The Doomadgee DJ getting kids to school

A Doomadgee DJ who took to the airwaves to inspire kids to go to school has not only increased attendance but also won him a prestigious award for his efforts.

When Sai Matainavora noticed kids wandering around his northern Queensland community during school hours, he decided to start a radio show to encourage them to go to school.

That show, Respected Doomadgee’s Education, spreads the word to parents and families about their children’s education.

Sai says the breakfast show has attracted a large audience and plays a major role in the community’s push to higher school attendance.

“I start the show talking about football to get everyone listening, and then I spread the message about the school bus runs and the support provided for families,” Sai said.

Sai works closely with local staff from the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS), the Australian Government’s approach to combat low attendance levels at remote schools around Australia, and service providers to ensure the community knows about the importance of a good education for their children.

“I started this program to talk to parents and encourage them to work closely with RSAS School Attendance Officers to ensure their children are attending school every day,” Sai said.

“Everyone here listens to the radio, so it’s an easy way to spread messages to the community.”

Doomadgee School has a weekly theme that classes work on, like anti bullying and violence, which Sai includes in his morning broadcasts.

“I’ll talk about that message on air, the school does their bit with the kids in class and then the community are invited to the final parade each Friday to hear what the students learned that week,” Sai said.

He adds that the free barbecue the school puts on every week also helps build a strong relationship with the community.

Sai’s work has been recognised by the community, and Chris Logan, the local RSAS School Attendance Supervisor, thinks the show has been an important factor in helping increase school attendance.

“If we don’t support our children to come to school to get a good education then we’re not playing our role as a parent or leader in our community,” Chris said.

Sai’s work has also been recognised beyond Doomadgee, with the  Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media Association (QRAM) awarding him the “Best Emerging Radio Talent”, although Sai sees the award as the result of the hard work put in by the whole community.

“When I won “Best Emerging Radio Talent” award, I was proud to accept it on behalf of the community,” Sai said.

Watch our video on Sai here, or see it on YouTube.