At Coffs Harbour, a small group of students is learning on Country.
The students at the new Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School are having a lesson in song and dance.
Acting principal and Gumbaynggirr man Clark Webb says teaching language and culture is central to the curriculum at the school, which is the first Indigenous bi-lingual school in NSW.
“It’s proven that Indigenous kids all around the world who are engaged in their culture tend to do well at school, that’s because they feel comfortable and proud of who they are, culture does that for us," he tells NITV's The Point program.
“Hopefully this school may shift some of that focus to a government level as well to invest in these types of schools and support communities to build something similar to this."
Students at the new Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School learn on Country two days a week. Source: NITV The Point (Lindy Kerin)
Culture is respected, celebrated
Mr Webb has been working on his dream of opening the school for the past seven years.
He had been concerned the mainstream education system was failing First Nations students.
“I’d seen for a number of years that mainstream schooling, for the most part, just doesn’t work for our kids,” he says.
“I think a lot of mainstream schools are trying to understand our culture, but we just do it naturally.
“Our kids here have an opportunity to come to school where they know that their culture is not only respected but celebrated every day … and as a Gumbaynggirr person, that they’re going to be respected in that same way as well, and celebrated.”
Parents of students at the school say they are already seeing results, with children more engaged. Source: NITV The Point
A building transformed
Mr Webb says the school has been set up with support from TAFE, which offered the building, in a former bricklaying premises transformed into a classroom.
Whether lessons are inside or on Country, language remains a focus.
Mr Webb hopes the lessons immersing students in Gumbaynggirr language will lead to wider language revitalisation across the region
“Already these kids, their language ability is far better than what I was at their age,” he says.
Language teacher Amanda Donovan says the students are responding to the focus on language.
“It’s good when you see the children engage so much in it,” she says.
“They feel more grounded and secure, and they can be themselves within the school space and they can grow at their own pace and they can all assist in each other’s growth as well.
Kamilaroi woman Lara Clark says her twins are building on their early language skills at the school. Source: NITV The Point
School brings pride to community
Parents such as Kamilaroi woman Lara Clark say they are already seeing results.
She says her twins, who are students at the school, are now building on the early language skills they gained in pre-school.
“I think it’s important that they learn their language and culture and carry that on,” she says.
The school is starting small and currently has 13 students from kindergarten to year 2 but has plans to grow in stages, eventually to host students from kindergarten to year 12.
Gumbaynggirr man Troy Robinson who works alongside Clark and has a daughter at the school says the new school is bringing an enormous sense of pride for the community
“When we get the kids out of the bus, you can just see everybody’s heads turn and what they must be thinking is, ‘Oh that must be the Gumbaynggirr school you know’,” Mr Robinson says.
“You can just see the positivity and people who are really happy.”
While it’s been a hard journey, Clark Webb hopes his school might become a model for other communities around the country, seeking a different way of educating kids.
“Hopefully more communities will start to think about doing the same,” Mr Clark says
