Teaching from the heart
Teachers in remote schools are the unsung, unappreciated heroes of education. They do it tough everyday which is why they have a high burnout rate and why remote schools are so hard to staff. Decent housing and food are at a premium. All the services us city people enjoy are just a dream. So why do they do it? To make sure that underprivileged kids in these areas get a chance to achieve their dreams through education. This is teaching in its purest form because all these wonderful people teach from the heart. Remote schools are unique and they vary according to the cultural differences and living conditions in isolated areas. These schools need to be treated differently if they are to enjoy success. This is not to suggest standards and expectations should be lowered because on the contrary remote schools require the highest quality school leadership and teaching.
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A few years back I visited a remote school and that visit has changed me as a person forever. I had a very disadvantaged traumatic upbringing and my peer group were in Underbelly, but nothing prepared me for what I experienced.
This town is 400km in either direction from anywhere. It has a single small service station that sells junk food. The nearest doctor is the flying doctor. Role models have visited there about once in the last 10 years.
As a father of three and grandfather of 11 the first thing that hit me was there was no sparkle in the eyes of many of the children, just a look of sadness and resignation. The adults I encountered had the same look.
I don't have all the answers. No-one does or it wouldn't still be happening in one of the richest countries in the world. But what I do know is all the Indigenous Australian people, especially the children of these schools and communities, need to know they are valued for who they are and that people care. I am one of those people whose is unable to just walk away when I see people in pain or trouble. I had no idea what my life would be after retirement but I think I know now.
I did a keynote speech at a golf day that raises money to send books to disadvantaged Aboriginal Australian communities. All night long people kept coming up to me with more resources. There was also a charity auction at which a gentleman bid $600 for a telescope and then gave it to me for the children because I had mentioned they had an interest in space.
In writing this article I didn't seek the opinions of theorists, academics, researchers or bureaucrats, but those who live it every day - the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian staff of remote schools.
The majority of teachers who end up in these schools are teachers in their very early years of teaching. They have great intentions and are educationally well-equipped. However they are vastly underequipped for the realities of teaching in a remote school.
There needs to be a specific course or a large section of teacher's course devoted to teaching in remote schools. It needs to not be just about the educational components, but giving prospective teachers a survival kit for working in remote schools. For example, these courses or parts of courses need to have Aboriginal Australian people from these communities talk about what things must be observed. They also need experienced teachers from these areas to talk about their experiences and what they have learned. At the end of it, a two-week work experience stint in a remote school like how teachers do a practicum now.
One of the biggest issues for the children and the communities is the short tenure of teachers. The optimum result would be for very experienced teachers coming towards the end of their careers to spend a minimum of three years in one of these schools. This would entail large incentives, for example higher wages, housing, bonuses and regular paid trips back to their other homes.
We can never go back and make a brand new start, but we can start today and make a brand new end.
Frank Pearce, Bega
