Our second Studio School is coming to life - it will be named the Manjali Studio School and will cater for students in years 7, 8 and 9. Located on Bunuba country near Kurrajong Yard on the Leopold Tunnel Creek Road 10 kms from Yiramalay. The new Manjali Studio School will give children and families access to a culturally rich on-country education with Yiramalay, providing continuity and stability.
The naming of the new studio school was inspired by the quartz rocks found on the site. It is the Bunuba name for shiny rock.
The residential school is set to open 2025 with enrolments open now. Manjali Studio School is a pivotal part of our broader goal to scale our model across northern Australia. This project not only signifies progress but embodies our commitment to community-driven education.
Our partnership with Hutchies
Hutchinson Builders ‘Hutchies’ are building the new Manjali Studio School. Hutchies have experience in education building projects and regional delivery, and worked with our team to deliver maximum value. The first half of 2024 has been focused on collaboration with SSA and Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation, community members and potential local suppliers to invite expressions of interest to prepare for construction.
We went through a significant design process that included Bunuba representatives, SSA staff and the architectural team.. The build will include facilities for the new Manjali Studio School and the Indigenous Education and Research Centre (IERC), with colours inspired by the surrounding landscape. The scope includes 5 learning spaces, including a Wetlab and a Dry lab, a communal dining hall, a welcome and administration area, and student and staff housing. The IERC facilities include office space and meeting rooms, as well as staff accommodation.
In June, Bunuba Elders Kevin Oscar and Joe Ross from the Kimberley region of WA, and Helen Drennen, Chief Executive of Studio Schools of Australia travelled to Toowoomba (where our buildings are being fabricated). They joined Hutchies for a special viewing of the first completed module, which gives a small glimpse into what the Manjali Studio School will look like once completed. Within a week or so, the same module was lowered onto its footings at Manjali.
Community co-design
The design for Manjali followed a detailed, highly interactive co-design process with the Bunuba community over the last two years and included five co-design sessions located on-country with Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) and other Bunuba Traditional owners and children.
On 22 February, we gathered 100 community members at the Fitzroy Crossing Rec Centre for morning tea, to hear about training and employment opportunities during the construction phase of Manjali Studio School. They heard from Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation, Studio Schools of Australia and Hutchinson Builders as well as meeting representatives from other local businesses and contractors.
It was all hands on deck at the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley's Fitzroy Crossing Community Expo on Bunuba country, with Tanya from Studio Schools joined by Amy and Wayne from Hutchinson Builders and Shane from Hanson Australia to promote enrolments for both Manjali (years 7-9) and Yiramalay (Years 10-12). It was an employment expo held by the Shire. We connected with other employers and the community members, sharing opportunities for employment on the Manjali build, as well as sharing information about the new school, and employment and enrolment opportunities at both schools.
A system-level reform in Indigenous education
Studio Schools of Australia was born from an understanding that effective provision of education in remote Aboriginal communities required a new way, a new partnership. This partnership needed to be based on local language and culture so that the learning environment was built around the community’s priorities and values. In partnership with the Bunuba community, the SSA model has been developed and delivered for over a decade. The model is a residential educational facility on-country, co-led and co-designed by the local people.
As the construction of the middle years Manjali school commences the Studio Schools model is poised to grow. This growth is important, and continued growth of our model is vital. The latest Closing the Gap data from the Australian Government shows that the gap in life expectancy remains unchanged with “Indigenous Australian males and females expected to live 8.8 and 8.1 years respectively, less than other Australians” (Burney 2024). “The target to reduce adult imprisonment is not on track and worsening.” Clear links between a lack of educational attainment and poorer life outcomes are well established, yet there is insufficient focus on innovation and culturally appropriate approaches to education in remote and very remote communities.
Thus, the expansion of the Studio Schools model beyond Yiramalay and Manjali into three further locations by 2028 is important in delivering better outcomes for partner communities, and in strengthening, promoting and scaling-up a model that has succeeded in long term real-world delivery.
These five Studio Schools will collectively generate 500 graduates each year, ready for work and/or further study and equipped to make a valuable contribution to their community.
The aim is to then grow to ten schools in the following five years, creating a successful system of education in Northern Australia. This is a realistic and carefully designed growth plan which recognises the complexity of construction in remote Australia and the importance of deep engagement with local communities.
For more information on Manjali School or enrolments, contact info@studioschools.edu.au