12/5/03
The State Government has established a trial school at Morapoi Station, near the northern Goldfields town of Menzies.
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter announced a one-teacher annexe of Menzies Primary School would open today to service the children of the Wongutha people living at the station.
"The Wongutha people at Morapoi are striving to overcome the effects of their dislocation from their land and believe a school is an important part of helping them achieve this goal," Mr Carpenter said.
"They say it will not only help educate the children but encourage families to stay in the community or even move to the community from other parts of the region.
"The State Government is only too pleased to meet their request to fulfill this goal of self-determination."
The Minister said the children of Morapoi had not had easy access to education since the Wongutha people settled there in 1997 and this was impeding opportunities for the community's children.
"Morapoi students sporadically attend Boulder, Leonora or East Kalgoorlie primary schools or do not attend school at all," he said.
Mr Carpenter said the State Government was committed to improving the educational outcomes for indigenous students.
"Last year just over 25 per cent of Aboriginal students in Western Australia stayed on to complete Year 12 - the highest rate in 15 years," he said.
"While this is an encouraging result, it is still unacceptably low compared with a retention rate of nearly 71 per cent for non-Aboriginal students across Government and non-Government schools.
"Providing the school annexe within the community will make education far more accessible, and will encourage about 15 children, currently aged between four and 13 years, to attend school regularly."
Mr Carpenter said the annexe would operate four days a week and the teacher would work at Menzies Primary School on Fridays when the community visited Kalgoorlie to do its shopping.
"As well as the teacher, the school will have an Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer to help address attendance and participation problems," he said.
The annexe will be housed in facilities provided by the Morapoi Station community during the trial.
The trial of the school will continue until the end of 2003 with a review to be conducted during term four, 2003.
Morapoi is a 332sq.km former sheep station that has been settled by the Wongutha people.
"The dislocation of the Wongutha at such places as Morapoi has led to a range of social and health problems which are compounded by a lack of adequate education," Mr Carpenter said.
"We hope this new school annexe will go a long way to turning that situation around."
Minister's office: 9213 6800
