Rural and Remote Education - Qld

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Rural

and Remote Education - Weipa

Notes of a meeting with Year

8 and 9 students from Weipa North High School, Qld - 8 July 1999

The students formed

into groups and each was asked to describe, evaluate and make suggestions

for change regarding one of the following topics

Students from Weipa North High School

the students at
their school
the subjects
sports and other
activities
resources
school buildings
and grounds
staff.

Students

There are about 300

students at Weipa North High; between 20 and 30 are Aboriginal and about

15 are Asian. "Many of our students feel like they don't get much attention."

"Racism has caused a lot of arguments and many fights. "Jealousy is a

big problem to our school." "Many disabled students get pushed around

from being different." "There are students that had to put up with name

calling because of skin colour and different personality." "It could be

improved by working better together." "They need to keep the bad kids

under control."

This group suggested

that the homework centre should be open longer for students that need

more help and that more back-up and support is needed for new students.

Some students "purposely make class difficult no matter what teachers

do" "If the kids had a better attitude towards their work it would be

easier for the teachers." Other kids, though, "work faster and get to

do games or read".

Although the students

say there is no bullying so they "can feel safe" "money gets taken from

bags and, amazingly, lockers" Also, "if something embarrassing happens

to you every knows about it", although they conceded that "every school

has big mouths" "Secrets are hard to keep. Things spread fast".

The group agreed

that the School Council was influential in getting things done. It also

organised fundraising activities like discos.

The kids decided

that the students themselves didn't need to change, but "we want more

advertising. No one knows who we are up here at Weipa North"

Subjects

"We have subject

lines and we are only allowed to choose one subject from each line. If

we want to choose two or three of them, we're not allowed; we're only

allowed to choose one." "We are forced to do subjects that we are not

good at because.of limited choices" "We would like to be able to do drama,

music, ancient and modern history, tech studies, IPT, economics and hospitality."

"It affects us because

we don't have as many subjects: ie music, drama, Aboriginal studies, sports."

"Some teachers have big classes because of the subject choices we are

given." "Some students are disadvantaged because the subject lines are

too short. It affects our careers because all the subjects to do with

the same careers are on the same line." This group said they realise "that

the subjects and teachers are hard to mix around but if a career is involved

they should get more teachers and move the timetable around to fit."

"There should be

two classes for Japanese, it would be really easy. Everyone would learn

something."

"High school students

go across to TAFE for computer studies."

Sports and other

activities

Weipa North students

can take drama and dancing (including participation in the Croc Eisteddfod,

which is drug and alcohol free). PE includes swimming, softball, soccer

and touch football. Music and public speaking are not offered but the

kids do orals.

Drama classes "give

you more confidence and makes you feel good; once you finish you can look

back". PE "keeps you fit and healthy". The Croc Eisteddfod "like Drama,

gives you confidence in front of other people".

There is a need for

more social plays in front of schools, music, more sports equipment and

maybe two sports teachers for each class, more boys need to get involved

in Croc Eisteddfod.

If you are good and

go and compete in sports events against other schools, your parents bear

the costs of transport, unless you are Aboriginal and the Aboriginal Students

Committee may fund it.

Resources

The school library

is "small and we do not have really all the resources we need for projects".

"Some students may be doing work on some assignment and there just isn't

enough books to go around, which most students fight over them." "We need

new books." There is a need for more computers and books which have up-to-date

information.

"With computers we

have a fair few of them but need more in the library with more up to date

information. We are not allowed to use the internet access because students

don't obey set rules that are set by the school." "The computers are old

and slow and it takes longer to complete our work""The internet access

affects us because we cannot get up-to-date information which allows us

to go ahead with projects." "Letting some students who are trustworthy

go on the internet with a few teachers on supervision." Or get "new computers

and programs. A server should be established" "In Weipa the Internet can

be used for school research".

Using the internet

at the public library costs $8 per hour but it's quite fast. More kids

borrow books than use the internet there but the books are often frozen,

so they cannot take them away and have to work there.

"When you've got

an assignment you still have to pay to use the photocopier in the school

library." The teachers freeze the books when they know that there's a

high demand.

The basketball court

isn't made correctly - there are no lines of indication. It should be

"fixed up".

School buildings

and grounds

At Weipa North Higher

there are 2 science labs, 1 art room, 3 computer rooms, a library, 1 home

economics room, 3 manual arts rooms, 2 undercover areas, an oval and a

basketball court, a shotput area and a volleyball court. "Because we go

to school there", the buildings and grounds "affects our education. "The

volleyball courts are not in good condition.we now play volleyball on

the cement". "The basketball courts could look like basketball courts".

"The balls are good . people donate stuff". Tennis and swimming take place

in town.

The premises are

now air-conditioned which makes it more comfortable and enables students

to concentrate a lot better.

The campus could

be updated with better toilets, a paint job and a better watering system.

"A music room is needed and staff to run it; instruments as well." Students

would also like more sports options. "Classrooms need to be updated with

blinds and curtains as well as better quality air conditioners and heaters".

In some classrooms

it is very hard to hear. The example was given of those trying to learn

Japanese in a classroom where every Year 8 student is studying (not all

of them studying Japanese).

Staff

There are two Indigenous

staff at Weipa North: one Torres Strait Islander teachers' aide at the

high school and one aide at the primary school. There is one sports teacher

who covers all sports, some really well and some not so well.

Some teachers have

trouble handling really big classes which, as a result, are really noisy

making learning very difficult. Other teachers "make it fun so everyone's

quiet or, if there's noise, it's not annoying noise". "They need to keep

the bad kids under control." "They should suspend them as a last resort."

Some staff are "a

good influence"; they are "either really good or really bad teachers".

This affects "our attitude towards our work and how much we learn". "The

good ones don't stay long enough." "You get used to one, then they leave

therefore teaching patterns change" "The student-teacher relationship

is "close" and they are "always willing to help".

Staff "should study

not only one subject. Most of them teach more than one which are not their

specialty which means we don't learn as much as we could. Or they should

only teach one subject". "A specific teachers for each subject [is] needed."

There is a need to

"find a way to get the teachers to stay longer and have the qualifications

for more than one subject, or only teach one subject". "You get used to

one, then they leave and therefore teaching patterns change." Teachers

should not be demoted if "they are good at what they do".

There is "a limited

number of teachers". "If you don't understand something the teacher can't

spend much time with you because they have to spend time with the other

class."