Alice Adventures

Last month I had the most amazing experience — visiting schools in remote Northern Territory indigenous communities. I was one of four authors/illustrators sent to Alice Springs. While the other three visited schools in the Alice area, I was given a four-wheel-drive and sent out into the Outback to visit more distant communities. Organised by the Children’s Charity Network through the Northern Territory Department of Education, this program was providing author visits for schools that would not normally get them.

The schools I visited were all bilingual, teaching both English and the local indigenous language. Literacy levels here are lower than mainstream schools, some really very low, and English language skills are also low. Entering an environment like this can be challenging but also hugely rewarding.

My job was to come into these schools and provide kids with a fun, positive experience of literature, of writing and of the English language. In the classes with higher literacy and language levels, I talked about my writing process, did some readings, showed them how I planned out my stories, got them to do some story planning and even some short writing exercises. In the classes with lower levels, I did more reading, with a bit of on-the-spot story creation using ideas from the kids, and lots of drawing. Picture are a universal language, a way to cross boundaries and still tell stories.

I was very lucky to have my wife Kerri along with me for this trip. At the last minute, she decided to accompany me so we could have a bit of a working holiday in between all the visits. She ended up being invaluable to the actual school visits…

• She was my navigator, ensuring that I made it to the schools on time. I swear, without her, I would have taken wrong turn after wrong turn… and search parties would probably still be out looking for me!
• She was my photographer, taking pics in and around the schools, which the Children’s Charity Network will be able to use for their reporting.
• And most importantly, as an artist, she ended up participating in the school presentations, doing drawings on the whiteboard based on the stories the kids and I were creating, and encouraging the kids with their own creature designs for the stories.

As I’ve already said, this was an incredible experience. I feel both honored and humbled to have had this opportunity. Walking into these schools I was immediately struck by an acute sense of my own privilege. These kids, through no fault of their own, are starting off so far behind the ‘average’ Australian child. And it is so bloody unfair!

I am left with a feeling of dismay that so many people in this country voted against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. More so, I am left with incandescent rage at Peter Dutton and the LNP for spreading misinformation and for attempting to demonise The Voice. Our First Nations people deserve so much better.

But I am also filled with hope. I met wonderful teachers, passionate about education, passionate about literacy, passionate about giving these kids as much of a chance as possible. I met volunteers who are out there, dedicating their time and doing whatever they can to help. And I met so many wonderful, wonderful kids! These kids — they have so much enthusiasm; so much potential! And my hope is that their potential will have the opportunity to be realised.