Rural and Remote Education - Qld
Rural
and Remote Education - Qld
Meeting with secondary students
at Doomadgee State School, 6 October 1999 - notes
Approximately 20
students, both boys and girls, attended. They were asked to identify
- what they liked
about their school
- what they disliked
about their school
- what they would
like to change about their school.
The following issues
were raised.
School attendance
"A lot of kids don't
come to school. They go down to the river and hang out there."
"Some kids don't
ever come to school, mainly older kids."
"If we don't turn
up at class nobody comes looking for us."
"Parents are not
encouraging their children to come to school."
Teachers
"Some of the teachers
are very good but others are not."
Educational curriculum
"We have art classes
twice a week at school. We do drawing, screen printing, pottery and painting."
"We learn music at
school. They have drums, guitars and other instruments here.
"We learn about health
and how to look after our bodies. There is a lady who comes to the school
to teach us about this."
Technology
We all use computers
at school. We use them for typing, writing stories and playing games."
Sports and social
activities
"We have all kinds
of sport at school - football, softball, basketball, swimming."
"We travel to different
places for school sport competitions. We've been to Normanton, Burketown,
Karumba and other places."
"The school organises
barbeques for us."
School conditions
"We need more seats
and benches around the school yard."
"We need a better
playground."
"There's a lot of
graffiti around the school. They make you clean it up."
Fighting at school
"A lot of kids get
into fights at school. They fight in class and also after school."
"Kids tease each
other and call each other names. There's not a lot of respect."
"There isn't a lot
of bad blood between kids at school. After a fight they usually make up
and forget about it."
"If you are caught
fighting at school you get suspended for four days. When you return to
school you have to apologise to the person you got into the fight with."
Drugs and alcohol
"Lots of kids at
school are into smoking."
"Even younger kids
in primary school smoke."
"Kids drink and smoke
down at the river. They smoke dope as well as cigarettes."
"Its really easy
for kids to get hold of dope in Doomadgee."
Community problems
"A lot of people
get drunk in Doomadgee. Some adults stay up late drinking and having parties.
They get very noisy and its hard to get peace and quiet. Sometimes you
can't get to sleep and then you have trouble staying awake at school the
next day."
"Sometimes there
are break-ins at school. It happens very often, nearly every weekend.
People get drunk and then they break in and steal stuff or destroy property.
Usually its teenagers that do it, kids who are around 13, 14 or 15."
"A lot of teenage
girls in Doomadgee have babies."
Last
updated 2 December 2001.