The following is a summary with selected quotes from Controversial teaching method brings hope and social change to Cape York published in The Australian in May of 2013. Note that the schools profiled in the article have been implementing the full immersion Direct Instruction model with guidance and support from the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). For more information on implementing Direct Instruction, contact NIFDI at 877.485.1973 or info@nifdi.org.
In his May 11, 2013 article, Controversial teaching method brings hope and social change to Cape York published in The Australian, author Nicolas Rothwell captures the social reform efforts in Aboriginal communities of Cape York Australia, including the remarkable educational reforms in Queensland using none other than Direct Instruction (DI). Noel Pearson – a primary leader in the reform efforts – is seeing his vision for creating a successful remote-area indigenous school come to fruition with the partnership of Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) and the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) working to implement DI successfully for all students.
In the article, Don Anderson – one of the most respected education figures in Queensland – recognizes the importance of implementing a sustainable recovery such as the DI model in the schools, saying “…much of our hard work in the past was misdirected and ill-conceived…” Now, with NIFDI, the schools use a process of continual assessment of student performance to monitor progress and ensure no child is left behind.
Coen school, one of the CYAAA sites, is highlighted in the article for their exceptional scores on the national assessment in Australia, the National Assessment Program – Language And Numeracy (NAPLAN). The school, implementing DI with NIFDI support as part of the reform efforts, had all of their students achieving scores “at or above national minimum standards” in 10 out of the 15 test categories.
Patrick Mallett, principal at another one of the CYAAA schools – Aurukun – acknowledges the value of DI and working with NIFDI, and is quoted in the article saying he quickly realized… “DI was a miracle that had dropped out of the sky…” and that the people he’s working with are “… the best I’d ever worked with.” He continues by saying, “We’ve stumbled on the solution to what has been perplexing the rest of Australia.”
Recognizing the powerful affects this model can have, Pearson and his advisors are proposing the creation of an Australian Institute for Direct Instruction and hope to add an additional six to eight schools in the Cape to achieve economies of scale.
The article is available in its entirety online for subscribers of The Australian only.
Other quotes:
“Once they worked out that they could actually learn to read and write, their self esteem rocketed.” – Patrick Mallett
“They’ve come a long way. With this new setup, with this DI in the classroom, you see the children focused, they’re blossoming, they’re surprising their own families.” – Maryann Kerindun, Teacher Assistant
What blows me away is having my grandchild coming home and saying to me, ‘Let’s read together’. That’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me…” – Maryann Kerindun, Teacher Assistant
“I want to see a qualified nurse from this community working at the clinic, a qualified CEO, a teacher, a mechanic, a doctor, and a self-managed community, and I know now it can happen. I want to see our future generations run the school.” – Maryann Kerindun, Teacher Assistant
“My children get a much better learning experience than I did…I want my children to be engaged, not get bored and rebel. My second [child], she’s two years ahead of what’s expected for a child her age. She comes home and wants to teach us; she’s embraced it.” – Billy Pratt, parent
