Two stories from Wadeye:

High School Graduates.

Eulogy for Christian Brother Eamon O’Brien, 15 years at Wadeye.

First high school graduates for 13 years (ABC report)

In the community of Wadeye, 400 kilometres west of Darwin, songs of celebration were sung this week at a high school celebration that was a long time coming.

• Seven students graduated high school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College in Wadeye
• They are the first cohort to graduate high school in the community in 13 years
• Three of the graduates have already landed jobs, including as teacher's aides in community

For the first time in 13 years, a cohort of students has attained high school graduation.

Eagle-eyes will notice PP of Wadeye, Leo Wearden MSC centre, audience

The moment is particularly special for 18-year-old Mary Pupuli, who is the first young person in her family to graduate high school.

"Education is important to me because I want to be a strong woman in community. I want to be a role model for young people," she said.

The milestone came just as the Northern Territory's continuing education crisis was highlighted again this week.

Fresh figures show only a third of all remote students attend school on most days of the week.

As the community turned out to celebrate with songs and dancing, deputy head of Secondary School at Wadeye's Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr College, Matthew Spring, said the graduates were seen as role models.

"For the community as a whole, it's good to see people staying in school, being successful, and they're ready to go into adult life now," he said.

He said the teenagers had demonstrated great resilience, and that their families deserved recognition too.

"The reason they are graduating is because their families kept them in school," he said.

"The students have the drive now, but two or three years ago they were normal teenagers who didn't think school offered them much."

Mr Spring said teaching children in a mix of Murrinh Patha and English made a key difference, as did the work of local teacher's aides and youth workers.

Three of the graduates have already secured jobs, including as teaching aides and mentors for the next generation of students.

"We've got some really good careers identified for a lot of the students — education, working with technology, three of the students are already working in the school."

Birrigan Young is an Indigenous youth worker at the local youth hostel.

Five of the seven graduates have been under Mr Young's care at the youth hostel, which gives students a quiet and safe space to study and sleep away from over-crowding at home.

"It has been a long time since we had a good celebration here in Wadeye, but it just goes to show if the kids work hard enough, if they have got the right support here, they can achieve," he said.

Mr Young said the ceremony showed young kids there was a path forward through schooling.

"We can see it's going to happen if we have the support with the community, the families, the teachers — we can see that it is possible."

Eamon O’Brien cfc who taught children reading at Wadeye for 15 years – and 10 years in Sudan.

Br Gerard Eamon O’Brien cfc  Eulogy

Born: 29-05-1936   Died: 23-10-2020

Our dear Brother Gerard ‘Eamon’ died peacefully today at 12.45pm in the presence of family & staff at Villa Maria Catholic Homes, Bundoora. Gerard as he wished to be known in the later time of his life, was known to his Brothers as Eamon for 68 years of his religious life.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions it was difficult to visit Gerard in his final days. Family, his sister Maree, brother Mick & some family were able to do so.

Gerard left home in 1951 to pursue a vocation as a Christian Brother.

Gerard was a brilliant student, matriculated at an early age and gained a B Sc and B Ed. Then begun a long dedicated religious life in traditional spirituality, in classroom teaching, ongoing training, simple living and challenging, on the edge, ministry.

Gerard spent time in various communities in Melbourne & Country Victoria. His second appointment was to the Brothers’ Training College at Bundoora for 5 years.

After many testing years in the classroom he ventured into the tough outreaches of ministry work in Yambio, South Sudan (10 years) with his friend Paul Macrossan and later with Vin Roach at Wadeye, NT (15 years). The initial work in Yambio was rudimentary teacher training and then teaching reading to aboriginal children in Wadeye. Gerard loved the simple living and the challenging work in these two remote locations.

His painful journey home to Victoria saw him hospitalised in Canossa, QLD for serious medical attention. Gerard was anxious to return home to be with his strong family connections. He moved into the good care of Villa Maria Catholic Homes, Bundoora which he enjoyed so much. He was always exploring ways in which he may return to community life.