Rev. Bill Crews will join Frank Sartor, the NSW Minister for
Planning and Minister for Redfern Waterloo, and Shirley McPherson, the Chairperson
of the Indigenous Land Corporation for the official project launch on the site
of the old Redfern
Public School.
The Indigenous Land Corporation has purchased the site for
construction of the National Centre for Indigenous Development which will house
organisations providing educational, sporting, recreational and accommodation
services for Indigenous youth.
When completed the National Centre for Indigenous
Development will feature the Exodus Foundation’s
acclaimed education programme which is based on the teaching methods developed
in conjunction with Macquarie
University. Over the past
10 years the programme has changed the lives of hundreds of students at the
Exodus Foundation’s Ashfield
Tutorial school.
“We already help dozens of Aboriginal students with
their schooling every year. Many of the students we help are at risk of
dropping out of the education system entirely, but after completing our
programme over 90% of them remain at school for at least 4 years”, said Rev.
Crews.
The Federal Government has already contributed $50,000 to
the Exodus Foundation education programme which will operate in specifically
designed classrooms within the Centre catering for the educational needs of up
to 60 students every year.
“This development is a new deal for Redfern. It
represents a fresh start, and will provide young Aboriginal people with the
means to lift themselves out of the poverty trap”, said Rev. Crews.
This Media Statement from Rev Bill Crews was
part of the Media Kit at the Media Conference on 11 July 2006 to announce that
the ILC would proceed to purchase the former Redfern Public School site and
establish a National Indigenous Development Centre.