Catholic Education Western Australia is committed to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students, while acknowledging, respecting and reflecting on Aboriginal peoples’ histories and cultures for the benefit of all in our school communities.
CEWA’s Transforming Lives: Strategy 2025 focuses on strengthening relationships between Catholic schools and their local Aboriginal communities, and sets out four goals to reach by 2025:
- All Catholic schools will be Culturally Competent.
- Double Aboriginal students’ enrolments from 2500 to 5000.
- Increase Aboriginal Year 12 graduations from 100 to 250.
- Increase the percentage of Aboriginal students achieving the minimum national literacy and numeracy standard from 75% to 90%.
The CEWA Aboriginal Education Team works to ensure Aboriginal students have equitable access and participation in Catholic schools, and every opportunity to achieve educational outcomes equal to that of their non-Aboriginal peers.
The Team works across the State, with consultants in the Bunbury, Geraldton and Broome dioceses and the Archdiocese of Perth, supporting whole-school improvement for Catholic schools through an Aboriginal education lens.
Aboriginal Student Bursaries
The Aboriginal Secondary Student Bursary Program provides financial support for Aboriginal students in Years 7 – 12.
Applications are invited from Aboriginal families who would like their children to receive a Catholic secondary education. Parents/guardians are invited to lodge an application with their selected school as early as possible, as the number of bursaries available in each school are limited.