Funding cuts for Yolŋu schools

Millions of dollars that are intended for remote indigenous students are not making it to remote schools. Last month, in a 7 news article Nigel Scullion said that the Federal Government are paying the NT Government on the basis of enrolment, but the NT Government are only paying schools on the basis of attendace.

The Federal Government states it will provide $10222 per enrolled student on Elcho Island in 2018.

This is over $6 million in Federal Government funding alone that should be given to the school and community. However, I have met with the School Council and they have been advised they will recieve less than $4 million in total for 2018. I have spoken with other schools in the region and they are all facing similar situations.

The Northern Territory Department of Education policy of funding schools based on “Effective Enrolment” means that remote indigenous schools are running on minimal funding, and cannot meet the needs of the children who struggle to attend.

In 2018, all Government Indigenous schools in my Electorate and region, including Homeland schools, have projected funding cuts because the NT Government are not providing funding for student’s who do not attend regularly. These cuts will likely effect many schools across the Territory.

Schools have been working hard to engage children who struggle to attend every day. Some schools run special classrooms to try and prepare these kids for regular attendance. Historically, some schools have held a mobile classroom that moved around the community, holding lessons at different houses and outdoors in order to engage kids who were struggling to attend. Now, these efforts are threatened, as the children that these programs cater for are no longer funded by the Department – despite federal funds in their names. These are the children that are slipping through the gaps, that the NT Government is turning their back on.

Schools are operating at a base level, just keeping their heads above water. How can they begin the big job of engaging the community leaders and elders and working to create community-led programs that will inspire children to come to school if they are operating in crisis mode?

Schools need to provide programs that are relevant to Yolŋu children, providing a bi-cultural progam, supported by and endorsed by the community. This requires a lot of work. It also requires a big investment in team teachers: the Yolŋu teachers who provide the bridge from the known to the unknown.

I want to know where is this money going? Is it being given to the NT Government in the name of Aboriginal children and then spent elsewhere? This money should be given directly to the schools and community as part of the community-led program. And I want to see properly funded Homeland Schools so that families are not forced off their country.

This is millions of dollars that these communities and children are not seeing. The Minister has said that schools will be community – led, and I believe she is genuine in her desire to support the community, but the Department are failing to deliver on the policy and the funding. How are they continuing to develop programs and spend money when the community have not spoken?
Georgina Gartland