DALBY STATE HIGH SCHOOL (School to work transition)
Dalby State High School is a government secondary school in rural Queensland. 65 of the school's 700 students are Indigenous.
PROGRAMME:
Honouring Culture, Improving Outcomes - Pathways To Success is a project designed to improve Indigenous student outcomes, especially in the senior years. The program is run by a Vocational Pathways Officer and a Community Education Counselor in consultation with the Deputy Principal. Dalby State High School was inspired by its membership of the Dare to Lead Coalition to dare its students to be clever, skilled, creative achievers - and dared the community to expect success from Indigenous students.
School data and enrolment trends were analysed, and there were formal and informal meetings with Elders and other community representatives to develop an action plan. A strong vocational focus was introduced for Indigenous senior students, with the expansion of opportunities for school-based traineeships and apprenticeships and stronger links with TAFE. Alongside this was an emphasis on cultural acknowledgment, expressed in numerous ways including:
- Welcome to Country at assemblies
- Flying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
- In-servicing of staff in Hidden Histories and Cultural Awareness
- Morning teas for Indigenous family members
- Co-hosting an Indigenous Cultural Evening and Art Exhibition
OUTCOMES:
- Indigenous student retention from Year 8 to Year 12 has risen from 31% in 2004 to 75% in 2008.
- Prior to the programme, absenteeism for Indigenous students in the senior years was 35%; since the programme began it is 16%.
- 36 students completed the Work Education programme in 2008 compared to 13 in 2007.
- 15 students completed a Transitional Programme run by Downs Industry Schools Co-Op in 2008.
- Of the Indigenous senior cohort in 2008, 72% were enrolled in Certificate 1 or higher.
COMMUNITY COMMENT:
"The vocational pathways programme run by the school has opened many doors with a number of Indigenous students being successful in obtaining work experience, school-based traineeships and school-based apprenticeships." - Joanne Duncan, Secretary Bunya Community Action Group
CONTACT: Gabrielle Elich, Principal 07 4669 0900 or gelic1@eq.edu.au
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