Maningrida College celebrates 60 years of education

GENERATIONS of students and teachers came together to celebrate 60 years of cross cultural education at the historic Maningrida College in northern Arnhem Land

Maningrida College teachers from the 70s and 80s: Karen Wuridjal, Cindy Jinmarabynana, Rita Djitmu, Chris Baldin, Helen Bond- Sharp, Carolyn Coleman, Monica Wilton, Robyn Beecham and student Terence pose for a photo during the Maningrida College 60th Anniversary on Friday, August 10, 2018. Picture: Keri Megelus

GENERATIONS of students and teachers came together to celebrate 60 years of cross cultural education at the historic Maningrida College in northern Arnhem Land on Friday.

Joining the festivities was Didamain Uibo, who caught up with her former pupil, Laurie Guraylayla, who in turn taught Abigail Carter, who is now too a teacher at the school.

Ms Uibo was “overwhelmed” by the emotion she felt on returning to the school she first taught at in the early 1970s.

“It’s like homecoming today for me,” she said.

For Ms Guraylayla, who started teaching at Maningrida in 1986, the reunion was a chance to thank those “who taught us so many things that we know and now we can use our understanding and knowledge and pass it on to our kids”.

Daniel, Elias, Travis, Alison Kinnane and Aldrick celebrate the launch of the Big Sky Classroom program during the Maningrida College 60th Anniversary on Friday, August 10, 2018. Picture: Keri Megelus

“I’m so happy there are a lot of mums I taught who are now working with children at the creche and in the classroom and we all respect one another,” she said.

“When you have a community with so many languages spoken, it’s sometimes very hard when you communicate but here we all know each other and when we speak to each other in different languages we can understand each other.”

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Another familiar face to many was Cindy Jinmarabynana, who still teaches at the school after three decades in education and whose son, Isaiah Taylor, was the school’s first male graduate in 2002.

Cindy Jinmarabynana, who has taught at the college for 30 years with her son Isaiah Taylor, who was the first male graduate at the college in 2002, pose for a photo during the Maningrida College 60th Anniversary on Friday, August 10, 2018. Picture: Keri Megelus

“Education’s very important for our next generation,” she said.

“I feel proud and I want to see his son become a teacher or a language and culture teacher as a grandmother.”

KK Band members during the Maningrida College 60th Anniversary on Friday, August 10, 2018. Picture: Keri Megelus

Mr Taylor, who said his eldest son was “probably actually in English class right now”, hoped the school would continue to provide the next generation with the same opportunities he had.

“I want him to get a full education so that he can have a full qualification and full power and do stuff however he wants it, so I want him to graduate in this school as I did a long time ago,” he said.