Violence-stricken Far North school under fire for paying six-figure salary to ‘shaman’ healer

The troubled Aurukun State School has hired a consultant on a six-figure tax payer salary to perform “healing practices” on students without permission from parents, staff say.

New, more secure fencing fencing was erected around the teaching staff accommodation in Aurukun in 2016. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

The troubled Aurukun State School has hired a consultant on a six-figure tax payer salary to perform “healing practices” on students without permission from parents, staff say.

The consultant, employed by the principal to train and advise the school’s board on “leadership and strategy”, is paid more than $100,000 a year to fly-in and fly-out to the school.

All his travel expenses are paid for, Department of Education sources say.

Teachers at the school say as part of the consultant’s work he performs what he calls “healing practices” on students.

During these rituals he is said to move his hands as he tells the student he is “releasing all their negative energy and anger”.

Members of the community say that before this ritual was practised a Wik cultural authority should have been consulted for permission.

“Wik people have their own healing practises,” a department source, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

The community of Aurukun in North Queensland. Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia. Picture: Marc McCormack

Aurukun is an isolated, largely Indigenous community of about 1000 residents, 828km northwest of Cairns.

The traditional homelands of the Wik, Wik Way and Kugu people lie in and around the Aurukun Shire.

The consultant is not of Wik heritage but part Torres Strait Islander and part Tongan.

The Cairns Post understands community elders in Aurukun believe that healing practises can only be performed by a Wik “song man healer” and consider other practices “dubious”.

“He does not have the parents’ permission to do this to their children,” the department source said.

A Queensland Department of Education spokesman said: “Ms Baressa Fraser, Principal of Aurukun State School and highly respected local Wik woman, engaged the man as a contractor to undertake work to support the school.”

They said Ms Fraser works closely with the Local Community Education Board, which represents all five clans in the community.

The Wik Nation Dance Team of Aurukun the traditional lands of the Wik, Wik Way and Kugu people. Picture: Bronwyn Farr

They said the “man’s heritage … does not impact his work supporting the school, and no concerns have been raised with the leadership team regarding his work”.

The controversy comes after it was revealed the Queensland Teachers Union were considering taking industrial action to close down the Aurukun State School because of safety concerns.

The school has been going into nearly daily lockdowns as students are being knocked unconscious through assaults in the schoolyard, teachers are being often threatened with rape and children from prep upwards are threatening and attacking others students with scissors, knives, star pickets, fence palings, machetes and iron bars regularly.

Less than 30 per cent of students attend classes at the school each day.

“The school is in trouble. The money spent on (the consultant) needs to be spent on working with families to improve attendance and behaviours,” the source said.

Originally published as Violence-stricken Far North school under fire for paying six-figure salary to ‘shaman’ healer