The Midlands Education District
This website provides teachers (particularly new graduates) with local information, ideas, and direction for considering an Aboriginal focus in their classroom. Those without an Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer or any other Aboriginal staff in their school can obtain ideas for teaching strategies, Aboriginal culture generally, and information about their immediate community.
Teachers new to the District can see a profile of the Aboriginal Education Services team and seek help regarding teaching strategies for Indigenous cultures in the classroom.
Location
The Midlands Education District is centred in Northam (home of the White Swan) and also includes the major regional centres of Moora and Merredin. It covers an area of 78,000 square kilometers extending from Wundowie in the west to Moorine Rock in the east, Buntine in the north, and Mount Walker in the south. The economy is based largely on agriculture.
The main objective of the District Office is to:
- deliver quality services to schools so that student outcomes are enhanced, with particular emphasis on Aboriginal education;
- deliver rural middle schooling by supporting the District High Schools in a process aimed at better meeting the needs of 15-19 year olds in isolated rural communities;
- build the capacity of current and aspiring school leaders to meet the challenges of the new century; to guide schools as they move into Phase 2 of the implementation of the Curriculum Improvement Plan, with a particular emphasis on professional judgment and moderation; and
- help schools to respond to the demands of challenging behaviours and improving their ability to provide for all students.
There are 50 government schools with about 6,500 students. These include 33 Primary, 12 District High and three Senior High Schools, one campus of the WA College of Agriculture and one education support centre. Almost 10 per cent of government school students are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. Approximately 1,000 Midlands students attend six non-government schools.