South West PEAC primary schools lead the way on Reconciliation Action Plans

Spurred by the lack of Reconciliation Action Plans in their schools, Capes students have taken on the challenge of creating a starting point for schools and bringing more Aboriginal awareness to the region.

In the culmination of their PEAC studies over term four, seven of the South West’s brightest presented their research before various school authorities at the RAP project meeting on December 1.

Together the group proposed an action plan on how to better build and encourage relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within the school community.

Dunsborough Primary School student Lucy Beecroft believed the presentation was a huge success hoped it would make an impact on her community.

“I’m very happy with it. We went over (everything) on Saturday, and made a list of like, catastrophes, and none of them happened, and we none of us are super messed up,” she said.

“We’re just we’re proud of what we did . . . We’re going to try and get a RAP to happen in all our schools.

PEAC teacher Julie Gardner said the action plan’s implementation was now up to schools to continue, after the students had begun the conversation with an hour-long round-table with attendinng teachers.

“We would like to put the ownership back onto the schools and say, look, we’ve got the ball rolling, this is what the kids have found out, and now we really want you to embrace this, and to know that it’s really important, and to forge forward with it,” she said.

“I really hope that the students embrace what they’ve learnt . . . and to be able to be part of the process where the schools are going,”

The plan had an overarching goal to “create a world in which all people are given equal opportunity, regardless of race, religion or gender”.

It outlined a series of outcomes, all relying on the basis of five core dimensions; race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, historical acceptance, and above all, unity.

As well as the presentation, teachers and attendees enjoyed a range of traditional food including damper and kangaroo meat.