceprovidersonThursdayIsland.

This strategy is beneficial to the local economic community through increased demand for servicedelivery andenhances futureemploymentopportunities. Service LevelAgreements that reflect thescopeandqualityofservicestobedeliveredwouldneedtobedevelopedbyDET.

Option3:PrivateManagement

Thisoption considers theoutsourcingof theoverallmanagementandoperationsof the residentialfacilitytoappropriatelyqualifiedorganisations.

ThisoptionmaycontainthehighestrisksforDETEinthat itmaybeperceivedbythecommunityasbeingrepresentativeofastudenthostelratherthanastateownedandoperatedboardingfacilityandsub-campusoftheTagaiSecondaryCampus.

Other risksmay also be attributed to the ability of external service providers to source and retainsuitablyqualified staffonThursday Island. Continual staff turnovermaybedetrimental to studentachievement and/or corporate outcomes as the overall success and future operations of theresidentialprovisionwillbedependentuponthesuccessofthefacilityinitsfirstyearsofoperation.

OUR VISION FOR YUMI - Microsoft · attainment between Indigenous and non-Indig enous children could...

Documents

Transcript of OUR VISION FOR YUMI - Microsoft · attainment between Indigenous and non-Indig enous children could...