Senior classes arrive in remote outback town after 150 years

In a landmark achievement for education in remote Queensland, the town of Normanton is finally offering Year 12 classes, a service previously unavailable in its 150-year history.

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If you wanted to go on to higher education in year 11, you had to leave and go to boarding school in Cairns, Townsville, Mount Isa or Brisbane.

For generations, students in the Gulf of Carpentaria region faced a stark choice: leave their families and communities for boarding school, often in distant cities like Cairns or Brisbane, or abandon their education after Year 10. This reality, exacerbated by the isolation and flooding that can cut off these towns for months, has perpetuated educational disadvantage.

Gulf Christian College's initiative to purchase a TAFE building and establish senior classes is a game-changer. Principal Andrew Evetts emphasizes the goal is to keep students connected to their families and country. "Leaving isn't an option" for many Indigenous families, he notes, highlighting the cultural and social importance of staying within one's community.

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Indigenous kids often have a hard time in boarding schools.

This development is particularly significant for the region's youth, including talented athletes like decathlete Blake Gregory, who can now pursue higher education without sacrificing their local ties. The statistics speak for themselves: a higher percentage of adults in Carpentaria Shire left school at Year 10 compared to the national average. This new educational pathway directly addresses that gap, offering hope and opportunity right where it's needed most. From an Australian perspective, this story underscores the ongoing effort to bridge the urban-rural divide in education and ensure that location doesn't dictate a child's future.

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For the majority, it's not [an option]. A lot of the parents want to keep their children here. This is their connection to where they belong and where they live, and leaving isn't an option for them.