- State Government supports secondary scholarship for Pilbara Aboriginal students
- MADALAH gives opportunity to students to attend boarding schools and universities
- Continued commitment to closing the gap by easing barriers to quality education
A partnership between the State Government and not-for-profit organisation MADALAH is the latest initiative helping to close the gap in life outcomes for Aboriginal students in Western Australia.
Through secondary and tertiary education scholarships, the organisation is literally 'Making a Difference and Looking Ahead' supporting young people from remote and regional communities to see their potential, find choices and plan a future career pathway.
Nancy Bodey, from South Hedland, received a sponsorship from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage to attend Perth College for two years.
Nancy recently completed Year 11 which was celebrated at a small ceremony today and will move into Year 12 in 2024. She is hoping to study laboratory medicine at university when she completes high school.
Access to wider educational opportunities is a proven way to empower young Aboriginal people and foster a sense of identity, culture, and connection to land and community.
Over the past 14 years, MADALAH has supported hundreds of remote and regional Aboriginal students by helping to ease the burden on families who want to support their children's education but often come up against financial and geographical barriers.
As stated by Education; Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"The Cook Government is committed to improving the educational outcomes and well-being of Aboriginal youth in Western Australia.
"Education is one of the most powerful tools in eliminating the gap in life outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and partnerships such as this opportunity through MADALAH offer students like Nancy future career pathways that might otherwise have not been an option.
"We are working hard to ensure that young Aboriginal people are engaged in learning, encouraged and supported to realise their full learning potential and find meaningful pathways to employment.
"MADALAH is one of a number of Aboriginal-led not-for-profit organisations that are working with Government and industry to unlock education and learning opportunities for young Aboriginal people and supporting those students to gain the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to pursue their goals and dreams."
