Providing an education for future success
The remote North East Arnhem community of Gunyangara has celebrated a major milestone with the opening of a new assembly hall for Yolngu children at Dhupuma Barker School.
The hall has been designed to be the heart of the school and features a large multi-purpose space with a covered basketball court, change rooms and administration space.
It will host school events as well as serve as a hub for the community, reinforcing Dhupuma Barker’s role as a focal point for Gunyangara.
Special Envoy for Remote Communities and Member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour MP, said kids deserved an education that will set them up for future success.
“Aboriginal children walk in two worlds and the new school hall in Gunyangara incorporates traditional Yolgnu culture while building English language skills.
The Federal Government has contributed $2.2 million towards the construction of the assembly hall through the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s Children and Schooling Programme, which is aimed at improving education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in line with Closing the Gap.
Dhupuma Barker, an independent, bilingual school with average attendance rates exceeding 70 per cent, has raised a further $10 million through partnerships and fundraising for a broader school development.
Local First Nations builders were employed throughout the project, with a focus on upskilling local trades and procuring local materials.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said Dhupuma Barker was a pillar of the Gunyangara community, providing quality bilingual education to Yolngu children on Country, who otherwise may have had to travel vast distances for their schooling.
“This new multi-purpose assembly hall will provide improved amenities for students and staff, now and into the future,” she said.
“It will also benefit the wider Gunyangara community.”
Barker College Head, Phillip Heath said the completion of a Community Hall at Gunyangara was a magnificent achievement because it met one of the prevailing gaps in remote education in Australia – adult learning opportunities.
“Education for whole communities could be a game changer not only for children and their families but for everyone,” he said.
Positive effect on the local community
“Dhupuma Barker is immensely thankful for the assistance to realise the vision.”
And Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO, Denise Bowden was equally pleased with the outcome.
“The success of Dhupuma Barker has had a profound and positive effect on the local community, and the opening of the hall is another important milestone in its development,” she said.
“The school is a real source of pride for local families and their participation in this education journey has been integral to its success.
“YYF is pleased to have been a foundational partner with Barker College and we’re grateful for the Commonwealth’s investment in the continued growth of our djamakuli.”
