Peninsula Community of Schools – Closing the Gap
March 22, 2010 by Michelle
Filed under Latest News
The Peninsula Community of Schools makes Aboriginal Education their focus.
The Peninsula Community of Schools (PCS), 13 State Schools in the Pittwater Shire, Northern Beaches of Sydney and Macquarie University have made the education of Aboriginal Australians a ‘focus area’.
To strengthen the education message, Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth (FFY) is developing a school based approach starting this term with a link to the 13 Peninsula Community of Schools (PCS) in an education program involving AIME, Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth and Macquarie University.
The Principals and Teachers are aware of the current educational issues facing Aboriginal Australians, the widening gap that exists between Indigenous and Non Indigenous students in all areas relating to academic performance, school attendance and high school completion rates.
PCS schools are creating programs and opportunities for teachers and students to be involved in.
The primary and high schools plus Macquarie University have committed to a program with several goals:
• direct fundraising to support Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth Literacy Backpack Program for remote community schools and AIME in urban schools.
• education effort in classrooms (such as essay writing, music, drama, human rights reports, celebration of Indigenous success stories and discussion of contemporary Indigenous issues) to explain to students how and why Aboriginal students need our collective encouragement and support.
• linking teachers in Sydney schools to the movement to improve Indigenous education
• Macquarie University to provide a scholarship for training of Indigenous early learning teacher.
• encourage and challenge teachers in other NSW education zones to follow suit.
The PCS Staff Development Day will be held on Monday 19th April at Barrenjoey High School with all Principals and 600 teachers of the thirteen schools in attendance.
Ian Thorpe, (Founder Fountain for youth) and Jack Bancroft (CEO AIME), along with Jeff McMullen (CEO FFY Director AIME), PCS and Macquarie University representatives will address the Forum and discuss the joint partnership with the PCS.
Jeff McMullen will to address the South Western Sydney Principal’s Conference on March 26th and the Western Sydney Primary Principal’s Council on May 6th to further outline the approach taken by the PCS schools, AIME AND FFY.
Resources for Staff to download:
