Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Yipirinya School Principal Gavin Morris is calling on the Federal Government to fund an $8.3 million boarding facility for students

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Yipirinya School Principal Gavin Morris is calling on the Federal Government to fund an $8.3 million boarding facility for students · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Well, if you're listening to the show yesterday, you would
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: have heard us catch up with the Senator for the
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory, just Center Price, and she had spoken about
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  Speaker 1: a commitment that had may been made by the Coalition
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  Speaker 1: in the lead in to the last federal election to
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  Speaker 1: invest eight point three million dollars to build an accommodation
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  Speaker 1: facility for staff and students at yuper in Your School.
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  Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line right now is doctor
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  Speaker 1: Gavin Morris, who is the yeper in your School principal.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Gavin.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. Thanks for having me on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks so much for your time this morning. Now. Obviously,
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  Speaker 1: iper in Your School is an Aboriginal controlled independent school
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  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. For those who don't know about Yprina,
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  Speaker 1: but Gavin talk us through you know a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more about the school. I guess for those out there
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  Speaker 1: listening who maybe don't know anything much about Yprina.
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  Speaker 2: School, no worries. Yprina is a very unique school. In fact,
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  Speaker 2: we're the only school in Australia who teaches in full
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  Speaker 2: Aboriginal languages. Wow, we've got a yeah, so very unique.
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  Speaker 2: We were established in nineteen seventy eight as a result
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  Speaker 2: of some key elders in the town camp surrounding Ela
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  Speaker 2: Springs that wanted a school devoted to a two way
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  Speaker 2: learning for Aboriginal kids. So we've been around for about
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  Speaker 2: forty five years. We currently have record enrollments, so we've
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  Speaker 2: got two hundred and seventy plus students on our books
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  Speaker 2: at the moment, which is the most that we've had
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  Speaker 2: some signing seventy eight. And we cater for Aboriginal kids
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  Speaker 2: and Aboriginal families. So I'm around the town camps, Nolla Springs,
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  Speaker 2: the Outstations and out Bush now Gavin.
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  Speaker 1: Obviously, this commitment then was made by the former coalition
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  Speaker 1: government in the leading to the last federal election. Tell
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  Speaker 1: us exactly what commitment they had made at the time.
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  Speaker 2: So we I was working with both sides of politics
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  Speaker 2: and relation to providing some boarding facilities which are safe
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  Speaker 2: and stable and secure to ensure that the learning outcomes
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  Speaker 2: of our students then of our starts were increase and
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  Speaker 2: promoted to the gradest of their capacity. So a funding
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  Speaker 2: commitment was made with eight point three million dollars to
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  Speaker 2: construct a boarding school facility on site of your Perennia
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  Speaker 2: School and it's just a very important piece of infrastructure,
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  Speaker 2: not just for the school, Katie, but also the broader
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  Speaker 2: Alan Springs community. I'm very aware that there's an escalation
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  Speaker 2: of antisocial behavior throughout Alice Springs at night across the
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  Speaker 2: town moor Yepri shopping center, and many of those students
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  Speaker 2: and children are involved without any social behavior, are student
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  Speaker 2: that attend your Perennia school. So this was a really proactive,
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  Speaker 2: solution based idea to provided face accommodation. You can get
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  Speaker 2: them off the street.
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  Speaker 1: So Gavin, you know, I talk us through that because
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  Speaker 1: you've just said then you know that it is some
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  Speaker 1: of the from the school. How important is it then
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  Speaker 1: for them to have somewhere to sleep at night? And
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  Speaker 1: how big a difference do you think that that would
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  Speaker 1: actually make when it comes to some of that anti
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  Speaker 1: social behavior that's being experienced.
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  Speaker 2: Well, if I don't want to generalize too much, he
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  Speaker 2: here kdi, but certainly there are some there's a large
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  Speaker 2: cohort of our students who roam the street that night.
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  Speaker 2: They don't want to go home because it's done safe
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  Speaker 2: and as a result find themselves unsupervised on the street.
