| Opportunities
to study
In
1994, Bernadette McPherson and Sister Pat Rhatigan of Notre
Dame University, Broome visited the Beagle Bay School and
held meetings with the School Board, Principal and Aboriginal
Teaching Assistants (ATAs). The visit was to explain the new
VET courses that were about to begin and to seek the support
of the school and the interest of the ATAs through enrolments.
Subsequently,
four ATAs enrolled in the Off-Campus Teacher Education Program
to study for the Associate Diploma in Community Teaching.
The four were to be part-time students. They were all mature
aged and had family responsibilities which meant that they
were dependent on their school incomes. Additionally, however,
the support of the school ensured that they would be able
to have some study time during school hours and would be able
to attend block study sessions at the university in Broome.
An
important aspect of this program was that a Study Centre was
established at Beagle Bay and supported by the St John of
God sisters. It has changed location several times, but is
now established in a well-equipped building with air-conditioning,
furniture and computers. The St John of God sisters have also
provided a resident tutor, Sister Sheila.
In
the next two years, some students left the program for family
or other reasons and others joined. But in 1996, the first
three completed the first year of the Associate Diploma in
Community Teaching.
In
1997, two students graduated with the Associate Diploma. Others
were beginning the course, or taking up the opportunity to
study other courses, such as the Certificate in Education
Practice.
It
had always been intended that students could articulate into
higher level courses and at the end of 1997, this took place.
The two graduates of the Associate Diploma obtained scholarships
from the Catholic Education Office (CEO) and enrolled in a
Bachelor's degree course.
In
2000, Wayne Kelly graduated with the Bachelor of Arts (Education)
and he was followed in 2002 by Mary O'Reeri, who graduated
with the Bachelor of Education (Primary). Both Wayne and Mary
were employed as teachers at Sacred Heart School, Beagle Bay
after their graduation. Their own comments about their experiences
are below.
At
the same time, other students are pursuing a similar path,
or are undertaking other studies. It is expected that two
or three other students will graduate as teachers within the
next few years.
The
general pattern for off-campus students is that they spend
the first week of every semester at the Broome campus of Notre
Dame University. The university makes available its creche
facilities for those with young children. In the first week
students have an introduction to the course and also have
the chance to meet lecturers, tutors and other off-campus
students. In the seventh week of the semester they return
to Broome to attend a week of lectures and discuss progress.
They also leave their communities for periods of teaching
practice, at places ranging from Bathurst Island to Perth
or remote communities in the Northern Territory.
These
days, a condition of employment for new ATAs at Sacred Heart
School, Beagle Bay, is that they undertake further studies
in education, and it is expected that they spend at least
one hour of each teaching day in the Study Centre. In this
way they can learn about teaching at the same time as being
involved in the classroom.
The
overall aim of the program is to produce qualified Aboriginal
teachers, while at the same time offering education to anyone
interested in other university courses, literacy, arts, spirituality
or a variety of courses of interest to local people. |
I
come from around Geraldton. That's where I spent most
of my early life but we travelled around a bit and
I went to about 20 different schools. I was an ATA
before I came to Broome but I was here for a conference,
took one look at the place and wanted to come back.
So the following year I was back as an ATA. My wife's
from Beagle Bay and I met her at the conference as
well.
