Building stronger community: The teacher breaking down cultural barriers

Aboriginal community education officer Danny Martin is improving literacy, numeracy and Aboriginal student engagement, with notable increases in attendance and family involvement.

Danny Martin is well aware of how far reconciliation and Indigenous culture has come in South Australia but knows there is still a long road ahead.

Recognised as part of The Advertiser’s Australia’s Best Teachers campaign, Mr Martin works as the Aboriginal community education officer at Port Pirie West Primary School in South Australia’s north.

He has had a profound impact on reconciliation and Aboriginal education at the school and its community through mentoring and cultural programs.

But as his work continues to break barriers, when he casts his mind back to his schooling days he remembers a much different time, one that encourages him to work even harder to close the gap.

Port Pirie West Primary School Aboriginal community education officer Danny Martin with students. Picture: Russell Millard

“When I went to school there was about eight to 10 Aboriginal students in the whole school – and we copped everything,” he says.

“I’m 41 now so just 25 years ago we copped so much blatant racism. It’s good to see systems and policies in place so that the kids don’t have to deal with the same stuff that I did.

“I base a lot of my teachings on my own experiences and there is accountability these days ... change is happening but it is still a work in progress.”

Through programs that not only engage but educate, Mr Martin’s presence has improved literacy, numeracy and Aboriginal student engagement, with notable increases in Aboriginal attendance and family involvement.

“I had no idea until I got back to Port Pirie all these years later how far the gap was,” he explains.

Port Pirie West Primary School Aboriginal community education officer Danny Martin with students. Picture: Russell Millard

“As a parent, you send your kid to school and they come home. You don’t realise the gaps that are there for indigenous children. But when I got involved you start thinking about what you can do to change it. I wanted the children to feel safe and heard, but children at that age sometimes don’t want to be at school.

“I try to make them want to be at school so I will spend time with them and make them feel included.”

Indigenous-designed school shirts, murals and engaging programs are but a handful of Mr Martin’s achievements at Port Pirie West Primary School, which saw his nomination as a finalist at the South Australian 2024 Public Education Awards.

Seeing these initiatives working, he believes the more involvement for students through cultural engagement and teachings from passionate educators, the shorter the road to reconciliation becomes.

“We have come a long way but there is work to do,” he says. “More and more people are getting involved and trying to make a change so that the children of today feel safe and acknowledged. That can only lead to a bright future for them.”

Follow our Australia’s Best Teachers advocacy series, in partnership with Officeworks, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Education Perfect and BigAss Fans, via this link.

Originally published as Building stronger community: The teacher breaking down cultural barriers