Helping the educators to
encourage our children to learn

LYN HOLLOW EXPLAINS HOW IT'S DONE

Catering for the professional 'well being' of educators throughout the Barkly region, the Barkly Education Centre is one of 23 such centres across Australia, each working independently to achieve educational aims in their respective areas.
For the Barkly Education Centre this means providing a professional Library and resource Centre for educators, facilitating a Program of professional development activities, providing desk top publishing and production services, producing educational support materials for schools and teachers, ensuring that Barkly Schools are involved in Territory and nation wide initiatives, and being able to offer professional advice and support through visits to schools and contact with the network of teachers throughout the region.
In 1996, reduced Federal funding to Education Centres meant that all Centres across Australia needed to look at their operations and make plans for the future that would take into account reduced Federal funding. For many Centres this meant a drastic change in their mode of operation. Moving from a school education focus to a community education focus has been the result for many Centres.
For the Barkly Education Centre, this news has also seen the Centre look beyond school education and an exciting development for the Barkly Centre has been to work in the Vocational Education and Training area (VET) in conjunction with the Tennant Creek High School. Currently the Barkly Education Centre is the consultant body for the High School in relation to work placement for its Year 11 VET program.
Another area of interest for the Barkly Education Centre is ensuring that the broader community receives positive 'messages' about education. A focus for the Centre at the moment is looking at the partnership in education between schools and families and the importance of this partnership on the successful educational outcomes of children.
Management of the Centre lies in an elected Management Committee which meets at regular intervals to set direction for the Centre. Community involvement is welcomed on this Committee and membership of the Centre costs just $10. We encourage all educators and interested people throughout the Barkly region to 'join up', and support the Centre.
For the Barkly Education Centre the future is looking good. The broad range of activities in which it is involved will ensure that it remains an important part of the education 'scene' here in the Barkly region.