Australia - Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School, The Kimberley
Background
The Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School is the latest project in a unique educational partnership between Wesley College Melbourne and Fitzroy Crossing which has the following objectives:
- To provide new learning opportunities across cultures linking Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in the Fitzroy Valley and Wesley College
- To expand life opportunities and learning pathways for students in both communities
- To provide indigenous parent support programs and teacher education for early childhood and Primary Years
- To offer a new senior years’ curriculum and new national secondary qualification for Years 10 - 12
The objectives of the Studio School are focussed on students in years 10 – 12 and are summarised as follows:
- To provide a relevant and authentic educational experience for Aboriginal students and Wesley students together
- To deliver a new curriculum framework for industry learning, academic learning and personal/social learning in Australia
- To provide local workplace readiness and industry training in the cattle industry, agri-business, eco-tourism and the arts
- To provide a model for other communities across Australia to work in collaboration
Positive outcomes of Studio School include:
- To provide access to industry learning and cross-cultural learning on country for senior students Years 10-12 for the first time
- To enable Kimberley students to complete secondary education in the Fitzroy Valley
- To contribute to development of a new national secondary qualification in Australia
- To engage local people alongside Wesley staff to teach language and culture on country
- To develop local people for local industry employment
Research Objectives
- To evaluate the strength and sustainability of Wesley College/Fitzroy Valley cross-cultural partnership
- To evaluate the educational and environmental impact of Studio on local community
- To evaluate the wider social, economic and cultural impact of Studio School on both communities in Fitzroy Crossing and Melbourne
Timeline
Stage 1 Induction 2010 (4+4 weeks)
19 Jul - 13 Aug (Leopold Downs)
13 Aug – 10 Sept (Melbourne)
Stage 2 2011
Feb – May (Melbourne)
Jun – Aug (Leopold Downs)
Sept – Dec (Melbourne)
Stage 3 2012
Feb – May (Melbourne)
Jun – Aug (Leopold Downs)
Sept – Dec (Melbourne)
Executive Summary
In November 2004, a partnership between the Aboriginal people of the Fitzroy Valley Community in the Kimberley, Western Australia, and the community of Wesley College Melbourne, was established.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties encapsulated their deep commitment to learning together, and to expanding horizons and future opportunities for the families and children of both communities.
The stated aims of the partnership were:
- To expand the horizons and life choice expectations of our youth
- To enrich and enhance the whole of life experiences for both communities
- To develop cultural understanding and a capacity to relate to others
- To support and to enhance community cohesion
Within the partnership many projects have flourished including: the development and publication of Bunuba and Walmajarri language curriculum resource units of inquiry for primary school children, the establishment of Wesmob, a Wesley student advocacy group, participation in three Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre Bush Meetings, held on Gooniyandi, Walmajarri and Bunuba country, and participation by Wesley students at the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC) Festival.
The Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School is a major educational initiative of this partnership. It will see the establishment of a new campus of Wesley College on Leopold Downs Station in the Kimberley. Significantly, the Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School will offer full-time industry learning and training opportunities to Aboriginal students from the Fitzroy Valley who enrol in Years 11 and 12, or who aspire to enter the boarding network of the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA) in Perth. These students will join Wesley students in studying the new National Diploma of Education at Yiramalay.
Currently, the school closest to Yiramalay (80km away), the Fitzroy Valley District High School (FVDHS), offers full tuition to Year 10 only. The current choice for students at this school is to complete Years 11 and 12 via distance education, or to continue their schooling elsewhere. The Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School will complement the Fitzroy Valley District High School, and Fitzroy Valley Independent Schools network, by offering full-time study in Years 11 and 12 for Aboriginal students who would otherwise have to leave the region. It will also complement programs offered by the Kimberley TAFE and Karrayili Adult Education Centre and other local training organisations.
At the Studio School, local people will be employed alongside Wesley teachers to teach language and culture within the new National Diploma of Education, and the traditional owners of Yiramalay will also be trained and employed for maintenance, cooking, cleaning and administration.
This project is now seeking capital funding ($6m) and student scholarship funding ($1m) over a three-year period 2010–2012.
