David Peachey shares importance of going to school
Getting a full education and going to school every day can lead to a bright, happy and successful future, not only for you but your community. This is something that ex-NRL star David Peachey agrees with entirely because receiving an education allowed him to pursue and conquer his goals.
Getting a full education and going to school every day can lead to a bright, happy and successful future, not only for you but your community. This is something that ex-NRL star David Peachey agrees with entirely because receiving an education allowed him to pursue and conquer his goals.
“Through my schooling I had the opportunity to follow and fulfil my dream. I tell the kids it wouldn’t have been that way if I wagged school on this one particular day when Arthur Beetson was in town,” David said.
“I enjoyed everything about school even though there were subjects that I didn’t particularly like but one thing I did do was go every day.”
Just like the ‘Peach’, going to school every day is important. It’s a place where we make friends and not only learn about the world we live in but ourselves. David admitted that he wasn’t the best, most academic student but school gave him the necessities to thrive at life.
“I know that with our kids sometimes they don’t learn in the classroom and they have street knowledge but street knowledge doesn’t give you a job. That’s why we’re trying to get our kids to stay at school because that’s their opportunity in life,” he said.
“It teaches us to be better people but just to equip ourselves with what’s out there in the real world.
“It’s there to give us rules and responsibilities and you basically can’t live without the education system.”
David explained that without school it’s easy to stray from a crime-free life and before you know it you can end up with a job that you don’t like and no chance at getting what you want out of life.
“For the kids that choose not to go to school you ask them what they’re going to be doing when they’re home and they’ve only got to get involved with the wrong Johnny or Billy the bank robber and then they’re down the wrong path,” he said.
“For you to be able to fulfil your dreams you’ve got to take one step at a time and we like to tell our kids now that first step has got to be through education.”
Find out more
Getting children to school is the Australian Government’s number one priority for Indigenous children and their families. That’s because going to school and being at school every day gives every child the best chance for a good start in life.
The Remote School Attendance Strategy is about working together – with schools, families, parents, and community organisations – to ensure all children go to school every day.
This story was featured in the February edition of Deadly Vibe, a national magazine supported by the Australian Government that is distributed to schools with Indigenous students.