Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I rise to commend the work being done by Role Models and Leaders Australia through their educational programs in Australia, and also to inform the chamber of my recent visits to their sites, including the Clontarf Girls Academy, in my own home state of Western Australia, and the Centralian Girls Academy, in Alice Springs.

For those who have not previously heard of Role Models and Leaders Australia, it is a private-sector-led, not-for-profit organisation that aims to develop and empower young Aboriginal girls, through leadership, sport, development and, of course, the all-important education. The RMLA girls academies are funded by the Prime Minister and Cabinet Sporting Chance Programme, together with support from a range of state government authorities and many corporate partners.

The girls academy program, based in high schools, focuses on Aboriginal girls in years 7 through to 12 who experience poverty, sickness, misfortune or disconnectedness from their community. They believe that Aboriginal women play a pivotal role in Australian Aboriginal families and communities, yet their needs are often overlooked.

There were programs available for Aboriginal boys, yet the girls' needs were being overlooked. That is where Ricky Grace, a former basketball player, and his Role Models and Leaders Australia have created such a wonderful program, because they have created an environment within schools where the girls receive the support and programs needed to help them realise their full potential.

Since opening its first academy in 2005, RMLA has expanded throughout Western Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales and currently has 12 girls academies established. One of the key objectives of the RMLA girls academy programs is to focus on increasing retention rates and levels of attainment for young at-risk Indigenous female students in year 7 through to year 12.

The academy program supports the partner schools across Australia to build healthy attitudes to learning by using sport as a motivator and tool for engagement; to provide Indigenous role models to act as guides and mentors to the girls; to provide leadership, teamwork and vision-development opportunities to improve the girls' skills, sense of belonging and commitment, and their capacity to explore the future in a positive way; to build strong partnerships with the parent and Indigenous community to build bridges between the school and wider community; to improve Indigenous literacy and numeracy levels; and to provide business networks and links to secure the best fit for work placements and traineeships that suit the individual needs and interests of the students.

I am also pleased to say that I have witnessed first-hand the wonderful work the academy does to promote the importance of young Indigenous girls in the community. My first visit, in May, was to the Clontarf Girls Academy in Perth. I met with many of the girls who are in the program and spoke to them about their aspirations and interests.

Terry Boland told me about the students who have come through the Academy, and their stories. I learnt about a student who graduated in 2012 and had been in the program since 2009. She made her own way to school every day, leading her class in all areas of study, was a major part of the sporting program, and was one of the most mature and friendly students enrolled at the academy. In December 2010, when she was only 15 years old, she began a traineeship at a local bank branch and completed one year of this traineeship as a bank teller. She showed great commitment to this position, despite admitting that she really did not enjoy the job. In late 2011, when one of the Academy's sponsors, Nestle, met with Clontarf Girls Academy staff about the opportunity to place two of the girls into a merchandiser traineeship, she took up the opportunity. She never once missed a day of work and even willingly gave up her term 3 holidays to work full-time with Nestle in order to complete her traineeship requirements. This student aspired to complete a bachelor's degree and was employed by Nestle in 2013 as an entry level merchandiser.

Whilst at Clontarf Girls Academy I was also told about the 6th Annual Role Models and Leaders Australia Academy Showcase, which was hosted by the Perth Girls Academy, from Sunday 15 June to Wednesday 18 June. This event saw 130 Indigenous secondary school girls from across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales join together in a celebration of sport, identity and friendship. The girls came from nine of the 12 RMLA girls academies operating across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales, and marked the first visit by students from the Kununurra, Roebourne, and Coonamble girls academies. Other academies participating included Palmerston, in the Northern Territory; Alice Springs; Fitzroy, in Western Australia; Derby, in Western Australia; Bunbury in Western Australia; and Perth.

The girls truly earned this trip to Perth, showing so much potential with their positive attitudes, with their great school attendance records and in being fearless leaders from within their communities. The showcase was an opportunity for them to develop their teamwork and leadership abilities. But the academy showcase is much more than a basketball tournament; it is an opportunity for all Role Models and Leaders Australia's girls' academies to come together and celebrate each other. Over the three days the girls showed their sporting skills on the basketball court, met girls and staff from other academies, and learned more about Noongar culture. As young Indigenous women, they will be the role models for future generations.

I also had the opportunity in late May to visit the Centralian Girls Academy, including the Centralian Senior College and Centralian Middle School in Alice Springs. The Centralian Senior College is the only senior secondary college within a 500-kilometre radius of Alice Springs. Yet, despite the tyranny of distance, the senior college has over 410 students in Years 10, 11 and 12 and an attendance rate of 77 per cent. I had the opportunity to meet with the program director, Beverley Angeles, and many of the girls over a lunch where we spoke about politics in Australia, my career journey and the girls' own aspirations. From wanting to be a beautician to a lawyer to an Indigenous liaison officer, these young women are passionate, hungry to learn and hungry to lead.

I also learned about another previous student's experience with the academy. This student came from a small community outside of Alice Springs. She was painfully shy and found it confronting to participate and to engage in the girls' academy classes. The program managers did lots of one-on-one mentoring with her over the course of the first term. In term 2 she blossomed, and in May she won the award for the student of the month. She took on a leadership role in the academy classes and participated in a radio interview on CAAMA Radio to promote the academy's fundraiser event as well as the girls' academy. This girl's confidence and self-esteem grew and she became the unofficial ambassador for the girls' academy. These are just a few of the so many wonderful success stories from the girls' academies across Australia. The Australian government is committed to an Australian society where women have equal opportunities to fully participate in all areas of society, including paid employment, and are supported to take up leadership and decision-making roles. The girls' academies truly do make a real difference in the long term to achieving this level of participation and leadership that the Australian government also prioritises.

I would like to thank all the program managers and development officers who have built strong and nurturing relationships with the girls. They are the other mums and big sisters who provide day-to-day support and mentoring. They all must be so proud of their students and they deserve thanks and gratitude for being these young girls' champions in their schooling life. I would also like to congratulate each and every young woman enrolled at the academies and to tell them that they truly do have the world at their feet and their schooling career is only the beginning of inspiring futures for them all. I look forward to visiting more of the Role Models and Leaders Australia's girls' academies and meeting with these inspirational young leaders over the coming months.