Private boarding school vs public school education for Indigenous students

I was also conscious of the dearth of Indigenous female students at boarding schools around Brisbane, which became more apparent when I visited a “sister” girls’ school for an interschool dance. Sure there was a mélange of Asian and Pacific Islander students but I would like to have enjoyed passing the three hours or more at the dance in the company of at least one or two girls of my race.

However there were a lot of positives to boarding school as I enjoyed the lifestyle. But most of all I was appreciative of the high standard of education provided by the teaching personnel which seemed better than my previous school: “You get what you pay for”.

I was never a scholar but the habits I picked up have helped me throughout my career as a public servant, diplomat, businessman and now an academic. The contacts I’ve nurtured from boarding school have also assisted me in my business dealings. Most of the students in my years at boarding school occupy a range of white collar careers and I believe their chance encounter with me also assisted them in gaining a better perspective on my culture.

My son is enrolled as a day student at a private secondary school next year; a choice made collectively by my wife and son on which school best suited his needs. Discipline and excellence in education was at the top of our criteria list and this reputable school met those requirements with ease. For instance I asked the principal at our first meeting what he would do if my child reported an incident of racism or bullying. He replied he wouldn’t tolerate either act and would issue the perpetrator and his parents their first and only warning.

Would I send my son away to boarding school in another town? I proffer a definite no to that question as it would break my heart to have him live apart from us. I would profoundly miss his hugs and kisses and his emergent need for independence. It was hard enough allowing him to have a lock for his bedroom door “to keep his sister out”, although I won the battle over the location of our Internet line.

I haven’t attempted to gauge the views on how much the loss would be felt by his mother and sister. The question alone would be met with disdain from the females of the house. However if I lived in a remote community, where the schooling was unacceptable, I would consider, in consultation with the family, sending him to boarding school as an option.

When assessing the merits or otherwise of Noel Pearson’s education blueprint, devised under exceptional circumstances, I draw doubters to a famous quote from the Greek philosopher, Aristotle (384-322 BC) “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet”.