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  Speaker 2: I'm getting CCTV footage from the Yprinr Shopping center. For example,
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  Speaker 2: some of our students eight nine ten years of age
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  Speaker 2: causing participating any social behavior at two am in the
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  Speaker 2: morning and then fronting up the school at eight point
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  Speaker 2: thirty and then going through a whole day at school YEARNIA.
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  Speaker 2: So we certainly approach education from holistic point of view
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  Speaker 2: unless we attend to some of the berries around safety,
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  Speaker 2: ensuring our kids are going home to a place where
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  Speaker 2: they feel secure, they feel like they belong and ready
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  Speaker 2: for learning the following day. We're going through a cycle
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  Speaker 2: here that's going to be difficult to break in certainly
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  Speaker 2: in terms of education out comes at your prena. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: unless we attend to these barriers that other things in
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  Speaker 2: terms of literacy and the emory sing So I've bought
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  Speaker 2: that conversation won't change.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds like it is a difficult situation, particularly
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  Speaker 1: then for teachers. You know, it's a I would imagine
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  Speaker 1: it's bloody hard to try and teach kids, you know,
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  Speaker 1: at eight o'clock in the morning if they are in
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  Speaker 1: a situation where they they've been out throughout the night
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  Speaker 1: in some cases by the sounds of it, doing the
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  Speaker 1: wrong thing. When like every kid, they just actually need
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  Speaker 1: a good night's sleep and a safe place to stay exactly.
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  Speaker 2: We approach that from a very unique view point, so
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  Speaker 2: there's very unity punishment at your prenia. We don't suspend
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  Speaker 2: her expelled. We've got a Happy Heart Hub where we've
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  Speaker 2: got to dedicate a clinical team of occupational therapists and
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  Speaker 2: national psychologists. So the schools invested heavily in providing some
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  Speaker 2: rap around support that goes far beyond just educational means,
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  Speaker 2: but one hundred percent right, and these students are presenting.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I've got a phone call from a police
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  Speaker 2: officer middle of our last week of term and worried
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  Speaker 2: about one of our students who haven't been home for
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  Speaker 2: four days. And I said, well, he's been coming to
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  Speaker 2: school all week, but this hasn't gone home, and Mum
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  Speaker 2: and day worried about haven't seen it him for ninety
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  Speaker 2: six hours. But these are the same kids who I'm
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  Speaker 2: supervised that night, don't have the parental supervision which they're craving.
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  Speaker 2: But then also I'm making the effort to come to
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  Speaker 2: school now. Staff do an amazing job and catering for
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  Speaker 2: those students. We do that a number of different ways,
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  Speaker 2: but I think this, you know, I really feel passionately
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  Speaker 2: about the opportunity here and the impact that this accommodation
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  Speaker 2: and infrastructure investment will mate, not just for your Prenian School,
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  Speaker 2: but the broader Ala Springs community and ensuring that our
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  Speaker 2: town camp kids and is quite an important part of
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  Speaker 2: the favorite of all of Springs. Our town camps are amazing,
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  Speaker 2: but this is an opportunity to strengthen a little gap
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  Speaker 2: in the infrastructure in terms of making sure that not
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  Speaker 2: only our students but also our staff Katie Ye are
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  Speaker 2: provided safe, secure accommodation so they can do and be
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  Speaker 2: there fast at your Prinian.
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  Speaker 1: School, Gavin eight point three million dollars. Obviously you know
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  Speaker 1: the you guys well. Realistically, the school is basically calling
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  Speaker 1: on the federal government to honor the pre election commitment
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  Speaker 1: of the former coalition government. Have you had any word
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  Speaker 1: from the Labor government, the now Labor government in this space.
