MAF flights support vibrant education community in picturesque but remote Arnhem Land location.
Gäwa Christian School straddles a sandy patch of land behind low, scrubby dunes and tidal flats on the edge of the Arafura Sea, on the northernmost edge of Elcho Island, Arnhem Land.
The school and the homeland for which it is named are a long way from Galiwin’ku in the south of the island, and even further from the mainland and the rest of Australia.
It’s an unlikely location for a vibrant education community, but Gäwa Christian School Principal Rachel Herweynen is poised to share the school’s unique blend of Yolŋu tradition, Christian teaching and Western methods with the members of the wider Northern Territory Christian Schools community.
“Last year we did research on what engagement, what learning looks like in Yolŋu-led activities such as hunting,” said Rachel. “There are many Yolŋu teaching and learning principles that we think can be a gift to all schools.”
The school caters to a core student body of around 50 enrolled students, but numbers can reach 80, depending on the students’ movements across the homelands and communities of Arnhem Land.
Gäwa’s location is picturesque, but the isolation can be fatiguing for outsiders, so the school offers its staff MAF relief flights into town once a term.
“This is something we offer to our staff,” said Rachel.
‘’Any time within the term, if staff feel like they need to refresh away from the homeland, we book a flight with MAF so they can have a weekend away, do some shopping, as well as build and strengthen connections with Nhulunbuy Christian College and the wider Christian faith community.”
Students study in three multi-age classes, and teachers work in teams with Yolŋu staff to deliver a curriculum of standard numeracy and literacy learning infused with song, music, dance and Yolŋu cultural knowledge.
There are many Yolŋu teaching and learning principles that we think can be a gift to all schools.
“Teachers can be afraid to teach Indigenous content,” Rachel said.
“But it's not just content, Yolŋu ways of being are just as – or maybe even more – important, and these allow teaching and learning to happen. We can try and follow that in our other schools.
“We're not saying it will apply in every learning area, but there will be some Yolŋu ways of teaching to follow for certain topics and units.
“Our Yolŋu family have a lot to give. I have certainly grown in my own teaching and being human. We're happy that we're finding legs to share that with the wider NT Christian Schools in 2025.”
The school has recently extended its facilities with new buildings. Construction supplies are shipped by barge to Galiwin’ku and then trucked up to Gawa, but building contractors fly directly to Gäwa on MAF planes.
“The new classroom wouldn't have happened without our contractors from Gove,” said Rachel. “Any workers from Gove will be flying in. We're very grateful.”
