The Canobolas Rural Technology High School
Aboriginal Education Programs
The primary aims of our Aboriginal education programs are to:
· improve literacy and numeracy
· target educational strategies at individual needs
· increase parent participation in school activities
· provide targeted pathways to higher education through traineeships
· increase participation by senior students in either further education or employment
· improve teacher knowledge of the educational, cultural and social needs of students
· improve the school and community relationship
Existing programs that will continue include:
· Wiradjuri language class– we began this class in 2013 for all year 7 students. It will continue as a permanent subject for stage 4 students.
· Traineeships– The traineeships from last year will continue for the year 12 students. We have four new traineeships across education and health for current year 11 students.
· School cadetship- The school has created a cadetship for a previous indigenous student to work at the school one day a week as a teachers aid while studying a Bachelor of Education at Charles Sturt University.
· Dance group- An Aboriginal girls dance group, established in 2013, continues to be invited to perform at community events.
· Aboriginal garden- The Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council is assisting us with the design and plant selection of an Aboriginal garden in the school grounds.
· University camp - Selected indigenous students are invited to a camp at Charles Sturt University, Orange. These students attend specific classes and have direct access to lecturers. We hope these half yearly camps inspire students to attend university.
· Introduction to teacher support roles- We will continue to facilitate a training course for Indigenous community members who are interested in working in the education system and may wish to be an AEO or LSO.
· Implementation of the Australian Curriculum – All new curriculum programs will have an indigenous focus through the 8 Ways pedagogy.
· Family Case Management- This is a group, of which we are a part that meets monthly. Other members include various local government and non-Government service providers. The group aims to assist Aboriginal families by using integrated case management.
· Cultural Awareness Training for all staff- The school continues to run cultural awareness training for all staff. The school sees such training as an extremely important part of the school being able to cater better for our Aboriginal students and their education.
· Dance group- A boys Aboriginal dance group will start in term 2 this year. The group will dance at different school and community events during the year. There are already a number of boys keen to begin.
This is not an exhaustive list of the programs and activities designed to improve outcomes for students, parents and members of our school community. We will continue to provide support for all of our students through a range of mechanisms to further facilitate learning and social inclusion and interactions with peers and staff.