Vision
The vision for this initiative stems from a genuine and deep commitment to making a difference to communities and families through education.
The Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School will provide new and relevant educational experiences for young Australians in Years 11 and 12 which are not currently available.
It will:
- Deliver the new National Diploma of Education and its industry-based work-related skills and personal development/cultural requirements for students in Years 11 and 12 to be offered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
- Establish a new framework for cross-cultural learning and the development of intercultural competence among students and adults from different backgrounds
- Provide a relevant and authentic educational experience for Aboriginal students and their families thereby addressing a significant issue of social justice in Australia
- Provide workplace readiness and industry training programs at the Studio School for local people within the community and the Kimberley region
- Provide a model for other communities across Australia to work in collaboration.
The Concept of the Studio School
The concept of the Studio School is a place of hands-on practical, work-related learning onlocation which allows students to build relationships and to participate fully in the opportunities for industry learning and personal/social learning across cultures in a residential setting.
The location and residential nature of the Studio School allows students to be fully immersed in the culture and local community for a substantial period of time.
As a learning space, the Studio School is a flexible construct, adaptable and transportable. It is shaped by context, location, and time, and in this case at Yiramalay, by the local industry opportunities, the language and culture of Aboriginal Australia, a new national focus in education, and by a genuine recognition of the value of diversity.
The flexibility of the operation of the Studio School allows it to run in a viable commercial manner locally, nationally and internationally and to provide opportunities for students in schools in other countries to access the learning offered.
Wesley College Credentials
Wesley College was founded in 1866 and is Registered School No. 1 in Victoria, Australia. Today it is one of the largest co-educational schools in Australia with nearly three thousand students from early childhood (3 years old) to school graduation in Year 12.
The College runs three Melbourne-based campuses at Elsternwick, Glen Waverley and St Kilda Road, and, in addition, provides outdoor educational programs at Camp Mallana on the Gippsland Lakes, Chum Creek at Healesville and Lochend at Portland. Wesley College also provides a unique residential learning program for all Year 9 students at its Clunes Campus in regional Victoria.
The College is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia and has been a leader of educational innovation throughout its 143 year history. Many distinguished Australians have attended the school including two former Australian Prime Ministers, Sir Robert Menzies and Mr Harold Holt.
The College is highly regarded for the quality of its teachers and the educational programs it offers, and for the strength of its diversity, and ethos of openness and inclusion.
The College is supported in this project by:
- The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER); Australia’s leading
educational research body for primary and secondary education and - The International Baccalaureate Organization which offers quality programs of
international education to 2715 schools in 138 countries.
Education Programs
The National Diploma of Education is a new national school-leaving qualification for students in the final two years of secondary school. The qualification has a special focus on providing students with practical workplace experiences and developing skills and attributes necessary for effective workforce participation. Like other senior state certificates, it is a recognised senior secondary qualification. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is the national body that manages and offers the new qualification throughout Australia. Students will be able to study for the National Diploma from its introduction in 2011.
There are two levels of the National Diploma of Education:
- Advanced Level
- Standard Level
The Standard Level program is particularly suited to those students who, after completing secondary school, are interested in moving directly into employment or in undertaking further vocational education studies. This stream includes an emphasis on the development of literacy, numeracy and Information Computer Technology (ICT) literacy skills. The Advanced Level program is taken by students who may want to undertake university studies. This program addresses business management skills and includes the study of academic subjects in the humanities/social sciences and mathematics/science/technology and the creative arts.
The National Diploma of Education supports schools and teachers to draw on local resources (including the community, local businesses and vocational education providers) in order to develop a curriculum with an applied learning orientation and a streamlined transition from school to work.
