Chris Sarra facts for kids

Chris Sarra is an important Australian educator. He started the Stronger Smarter Institute. Chris grew up in Bundaberg, Queensland. He was the youngest of ten children. His parents were of Italian and Aboriginal heritage. Chris faced challenges like racism during his school years.

In 1998, Chris Sarra became the first Aboriginal Principal of Cherbourg State School. This school is in South East Queensland. Under his leadership, student learning improved a lot.

In 2005, Sarra left Cherbourg School. In 2006, he started the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute. This later became the Stronger Smarter Institute.

Chris Sarra has a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor's Degree in Education. He also has a Master of Education. In 2005, he earned his PhD in Psychology. His PhD work, "Strong and Smart – Towards a Pedagogy for Emancipation: Education for First Peoples," became a book in 2011.

His life story was published as a book in 2012. In 2004, Sarra was named Queenslander of the Year. In 2010, he was Queensland's Australian of the Year. Sarra is also on the Australian Rugby League Commission.

Cherbourg State School: A Success Story

In the late 1990s, Chris Sarra became the first Aboriginal principal at Cherbourg State School. This school is in South-East Queensland. Under Sarra's guidance, the school became famous across Australia. It followed the 'Strong and Smart' idea. This led to big improvements in how students learned.

With strong leadership, Sarra made many changes. Students became more excited about learning. School attendance greatly improved. The community also got more involved in education.

Improvements at Cherbourg School

A review in 2002 showed great progress at Cherbourg. Attendance went from 50% in 1997 to 95% in 2002. Reading and math skills also got better. Sarra fixed problems like low attendance and poor grades quickly.

He brought in a school uniform and a school motto: 'strong and smart'. There was also a school song. Students helped keep the school tidy. They also tracked their own absences. They had to explain any missed days at the weekly school assembly.

The school made an Indigenous studies program part of all classes. They also worked with the community. Local Indigenous people were hired to work at the school. Students with good attendance were rewarded. They got free ice blocks or trips to McDonald's. Sometimes, they even went on trips to Melbourne.

Sarra's own report showed that staff, students, and the community were happier. Fewer students needed extra help with reading and writing. Overall, reading and math performance improved a little. More students joined the school. Enrollments went from 144 in 1998 to 265 in 2002. Parents were more satisfied with the school's standards. Sarra said he believed in the people there. He valued what they had to say.

In 2008, Tom Calma praised the Cherbourg model. He said it showed how a positive approach helps. He noted it combined Aboriginal culture with success.

Addressing Challenges at Cherbourg

In 2004, Education Queensland looked into some complaints. Four complaints from students were upheld. Sarra was found to have "grabbed, held and shouted" at boys. Sarra explained he chose to confront bad behavior. He did this instead of suspending children. Suspensions would make them miss school for weeks. Ken Smith from Education Queensland said Sarra admitted he might have gone too far. Sarra promised not to do it again.

When Sarra left in 2005, the new principal did not share his vision. Sarra watched the school decline for seven years. Attendance and results fell. However, in 2011, a new principal welcomed him back. This principal had brought back the Stronger Smarter Philosophy. The school started to improve again.

The Stronger Smarter Philosophy

Chris Sarra explains the Stronger Smarter Philosophy. He says it's a basic human right for children. They should get an education that makes them stronger. This means developing a proud sense of their own culture. They should also become smarter. This helps them take part in modern society.

If schools only make Indigenous children smart, it's not enough. They also need to feel good about their cultural identity. Otherwise, they might just blend into the main culture. Sarra believes everyone loses if this happens.

Stronger Smarter Institute: Empowering Students

Chris Sarra is the chairman and founder of the Stronger Smarter Institute. This institute helps schools. It works to build a positive cultural identity for Aboriginal children. It also sets high goals for their behavior and schoolwork. The Institute is a non-profit group. It works across Australia. Its goal is to help Indigenous students aim for a brighter future.