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  Speaker 2: I've been working closely with Marion Scougel, the member in
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  Speaker 2: our part of the world. Certainly support is in principle
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  Speaker 2: and certainly I want to approach this from a bipartisan
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  Speaker 2: point of vie Ocadi trying to pick one side of
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  Speaker 2: politics against the other. And you know, Marry, I understands
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  Speaker 2: the significant of what we're talking about here, and I
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  Speaker 2: understand also that there's tensions around election promises on both
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  Speaker 2: sides of politics and budget restraints in the life. But
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  Speaker 2: we're not talking about a three million dollar football field
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  Speaker 2: upgrade here. We're talking about infrastructure which keeps save children's lives.
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  Speaker 2: I'll read in the Northern Territory Youth it'slawning. A fourteen
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  Speaker 2: year old girl is in a critical condition after an
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  Speaker 2: incident and in Old Springs pod Mall last night, and
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  Speaker 2: I'll be following up on that with family this morning.
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  Speaker 2: But very much falling on the labor federal government to
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  Speaker 2: not cut this funding and costing announcement and honor it.
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  Speaker 2: It's certainly going to make a huge impact that you
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  Speaker 2: for any end aboard our Springs community.
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  Speaker 1: Govin how many kids are we talking you know here
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  Speaker 1: that would potentially then be able to have that safe
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  Speaker 1: place to live in or to stay you know, at school.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we're hoping to build the infrastructure that will cater
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  Speaker 2: for all the students who choose to stay at the school.
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  Speaker 2: There's certainly at the moment there's a live list. You know,
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  Speaker 2: for example, there's on Operation Lunar, which is basically students
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  Speaker 2: as young as eight or nine who are in constant
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  Speaker 2: contact with the police. You know, we've got twenty two
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  Speaker 2: students on that list, and there are students who need
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  Speaker 2: more support from the Allo Springs community. And like I said,
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  Speaker 2: some of these of these children are very young, as
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  Speaker 2: young as eight, nine, ten years of age. So certainly
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  Speaker 2: it's an option for family and their children to find
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  Speaker 2: safe and secure accommodation. But on the other side of
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  Speaker 2: the time too, Katie, we've got staff who are coming
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  Speaker 2: to work after really trying circumstances. You know, we think
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  Speaker 2: about divulging too much information. I was approached by staff
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  Speaker 2: then but towards at the end of the term who
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  Speaker 2: had an incident that occurred that might preceding our meeting
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  Speaker 2: and which resulted in a miscarriage, and then fronting up
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  Speaker 2: the school the following day. And then you know, teaching
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  Speaker 2: in our classrooms and providing saithe and educational environments for
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  Speaker 2: our students. So certainly get for in your schools in
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  Speaker 2: a fantastic spot in terms of it's enrollment. We've got
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  Speaker 2: eighty plus star fifty seven of days or Aboriginal people.
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  Speaker 2: But this really key piece of infrastructure that the next
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  Speaker 2: big part of the puzzle, Gavin.
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  Speaker 1: You know, there might be some people listening this morning
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  Speaker 1: who were thinking to themselves, eight point three million dollars
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  Speaker 1: is a lot of money, you know, to expect the
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  Speaker 1: taxpayer to throw at to throw at these but can
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  Speaker 1: you tell me, you know, as the school principal at
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  Speaker 1: you for in your school, from your perspective, how big
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  Speaker 1: a difference would this make to the lives of not
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  Speaker 1: only those children, as you said, there's twenty two of
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  Speaker 1: them at the moment that are on that list of
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  Speaker 1: Operation Lunar that are you know, potentially engaging in bad behavior.
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  Speaker 1: You've also said though the teachers some teachers as well,
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  Speaker 1: who are obviously you know, going through some difficult, difficult situations.
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  Speaker 1: How big a difference would this funding and would this
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  Speaker 1: facility make to the lives of these people.
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  Speaker 2: It's going to make a massive impact to those students
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  Speaker 2: and their families and the broader pron your school community.
