The longest-running year 12 formal for First Nations people in New South Wales proves to be an incentive for students to complete their HSC.
Attending the Koori Formal is becoming a proud tradition for Indigenous students on the New South Wales Mid North Coast such as Shaylor Thompson. The Dunghutti teen has always lived in Kempsey and was one of 30 First Nations students from across four Macleay Valley high school s who recently graduated from year 12 .
Macleay Valley high school students gathered at Melville High School in Kempsey for the annual Koori Formal."It's really good to see everyone else succeed and finish year 12," she said.The formal was an occasion to cherish. "It's been really good and exciting, it's great to see all the families here watching their babies get to graduate," Shaylor said.Using the most recent census data, the National Indigenous Australians Agency found non-Indigenous Australians aged between 20 and 24 we 1.3 times more likely to have completed year 12 or an equivalent level of study. The situation was something local elders Aunty Jackie Welsh and Aunty Natalie Smith have long been determined to address.ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughanAbout 17 years ago the aunties, who worked as Aboriginal Education Officers at the time, hatched an idea to hold a special dinner for First Nations graduates in a bid to motivate others to stick with their high school education. "It gave us an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate, without all the frictions that may be present in the wider community,"They took their idea to the principals of Melville and Kempsey high schools, which paid for the first Koori Formal.ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughanThe event has since expanded to celebrate all Indigenous graduates across Macleay Valley high schools, with more than 200 tickets sold this year."The Koori Formal is just about the kids and their parents, so the parents can congratulate their kids and be proud of their kids for reaching that level,""A lot of parents and their kids don't go to the main formal ... it could be the cost or that they have limited numbers that can go."Isiah Heuston, who is a Gumbaynggirr teenager living on Dunghutti country, was among those at this year's Koori Formal hosted at Melville High School.ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughanHe was the 2025 vice-captain of Melville High and says the Koori Formal was a big motivator that helped him complete his final years of school. "There definitely have been a few challenges, ups and downs throughout high school but I've overcome them, whether it be teacher support or through Mum and Dad," he said. "Dad said no matter what I do in the HSC or whatever it may be, he's proud of me, I got here in the end." Melville High School principal Andrew Ryder said the Koori Formal was a celebration of a major educational milestone for First Nations students.Supplied: Kim Ambrose"It's fantastic, it really is a great achievement for all the schools to get their students to the HSC and to graduate high school," he said. In the nearly two decades the Koori Formal has been running, it has never missed a year, even during the coronavirus pandemic when it had to be held online.Former student and 2024 graduate Zailen Campbell-Cook Flanders attended the formal this year with his sister."I reckon a Koori Formal should be done for all Indigenous students around New South Wales or even Australia,"ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughanThe state's Education Department says, from 2022 to 2024, the number of First Nations students enrolled in year 12 on the Mid North Coast grew by 7.9 per cent. A similar event was held on the state's south coast, where Catholic and independent high schools gathered on Dharwal lands for their fourth annual Deadly Grad.ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughanKoori Formal founders Aunty Jackie and Aunty Natalie hope their legacy continues well into the future. "Whoever takes over from me and Natalie in the future, I'd like to see that they will continue and encourage the parents and kids to be part of it,"The aunties behind the Koori Formal hope someone will continue their legacy.
Kempsey High School First Nations Aboriginal Formal Koori Education HSC Graduation Year 12 High School High School Graduates
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