There are three distinctive features of the National Diploma of Education:
- National
The National Diploma of Education will be available to students throughout Australia. Unlike most senior certificates, this qualification has been developed as a national award rather than belonging to any one state or territory. - Broad
The National Diploma of Education requires study in three broad areas of learning: Industry, Academic and Personal/Social. In this sense, also, it is different from most other senior certificates. It is a “vocational” certificate because of its strong emphasis on preparation for work. The industry learning component and the focus on development of general skills required for work are a central feature of the qualification. The National Diploma of Education also requires study in relation to the Academic and Personal learning domains. At the Standard Level, the academic focus will be on literacy, numeracy and ICT Literacy. At the Advanced Level, the academic focus will involve the study of senior secondary subjects that could be taken from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), and/or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). - Flexible
A distinctive feature of the National Diploma of Education is the (Industry-Academic-Personal) framework on which it is built. Within this framework, the program accommodates courses and modules developed as part of other certificates. It is possible for a student not only to receive certification for the National Diploma of Education, but also to be awarded other certificates if they meet the requirements of those certificates, eg VCE, WACE, IBDP, etc.
The model for delivery of the National Diploma of Education will include at least one ten-week block on-site at the Studio School in each year.
Location, Facilities and Operation
Location
The Studio School is named after the Yiramalay community where it is located on Leopold Downs Station which is approximately 80km from Fitzroy Crossing on the Tunnel Creek Road. Leopold Downs Station is run by the Bunuba Cattle Company, which is a company owned by the Bunuba Aboriginal Corporation.
Industry learning, including training and workplace readiness programs for other groups within the community, will be provided at the Studio School when the Studio is not in use for the National Diploma of Education program. Possible TAFE courses to be offered to the wider community may cover parenting, health, hospitality, agriculture, business, tourism and aged care. Other organisations in the community including, the Karrayili Adult Education Centre, Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture, the Marninwarntikura Fitzroy Crossing Women’s Resource Centre, Kimberley Language Resource Centre, and the Fitzroy Valley Aboriginal Sporting Association, the Garndoowa Association, will also be welcome to use the facilities of the Studio School when not in session.
The land and current buildings on the site at the Yiramalay Community will be leased by Wesley College through the Bunuba Cattle Company on a long-term lease.
Facilities
The studio buildings will consist of:
- Student and staff accommodation for up to 80 students, 12 staff and 4 visiting researchers
- A multi-purpose teaching classroom and training facility with state-of-the-art technology
- A meeting space and recreation/sporting facility
- A kitchen and dining area
- A first-aid facility
- An ablution and laundry block
Full telecommunications facilities will be supported by Telstra. Access to the Studio is by road or light aircraft via the Leopold Downs airstrip.
Operation
All teaching and pastoral staff will be appointed by Wesley College in consultation with the Elders of the Yiramalay Steering Group. Some will be permanent and others will be seconded as required. Local people will be involved in the development and delivery of the language, culture, history and environmental aspects of the program. Local personnel will also be employed for administration, maintenance, cooking and cleaning. Employment and training will be offered to the local owners of Yiramalay and other interested local Aboriginal people as a priority.
Food and other supplies will generally be sourced from Broome. Whilst Wesley College will seek support from the local community and government agencies, the College itself will be responsible for the daily running of the Studio, as it is for any of its other campuses. Total insurance cover will be provided by Wesley College through its insurance with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Funding
This community partnership is seeking capital and recurrent funding from corporations, private foundations and state and federal governments to establish the Studio School. 100% of the capital costs for buildings, equipment and vehicles will be raised via community, corporate and government contributions over the three-year period of implementation 2010-2012. The total capital investment estimate over three years is projected to be $6m.
Wesley College is a not-for-profit education entity, thereby allowing building and other contributions to be tax deductible via donations to the Wesley College Foundation. It is proposed that contributions be acknowledged with naming rights. The Studio will be structured to run on a full cost-recovery basis. Wesley College will underwrite the running costs of the Studio, including its curriculum, staff, telecommunications and general running costs.
Students enrolled at a Wesley College campus in Melbourne will pay a residential fee for the Studio School in addition to normal Wesley College school fees. The Studio School fee will cover accommodation, food, travel and special resources, as per the Wesley Clunes residential campus model. Aboriginal students who enrol at the Studio School will be eligible for full scholarship funding to Wesley College through a dedicated $1m scholarship fund for this project.