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Western Australia - Organisation

Koorana (1974 - 1987)

  • Koorana

    Koorana, 1975, courtesy of Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1975, p.51.
    Details

From
1974
To
1987
Categories
Government-run and School

Koorana, in Bentley, was a non-residential school established and run from 1974 by child welfare authorities. It admitted primary-school age children who needed assistance to develop learning and behavioural skills that would enable them to return to mainstream schooling. Many children who attended Koorana lived in departmental Homes or foster care. A child did not have to be a ward of the State to attend Koorana.

Details

The annual reports of child welfare authorities (Signposts 2004, pp.273-276) explain why children were sent to Koorana: 'The major referring problem is that the child's behaviour is such that he is unable to progress as well as his ability would allow in a normal school setting. Other relevant issues may be that his behaviour is excessively interfering with the progress of other children in his class, and that his formal learning is much below what could be expected.'

Children did not have to be in the 'care' of the child welfare authorities to be admitted to Koorana, but children who were wards of the State were given a 'slight preference'.

By 1986, when policies reflected the desire of authorities to let children remain in their 'natural community setting', children would only be admitted to Koorana if all other community-based options had been exhausted. By 1987, in response to a review of the McCall Centre programmes, the Koorana facility was closed and was replaced by a 'community-based preventive' program delivered through the McCall Centre.

Events

1974 - 1987
Location - Koorana was located at Allen Court, Bentley. Location: Bentley

Publications

Online Resources

  • Information Services, Department for Community Development, 'pp.273-274, Table 20: Children Attending Koorana, Certain Years between 1974 and 1986', Signposts: A Guide for Children and Young People in Care in WA from 1920, Government of Western Australia, 2004, https://signposts.communities.wa.gov.au//pdf/pdf.aspx. Details

Photos

Koorana, listening
Title
Koorana, listening
Type
Image
Date
1974
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1974, p.50

Details

Koorana, speech recording
Title
Koorana, speech recording
Type
Image
Date
1974
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1974, p.50

Details

Koorana, Oscilloscope
Title
Koorana, Oscilloscope
Type
Image
Date
1974
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1974, p.51

Details

Koorana
Title
Koorana
Type
Image
Date
1975
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1975, p.51

Details

Koorana, in class
Title
Koorana, in class
Type
Image
Date
1975
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1975, p.52

Details

Koorana, exercise
Title
Koorana, exercise
Type
Image
Date
1975
Source
Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1975, p.53

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Information Services, Department for Community Development, 'pp.273-274, Table 20: Children Attending Koorana, Certain Years between 1974 and 1986', Signposts: A Guide for Children and Young People in Care in WA from 1920, Government of Western Australia, 2004, https://signposts.communities.wa.gov.au//pdf/pdf.aspx.

Prepared by: Debra Rosser