Wadja Wadja High School is an independent Indigenous secondary school. The school is located in the community of Woorabinda with a population of approximately 1000 inhabitants, 170 km South West of Rockhampton, Central Queensland. A pilot project has been established in this remote community to apply the Montessori universal educational principles to the education of the indigenous students. The program is staffed by two Montessori teachers, Jenny and Joel Rioux.  The students, in their respective classes, are aged 13-14 years. The students speak some Standard Australian English. They also speak Aboriginal English and Woorabinda Creole.

The classrooms have been organised in the same fashion as any Montessori environment, with educational activities displayed on shelves around the room, to make the environment pleasant and to entice the students to work. In the language area, high priority is given to their knowledge of basic sight words as well as diagraphs/phonograms. Cultural vocabulary is also offered in botany, zoology, geography, physics, chemistry and history.

Montessori materials are used to help the students’ basic literacy/numeracy skills.  Joel and Jenny also tutor Indigenous adults (after class time) and the Montessori teaching resources have proved invaluable.

See Update December 2007 - Update from Wadja Wadja

See Update May 2006 - Dr Jean Mller Visits Wadja Wadja

Download Articles:

Wadja Wadja Update December 2007

Reconciliation in the Land of Warajinda (Woorabinda) - The Prepared Adult!

Montessori in an Indigenous Community - Wadja Wadja High School, Woorabinda, Central Queensland

Click here to read the Koori Mail article about the Wadja Wadja Montessori program.

"Montessori is a hands-on approach to learning whereby the students use concrete materials to aid their learning. They make their own choices from Montessori educational materials that are set up on shelves around the room. The students take responsibility for their own learning; they are able to work individually or in small groups, at desks or on the floor and ultimately the students not only develop their self-esteem but they also have a relationship with the teacher that is based on mutual respect." "The Montessori learning environment works well because it respects where the student is at, as well as following the student's interests. It is also a very flexible, caring and nurturing environment where social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs are always taken into account. The students are always encouraged to work at their own pace and 'work' is not imposed on the student." (Koori Mail)