Students from St Finbar's Primary Glenbrook practising the Dragonfly Dance which they will present at the conference.

Students from St Finbar's Primary Glenbrook practising the Dragonfly Dance which they will present at the conference.


A senior Catholic school sector manager wants greater focus on equipping non-Indigenous teachers with the skills and confidence to educate young mob to carve out the life they want.


Former teacher and current NSW Catholic Schools Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, policy and programs senior manager Sharon Cooke said teachers were at the frontline of Closing the Gap.

Ms Cooke said young mob needed to feel nurtured at school through personal relationships and connections with families.

A major part of that is getting rid of the fear cultural sensitivities can present for non-Indigenous educators.

It comes ahead of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Education NSW State Conference in the Blue Mountains next week.

Students from St Thomas Aquinas Primary Springwood practising the Dragonfly Dance which they will present at the conference.

Students from St Thomas Aquinas Primary Springwood practising the Dragonfly Dance which they will present at the conference.


“We can help and support our non-Indigenous colleagues in having a go at being all they can be as a teacher of Aboriginal and non Aboriginal kids in the classroom,” Ms Cooke said.

“It’s (about) being able to let go of fear, of not doing the right thing, guiding our non Aboriginal teachers to meet and talk with their elders to meet and talk with parents to engage and come together.

“We can’t do it without the support of our non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues and family and friends and community.

“We’re all in this together, It’s all of our business.”

Guest presenters at the conference include Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and former Senior Australian of the year and Aboriginal youth advocate Aunty Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann.

Among them are young mob representing the professional and personal successes hoped to come out of future generations of school kids.

Ms Cooke said hearing these young voices would shape effective learning going forward.

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National Indigenous Times

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