Disagreement on best way to cut truancy
01.10.2009

Education expert Chris Sarra has strongly criticised Noel Pearson's Cape York welfare measures, suggesting his own strategies are more effective in cutting truancy.
Dr Sarra, who is executive director of the Stronger Smarter Institute dealing with indigenous education leadership, said the results of a report praising the Family Responsibilities Commission were questionable.
``In many ways, they're an insult to the hard work of the leadership and the teachers who are in those schools,'' Dr Sarra told The Australian.
``It pretends those improvements (in attendance) have occurred without any change in what happens inside the school gates.''
Dr Sarra's organisation works with principals and teachers of schools in indigenous communities, including Aurukun on Cape York. He said improving teacher quality and leadership within a school was much cheaper and more effective than an family commission-type program.
Schools participating in his Strong and Smart philosophy were achieving similar increases in attendance to those involved in Mr Pearson's welfare measures trial, at a fraction of the cost.
But Aboriginal commissioners who sit on the Family Responsibilities Commission hit back at Dr Sarra's comments yesterday, saying he was not familiar with the Cape York communities and should butt out.
``The actions we have taken should be respected by people who are not living in our communities because our communities have taken responsibility for tackling our own issues,'' a group of commissioners from Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge and Aurukun said in a statement.
``Dr Sarra's comments reflect that he has not visited any of our communities, nor discussed his views or consulted with the people who work at the grassroots level.''
Mr Pearson said yesterday the rising attendance levels in the Cape reflected the fact that schools, the Family Responsibilities Commission and Cape York Partnerships all worked together.
But he said the critical contribution had been the influence of the local people who made up the commission. ``Much of the reason for the improvement in school attendances is down to these local commissioners, who conduct meetings with parents in their own language -- in Wik Munkan in the case of the Aurukun community,'' Mr Pearson said.
``The FRC chairman, David Glasgow, told me he is basically an observer because the Aboriginal ladies take over, and then the men as well. Some of these local commissioners actually take him to task about being too lenient on clients.
``The commissioners aren't backward in telling David when people are just making excuses and not telling the truth -- when they're not serious about fulfilling their end of the bargain.''