NSW LearnScope Blog & Podcast

Image : Tallawana

I’ve arrived at Parnngurr School to 10mbps satellite internet connection (when it’s on ) and a thumping outback band playing in the school compound. Honestly it’s gem sitting in the Westen Desert heartlands. Did someone say podcast their creations ?

As industry ? As a business ? Too right……
Gary Lienert from TAFE WA Newman Campus drove me out from Newman airport in the latest Outback 4wd and we passed three people on the way out. One degree centigrade on the tarmac.

It’s taken 32 hours from Sydney to get here. Past the industry which is sucking all the ore out of the Pilbara. Providing jobs. Building cities.

Creating our townie futures.

Image : Iron ore out

Going out at three trains a day each with up to 336 carraiges with $25,000 ore in each carraige. You do the maths.

Thats the average. The topper is the record at 682 carraiges and 7.4 kilometres in length. How many engines is anybody’s guess. Carbon neutral my ………

Gary reckons that the trains use more fuel getting back from the coast than too it. It’s downhill of sorts.

I sat with 90 fly-in-fly-outs this morning. They “man” the machines . More women than men in my estimation and all of them making a killing. No wonder no one wants to be a mechanic in the city.

Then it was a further 7 hours down the Tallawana Track. To the peace ( or so it seems ) of the Western Desert down by the Rudall River.

The Parnngurr School has changed so much…….last time I was here was actioning the Digital Outback project with Karen Higgins and Mardi Dwyer.

The CDEP shed has gone and Gary’s TAFE kids are now all grown up and working in the mines or playing in the band.

The community garden is on it’s way back and the school garden is looking amazing. Kids mill around and adults stick their nose in on all thats happening.

There’s an Artist up here working on a mural with the primary kids and the women Elders.

It’s 17 degrees and 5.53pm.

We have been bombarded all day on the satellite radio with news that law enforcements and child protection agencies are being sent into communities not far from here with the intent to implement the latest in the political decisions governing Indigenous Australians.

The atmosphere is tense to say the least however the future is bright.

We ( educators ) have the sense and goodwill to ensure that we connect conversations and avert yet another humanitarian disaster. Our views on this matter must be heard.

We are in the hub of the Parnngurr Community - the school. Where are you and what are you doing ?

This is civil action. This is active citizenship.