Excursion to be part of history

Top: Kingsgrove HS students at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Above: Students sent a clear message.

MARK GOUDKAMP and fellow teachers took a busload of students to the opening day of Federal Parliament in Canberra.

On the day before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations, 17 year 12 prefects and three teachers from Kingsgrove High School in Sydney's inner-south took a minibus to Canberra.

When we arrived, we joined around 2000 protesters at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy across from Old Parliament House. They were there to stress that the assimilationist mistakes of the past must not be repeated in the present via the punitive Northern Territory intervention.

Dozens of Aboriginal people from affected Northern Territory communities, who themselves had travelled for three days by bus from Alice Springs, congratulated us for being there, and wanted to have their photos taken with the students.

The media were also very keen to speak with the students, which necessitated an impromptu workshop on how to deal with them. They did wonderfully. One of the prefects, Ross Bougoukas, was later quoted on ABC Online saying that it was important that young people are involved.

"Other young people will see us and hopefully follow our lead. We can give a fresh approach to this," he said.

After the march, our school delegation moved on to the new Parliament House for an appointment with Watson MP Tony Burke. After originally being told by the Australian Federal Police that we weren't allowed in, one of Burke's staffers eventually came down to assure them that 17 uniform-wearing students and three teachers posed no security threat to the opening of parliament.

The prefects then presented Tony Burke with a letter they'd penned, and a petition signed by students and staff at Kingsgrove High School stating: "We, the undersigned students and teachers at Kingsgrove High School, support the national apology being made to the Stolen Generations. This is an important initial step towards the achievement of justice and equality for Indigenous Australians."

As we approached the school gates at 6.30pm that evening, the minibus again erupted with spontaneous chants: "Human rights for all; end the intervention." Many said it was an experience that would stay with them for life.

Mark Goudkamp teaches at Kingsgrove HS.

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Last Modified: 07 Mar 2008