SWAN Hill College is kicking goals in more ways than one when it comes to engaging and retaining Indigenous students.
The Clontarf Academy program has been running within the school for six years and is proving itself to be a success. Clontarf draws its name from the West Australian school where the program was initiated in 2000 to support 25 boys. It now caters to 3700 indigenous students in 68 schools across Australia.
The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and by doing so equips them to participate meaningfully in society. It uses their love of football as a vehicle to engage them into schools.
Swan Hill Clontarf director Danny Fraser said that the outcomes of the program within Swan Hill have been successful.
“Our main purpose is to get the kids to school or to re-engage them with an increased attendance rate for the duration of their school years,” he said.
“We stay involved with the students until they have attained full-time employment or progress to further study after high school.”
The design of the program caters to methods that are conducive to engaging boys and ensuring they have every opportunity to succeed.
Some examples include picking the boys up for school at 6.30am each morning as well as transporting them to sports training twice a week before school starts. Clontarf staff also ensure that there is breakfast available and the students are encouraged to prepare and clean up after themselves.
For more on this story pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (February 3)
