PARENT PERSPECTIVES OF BOARDING: INSIGHTS FROM REMOTE ABORIGINAL FAMILIES

Increasingly, remote Aboriginal families are being encouraged to transition their children into boarding environments to complete secondary schooling. However, only a handful of studies have sought to understand families’ experiences of and decisions about boarding, and to date, the perspectives of remote Aboriginal families have scarcely been heard. This paper presents findings from qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with parents, caregivers and family members of remote South Australian students boarding at a residential boarding program. The decision to board was not always instigated by family, but was often suggested or largely facilitated by remote community teachers. Additionally, families were found to navigate between different boarding providers depending on the child, their experience, and their capacity to engage with alternative programs. Finally, families expectations of boarding were not always met, which suggests a number of improvements can be made to value their perspectives, respect and support their expectations, and provide alternatives to boarding. This paper provides insight into the perspectives of remote Aboriginal families engaging with boarding schools, points to the implications of their experiences, and presents recommendations to consider in policies regarding boarding and remote education.