The school program that’s changing Indigenous futures

The bus ride out of town carried a hum of anticipation. The teachers from Gilgandra High School weren’t sure what awaited them. But when they stepped off and followed Kimm Naden into the Warrumbungles mountain range in north-central NSW, everything changed.

Kimm, a proud Wiradjuri/Gamilaraay woman, shared the story of her Country. Deep in the Pilliga at the Sandstone Caves lies evidence of thousands of years of history: grinding grooves mark where Aboriginal ancestors once sharpened tools. Later, at the Burra Bee Dee Mission, Kimm spoke about the injustices her family faced. Her mother grew up on the mission and was told what to do, and when to be home.

“The staff were blown away hearing the history of the place where they live and work,” Kimm recalls. “It really shifted something in them.”

On Country experiences like this are at the heart of the Culturally Nourishing Schooling (CNS) program – a transformative initiative improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by embedding local culture, identity and knowledge into every level of school life.

“The crux of the program is to give teachers the confidence to implement local Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom,” Kimm explains. “By going on Country and hearing these stories, it changes how they teach.”

The need could not be greater. Despite billions invested since 2008, Australia remains far from meeting its Closing the Gap targets for Indigenous education.

“[W]e need to reimagine the dynamics of the traditional schooling model entirely,” says CNS program lead, UNSW Scientia Professor Kevin Lowe – a Gubbi Gubbi man with years of teaching experience. “Systemic change is the only way forward if we are to break the cycle of poor educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.”

Launched in 2020 with five schools, and three more in phase one, CNS set out to model that systemic change – a move made possible by $4.2 million from the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Its holistic approach brings local Indigenous knowledge into classrooms while strengthening school–community connections. The results have been striking: at one rural school, attendance increased by up to 45 per cent, while students across the board reported greater engagement, confidence and belonging.

For Kimm, the most powerful changes have been in the students. One girl, whose father is Aboriginal but who was raised by her mother, grew up with limited connection to her Aboriginal culture. “Through the program, she found that understanding had a huge impact on her,” Kimm says. “She’s become a young leader and now has aspirations of going to university.”

A whole-school approach that benefits all

At Matraville Sports High School in Sydney’s south-east, all Year 7 students took part in an on Country Day with community members who shared their knowledge of La Perouse and the Dharawal language.  

“All the kids had such a positive experience and wanted to do it again,” says Jamie-lee Rooke, a proud Dharawal woman who now works at her former school. “Our ways of teaching and knowing, being and doing, benefit everyone.”

The program is also transforming teachers’ perspectives. “After doing all the readings, symposiums and workshops, the teachers really do change,” Jamie-lee says. “They want to embed things in the classroom. They come to the Koori Room and say, ‘What do you think about this?’ They’re keen and excited... There’s now a waiting list for teachers to get involved, as the program currently only supports up to six teachers a year.”

Now entering its second phase, backed by a combined $4.4 million from the Paul Ramsay Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation, CNS will expand into more than 15 schools across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and the commitment of people like Kimm and Jamie-lee, more students are turning up to class – and flourishing.

Learn more about the Culturally Nourishing Schooling initiative: culturallynourishingschooling.org.au