In 2014, Sarra became chairman. Lisa Siganto was appointed CEO. Later, in November 2014, Darren Godwell became the new CEO. Lisa Siganto moved to the Board. Other independent directors joined the board. These included Herb Elliott, Paul Bridge, Gary Lennon, and Tanya Orman.

By mid-2015, the Institute had helped many people. Over 2,000 graduates from more than 530 schools completed its Leadership Program. This potentially helped over 38,000 Indigenous students.

Institute Funding and Support

The Stronger Smarter Institute received funding from various sources.

• The Myer Foundation provided support from 2006 to 2009. They also gave more support in 2010/11 and 2012/13.
• In 2009, then Education Minister Julia Gillard announced $16.4 million for a project. This was for the Stronger Smarter Learning Communities project.
• In 2010, the Telstra Foundation gave $1.2 million. This brought their total support to $2.4 million.
• In 2011, the Gillard Labor government promised another $30 million. This was for the Focus Schools Next Steps Initiative.
• In 2013, the coal-seam gas company QGC donated $497,000 to the independent Institute.

The Learning Communities project and Focus Schools Initiative stayed with QUT. This happened when the Institute became independent.

Learning Communities Project Review

A big review of the Learning Communities program happened in 2013. Allan Luke led this assessment. The report looked at how the Stronger Smarter Learning Communities worked. It also analyzed their effects. It gathered new information on Indigenous education. It showed a broad picture of teaching methods for Indigenous students.

However, the report found no clear evidence of positive effects. It looked at school attendance from 2008–2011. It also checked NAPLAN test scores from 2008–2011. The study did not find significant improvements in attendance or test scores.

Janet Albrechtsen wrote about this report in The Australian. She noted that Sarra said he was "reasonably content" with the report. But it was not easily found on the website. After questions were asked, a link to the report was added. It included a summary of the findings.

The article stressed the importance of showing how programs help students. This helps governments know if their money is well spent. Especially for the goal of helping more students finish Year 12.

Chris Sarra's Views on Indigenous Education

Chris Sarra's PhD work, published in 2011, talks about Indigenous people taking control of their own future. The book compares how white people see Indigenous identity versus how Aboriginal Australians see themselves. Sarra said Indigenous Australians should change and not just accept the identity given to them. He showed that Indigenous students need to feel strong and confident.

In 2008, Sarra expressed frustration. He felt some workers in remote communities were not doing their best. He later regretted using strong language. He explained his comments came from frustration. He did not mean to disrespect hard-working teachers. In his book, he explains that things have changed. Now, remote schools need "top gun" teachers.

In 2014, Sarra spoke about rejecting the idea of Aboriginal people as victims. He called for new leadership. This leadership should be based on respect and high expectations. It should not focus on victimhood or blaming.

Sarra has questioned some government education programs. In 2012, he said Aboriginal people and others need high expectations from schools. He believes this leads to real change. In 2015, he worried about a program called Direct Instruction. He said other schools were getting better results. He suggested rolling out this program widely could be a costly mistake.

Role at the Australian Rugby League Commission

Chris Sarra joined the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in February 2012.

In February 2013, Percy Knight was removed as Chairperson of the ARL Indigenous Council. Chris Sarra was involved in the events leading to this. There were disagreements within the ARL Indigenous Council. Larry Corowa, a former Rugby player, criticized Sarra. He questioned Sarra's role in the council's issues. Corowa also said the community had voted no confidence in Sarra.

In response, Sarra offered to meet with Knight. He wanted to discuss the issues respectfully. Sarra said, "We won't solve anything with a public slanging match. Let's sit down and have a respectful conversation." Larry Corowa noted that the council had trouble getting financial information about some events.

Honours and Awards

• 2016 Person of the Year, NAIDOC Awards
• 2004 Queenslander of the Year
• 2010 Queensland's Australian of the Year
• QUT: 2004 Chancellor's Outstanding Alumnus and Faculty of Education Award Winner