Year 13 changing lives in the Tiwi Islands

The recent introduction of Year 13 at a Tiwi Islands school is already helping locals into real jobs.

Staff at Xavier Catholic College Wurrumiyanga (XCCW) on Bathurst Island realised that some locals wanted to return to school to increase their employment options. Introduced in 2013, Year 13 is designed for mature-aged students who left school prior to graduating or want to continue their schooling to complete their Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET).

Eight local Tiwi students enrolled last year, with most finding jobs following their graduation, including Edwina Portaminni and Natasha Puautjimi, who have gained work as assistant teachers at XCCW.

Edwina’s motive for returning to school was simple.

“I went back to school so I could graduate and get a good job,” she said.

XCCW was so impressed with Edwina’s dedication to study that they hired her as an assistant teacher once she completed her NTCET. She now works to inspire the students to study hard so they too can get good jobs.

Natasha Puautjimi says that returning to school took some getting used to but she was glad she didn’t give up.

“At first it felt strange to be a twenty year old sitting in a class with fifteen and sixteen year olds. After a while though, I became more confident and really enjoyed my classes, especially English, which was my favourite subject,” Natasha said.

Natasha has also been hired by XCCW as an assistant teacher and she and Edwina are enrolled in the GOO Program (Growing Our Own), a course run by Charles Darwin University and the Catholic Education Office of the Northern Territory which helps locals gain their Bachelor of Teaching degree.

Natasha and Edwina’s advice to other Indigenous men and women hoping to follow in their footsteps is simple.

“At first study might be hard but stick at it because it’s your future,” Edwina said.

“The whole community is very proud of our efforts. When I got this job my mother was so excited she started crying.”