Minimbah School (Proof)

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Minimbah School (Proof)
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Speakers - Torbay Mr Richard
Business - Private Members Statements, PRIV
MINIMBAH SCHOOL
Page: 10

Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands) [1.52 p.m.]: There is a lot of corporate and political speak about the variable benefits of top-down and bottom-up management. I have always been a strong believer in the latter. Good leadership comes from empowering individuals and communities to make change. I want to speak about some initiatives that exemplify this approach in Armidale and that are achieving most impressive results. They centre on Minimbah, a small primary school and pre-school for Aboriginal children in Armidale. The primary school, with approximately 40 students, was established in 1997. The pre-school, with 75 students, began much earlier.

During the past 18 months the school has opened its doors to what its Principal, Carolyn Briggs, describes as practical reconciliation. As a result it has established strong relationships with the Armidale School, known as TAS, one of the city's oldest independent schools, with an enrolment of 620 students, and a group of University of New England students working with New England Mutual, the largest regional credit union in New South Wales—a wonderful combination of committee organisations and institutions.

Over many years TAS has had an ad hoc relationship with Minimbah but 18 months ago senior English teacher Barney Buntine formalised the relationship. Each week up to 30 students from the TAS senior school visit Minimbah during lunch hour to read and play sport. At the beginning there was some suspicion on both sides but over the months the relationship has developed into one with positive and genuine enthusiasm. Ms Briggs says her students love the visits from the TAS boys and cannot wait for them to arrive each week. From the TAS perspective the number of boys wanting to participate has grown from an initial 7 to 30. From this initiative a number of others have blossomed. Minimbah students now visit TAS to use its covered swimming pool each week. Minimbah students have played in TAS primary school Rugby teams during the season. The TAS junior school and Minimbah shared a joint athletics carnival this year. For NAIDOC Week the Minimbah students celebrated with TAS at a ceremony conducted by TAS Aboriginal students and the whole school.

TAS now has 15 Aboriginal students enrolled, 12 through scholarships. Headmaster Murray Guest says the change in attitude across the school community from the mid-1990s when the first Aboriginal student set foot in the school has been remarkable. You can have all the posters and slogans in the world about reconciliation, he told me, but when you see the way the students now intermix with genuine friendship and learn and grow together, that is what makes the difference. He says it has changed the culture of the school. An Aboriginal graduate from TAS now works for a Senator, another who has just completed the Higher School Certificate was a school prefect and house captain. He plans to study science and then medicine at Melbourne University.

Another remarkable outcome has been an initiative by the Students in Free Enterprise group at the University of New England and New England Mutual. They approached Minimbah to teach the students financial literacy. What they found when they wanted the children to open bank accounts was astounding. Ninety five percent of the students had no birth certificates. That meant they could not apply for bank accounts, drivers licences or passports. Next year it will be mandatory for all students enrolling in pre-school to present birth certificates. However, what about the 95 per cent at Minimbah? That has been resolved. When the Students in Free Enterprise students and New England Mutual approached me I contacted the Attorney General, who has organised for personnel from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to come to Minimbah to register up to 100 Aboriginal children on 29 November. The school has organised a celebration day and is expecting approximately 300 parents and friends to attend. Ms Briggs says the response has been remarkable.

I believe this problem is widespread and under the radar. Hundreds, even thousands, of Aboriginal children in New South Wales are believed to be in the same predicament. An explanation given to me is that Aboriginal mothers in hospital for the birth of their children were given a package with the paper work but had little idea of how to proceed. Many Aboriginal children were enrolled at school and pre-school through blue books, and their immunisation records and others have been assisted. Although greater numbers of newborn Aboriginal children are now being registered at birth there are many who have missed this process. These are just beginnings for Minimbah. Ms Briggs' openness to the outside world has been rewarded. TAS, the University of New England and New England Mutual have all been equally rewarded. Reconciliation in action has positive momentum and one can only speculate on how far and wide it will evolve from this point.

[The Acting-Speaker (Mr John Barilaro) left the chair at 12.57 p.m. The House resumed at 2.15 p.m.]