Yiramalay Studio School opens doors to community ahead of major milestones

Families and community groups gathered at Yiramalay Studio School’s open day on September 5 to explore its innovative education model and the latest site additions. About 300 attendees visited the remote Kimberley school, located 80km west of Fitzroy Crossing, with many taking a first glance at the upcoming middle years school, Manjali, and the Indigenous Education and Research Centre. Those in attendance included students from Yiramalay and Wesley College, Bunuba woman June Oscar and elder Kevin Oscar welcoming attendees to country. The Manjali Studio School will be located 10km from the Yiramalay Studio School and accommodate Years 7-9 students, expected to be operational at the beginning of 2025. Studio Schools Australia chief executive Helen Drennen said the community response had been positive, as children and families could have the studio school experience on country. “We want them to have every possibility of staying at school because as we know, the disengagement of children across the north from their schooling is a very significant problem,” Dr Drennen said. “We’re in a crisis situation with attendance at school, and we hope this will be part of a solution to address that.” Department of Education WA data for 2023 revealed secondary school attendance in the Kimberley was at 49.3 per cent compared to the WA average of 82.5 per cent. Running since 2010 in partnership with Bunuba traditional owners, Dr Drennen says the unique education model for Yiramalay had proved successful in its objectives of engaging Indigenous children, with most graduating from school and moving on to employment or further education. “The model is holistic and it doesn’t just look at one narrow aspect of the child’s development — we have our program deliver four circles of learning, and I think its these four circles that make it unique,” she said. “The outside circle and the circle that encompasses everything is the Indigenous language and culture. “There’s a very important focus on Indigenous language and culture in the delivery of what we are providing, and alongside of that in the other three circles; personal and social learning, academic learning and industry learning. “And it’s in the delivery of the four circles that you find this holistic approach to education, which is having a very positive impact on students.” Latest figures from Yiramalay Studio School show there was a 78 per cent improvement in class attendance compared to the students’ previous school at 41 per cent, and a 146 per cent increase in graduate employment. About 74 per cent of students who graduated from Year 12 at Yiramalay between 2012 and 2022 are employed, compared to 30 per cent who live in “very remote” parts of Australia. Dr Drennen hopes to see the system of studio schools expand in partnership and with staffing from remote Indigenous communities. “It’s really important that we can respond to having Indigenous people provide the learning for their children,” she said. “So what we’re having to do is expand over the next decade to 10 studio schools, and we’re currently in discussions with communities in north-east Arnhem Land, in the Pilbara at Roebourne and in the Kimberley in Broome with the Yawuru people.” Studio schools will be appearing before the Joint Select Committee on North Australia Inquiry into workforce development during its visit to Fitzroy Crossing in late September.