Gawa Christian School
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Gawa Christian School is a special place where indigenous students of all ages live and learn together with the support and encouragement of community elders. Classses are open to all age groups. We have students attending school from Banthula, Nanginyburra and Gawa; which are three close knit homelands here on the northern tip of Elcho Island - Northern Territory. Gawa is one of the most remote communities in Australia and the community made a strong and careful decision to open a Christian school here for their children.
The school was first opened in 2004 under the shade of a tree but in 2007 two new school buildings were constructed to accommodate the growing numbers of students. Gawa currently has a purpose built library/teaching space and a large classroom and office areas. Presently we have an enrolment of 52 indigenous students but this number varies quite significantly. Our average attendance is around 35 students.
The school currently employs one full time teacher and 2 full time Yolnu teachers aides. In addition, there are several support staff that live permanently in Gawa or rotate each season to help in the school run shop and teach the children valuable skills in the kitchen.
Gawa elders help at the school and teach the local Warramiri language, traditional hunting, bush skills and laws about how to care for the land.
The children learn reading and writing in two languages. For many children English is often their 2nd or 3rd language and generally English is only spoken at school. They enjoy maths, health and nutrition lessons, cooking and other life skills. For sport the children like to swim in the sea or play soccer and volleyball. The children have recently constructed a raft and enjoy sailing out to sea! We are also looking towards involving the children in the Junior Sea Rangers program. This program will provide training and essentially life skills for the older children. There is a continual focus on engaging children in activities that will ultimately lead to employment, trade and greater opportunities for self sufficiency here in Gawa. The children have also been active in constructing and planting vegetables, trees, herbs and fruits in the school/community garden. They are eagerly awaiting for the new crops to grow!
Gawa Christian School provides students with a wonderful mix of old and new, of Indigenous and Balanda cultures. Students are supportive and caring towards each other and even though we have children as little as three attending classes and children as old as seventeen; there is a sense of family and a sense that God is here looking after all those in Gawa.
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