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  Speaker 2: It's also going to make a huge impacts and child
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  Speaker 2: safety and anti social behavior and the stuff that we
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  Speaker 2: read about and hear about that in our springs on
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  Speaker 2: almost a daily basis. I want to be really clear
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  Speaker 2: here that whilst this is a combination that hopefully gets
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  Speaker 2: built up the your pren your school site, but this
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  Speaker 2: is going to impact the entire Our Springs community, our
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  Speaker 2: camp kids and our Aboriginal kids better future leaders of
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  Speaker 2: the Old Springs community, and we need those kids to
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  Speaker 2: be getting a two way education. It's my job at
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  Speaker 2: school prints like Yeah Prenia School to uphold the vision
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  Speaker 2: of the old people, those key town elders in the
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  Speaker 2: seventies who could see what was coming next. The vision
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  Speaker 2: of those old people was amazing. These our town camp
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  Speaker 2: kids need a two way education to participate in society
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  Speaker 2: and to be active citizens and old strings and beyond.
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  Speaker 2: So generationally it's a huge it's going to make a
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  Speaker 2: huge impact, but from a day to day and night
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  Speaker 2: to night perspective. So these kids to know that they've
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  Speaker 2: got options where its home is not safe, but they've
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  Speaker 2: got an opportunity to source safe and secure accommodation at
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  Speaker 2: a place like your premium school is going to make
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  Speaker 2: an enormous difference, not just the Yprenia but all of
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  Speaker 2: our Springs and Gavin.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like you know, kids are actually turning up
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  Speaker 1: for school. It's a place where they want to be.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Look, it almost brings cheesy your
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  Speaker 2: eyes some of the morning's Katie, where some of our
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  Speaker 2: students participate in what they call daybreaking. Yeah, and daybreaking
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  Speaker 2: basically means you're walking around Alice Springs and the Todd
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  Speaker 2: Mall and the light all day, all night until daybreak,
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  Speaker 2: and then getting on the school bus and coming to school. Now,
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  Speaker 2: obviously their educational out comes around and impacted by that,
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  Speaker 2: but these kids choose to come, Yeah, and the choosing
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  Speaker 2: to come and drove we need to make the most
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  Speaker 2: of that. I want to privilege their efforts in doing that.
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  Speaker 2: Certainly providing sat accommodation at your pernia at seems to
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  Speaker 2: some of the barriers around that. But some of the
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  Speaker 2: stories and the barriers that these kids overcome so they
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  Speaker 2: can get themselves to school just makes your eyes water.
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  Speaker 2: It's really really great stuff.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, Gavin, what a what an insightful conversation mate. I
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  Speaker 1: really appreciate you having a chat with me this morning,
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  Speaker 1: and I'd be really keen to catch up again in
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  Speaker 1: the coming weeks, particularly if there is some move in
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  Speaker 1: this eight point three million dollars, you know, to find
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  Speaker 1: out whether the government is going to actually honor that
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  Speaker 1: commitment that was made by the coalition government. Please keep
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: us up to date. I'd be really keen to talk
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  Speaker 1: to you again very soon.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie, that'll be fantastic. And I just want to
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  Speaker 2: be really clear that you know our bipartisan approach to this,
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  Speaker 2: common sense let's sit down around the table to work
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  Speaker 2: out how we can get this to happen, is what
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  Speaker 2: I'm calling for. We've also got support from the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory government. The Chief Minisine attached to FILES has visited
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: to school a number of occasions and has provided funding
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  Speaker 2: for our Sunset School program, which has been really successful.
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  Speaker 2: And we've had both Ministers of Education Lauren Moss and
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  Speaker 2: now even Law in the school. They're really supportive of
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  Speaker 2: what we're doing. They get it. Yeah, we understand, and
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  Speaker 2: I understand the complications that they face in terms of
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  Speaker 2: budget and funding and all that sort of thing. But
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  Speaker 2: what I'm calling for now is a bipartist in common
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  Speaker 2: sense approach to get this funding over the line so
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  Speaker 2: we can intend to have a significant community in need
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  Speaker 2: an Alice springs Well.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Gavin Morris, you be in your school principle. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you so much for your time this morning. It's greatly appreciated.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks for having me on Katie, you have a great
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  Speaker 2: day with you too,