ABOUT NYIKINA MANGALA COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Nyikina Mangala Community School, located in Jarlmadangah Burru Community, has a rich history rooted in the strength and vision of its founders and leaders. Established in 1987 on Mt. Anderson Station in the West Kimberley, Jarlmadangah Burru quickly grew into a thriving community, complete with housing, a store, clinic, workshop, and tourism enterprise. By the year 2000, the community was ready for its next challenge: creating and running its own school.

On December 5, 2000, this vision was realised with the official registration of Nyikina Mangala Community School, becoming the newest Aboriginal Independent Community School in Australia. The school began in modest facilities—a community-constructed shed, an old donga, and a community-donated house for the teacher. While the infrastructure was basic, the commitment and energy were boundless. The school quickly became a central pillar of the community, with education seen as vital for the future.

Today, Nyikina Mangala Community School boasts modern, fully equipped buildings, a school oval, a basketball court, and teacher housing. This transformation over just a few years reflects the community’s unwavering dedication to its children and their future. The school continues to grow, with a focus on literacy, numeracy, and maintaining strong cultural and language connections. Jarlmadangah Burru is proud of its school’s achievements, which were nationally recognised in 2007 when the school received the ‘Excellence in Family-School Partnerships’ award from the Australian Government.

In the words of the school committee members, “Our school is here for lots of reasons — to keep our kids here so we can look after them, to teach them literacy and numeracy, to keep our language and culture strong, to provide work for community people, and to increase our kids’ skills.”

Nyikina Mangala Community School is a testament to the community’s dedication to its children, its culture, and its future. This ongoing commitment has been formalized in the school’s charter, which outlines its vision and direction for the future. This document is not “new and radical” but rather builds on the strong, enduring partnership between Jarlmadangah Burru and its school—a partnership that continues to thrive and guide the way forward.