The Boarding School Education of Remote Aboriginal Students

Boarding schools for remote Aboriginal students serve a multifaceted purpose that extends beyond education provision. These institutions address the critical need for accessible, quality education in regions where local schooling options are limited or non-existent. The push for young Aboriginal students from remote communities to obtain a boarding school education for better opportunities often comes at the expense of prolonged separation from family and culture, homesickness, mental health, and numerous other challenges. While recent studies indicate that these challenges impact education outcomes and completion, governments continue to invest in sending remote Aboriginal students to boarding schools. Stakeholders' aspirations for their children are often overlooked in discussions about a boarding school education. This paper explores teachers’, parents’, and students’ views and expectations of a boarding school education for remote Aboriginal students in an Indigenous boarding school in the Northern Territory of Australia. Research methods used to collect data for this study included documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, and field observation. Findings were analysed through the Internal Colonialism and Human Capital Theory. Analysis of stakeholders’ expectations of a boarding school education indicates mixed insights. While there were common expectations amongst teachers, parents and students, there were also differences. Academic and employment agendas were shared by all stakeholders; however, the socio-political agendas were distinctive to teachers.

Australian and International Journal of Rural Education

Australian and International Journal of Rural Education

35

1839-7387

N/A

2

19