Welcome
The Kimberley District Education Office is located in Broome, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Broome is the region’s largest major centre, some 2200 kilometres by road from Perth. The office services government schools from as far north/northeast as Kununurra, Wyndham and Kalumburu, to La Grange (Bidyadanga) in the southwest. Over 5000 students attend government schools dotted across hundreds of thousands of square kilometres.
This office consists of five teams providing support to schools and the community:
- District Operations
- Curriculum
- Student Services
- Aboriginal Education
- Participation and Retention
The Kimberley Education District has twenty four Government schools, including one Senior High School in Broome, the state’s largest district high school in Kununurra, four District High Schools, three Primary Schools in Broome, thirteen Remote Community Schools, the Kimberley Camp School and Kimberley School of the Air.
The Kimberley is expected to be one of the fastest growing regions in Western Australia over the next 15 years. The Department for Planning & Infrastructure projections for the region's population indicate an average growth rate of 2.9 per cent per annum from 2006 to 2021. The projected growth rates are likely to result in the Kimberley's population being 38,600 by 2006 and 57,900 by 2021. Additional major developments in aquaculture, irrigated agriculture, tourism and mining are likely to provide further employment and investment opportunities that will significantly influence population projections.
The region has a young population relative to Australia and Western Australia. The median age of the Kimberley population is 28 years compared to 34 years for WA (2001 Census). The region also has a very high proportion of Aboriginal persons compared to other regions and to Western Australia. The 2001 Census recorded 47.3 per cent of the Kimberley resident population were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, while for Western Australia, the proportion of indigenous people was around 3.5 per cent.
If you are considering coming to the Kimberley you can be assured that the level of educational program delivery is certainly capable of providing your children with what they need.
The Kimberley is a wonderful place to live, work and raise children. When asked, most Kimberley people will cite one (or all) of the following reasons for choosing to live in this amazing region of Western Australia:
- The relaxed and friendly lifestyle
- The strong sense of community evident in Kimberley towns
- The Kimberley's rich and diverse cultural heritage
- Rewarding work environments or work experiences not often found in the city
- A 'can do' and optimistic local spirit
- The pristine environment with little or no pollution
- The fantastic recreational experiences on offer including camping, fishing and four-wheel driving
For further information about schools, teaching and educational opportunities, please contact this office or the helpful staff at one of our schools.
Useful links include – the Department of Education and Training web site at www.det.wa.edu.au or the Educate WA web site that covers all educational activity at www.educatewa.wa.edu.au
For more information, about the Kimberley Region, try the Kimberley Development Commission site at www.kimberley.wa.gov.au