Normanton is the largest town in the Carpentaria Shire in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. The Carpentaria Shire is the traditional country of the Gkuthaarn, Kukatj and Kurtijar people has a population of approximately 2 200. Normanton is classified as very remote according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics and is in an area of most disadvantage according the Index Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage.
Data from the Australian Early Development Census (2018) tells us that children starting school in the Carpentaria Shire in general – and in Normanton in particular – are significantly more vulnerable than the Australian average in all but one of the domains assessed. They are also more likely to be vulnerable in two or more domains. The data for 2018 showed that our kids struggled in the social, emotional, communication and language domains.
Comparison of results: Australia, Queensland, Carpentaria and Normanton
Children who are developmentally vulnerable in the social competence domain experience a number of challenges with poor overall social skills. For example, this would include children who do not get along with other children on a regular basis, do not accept responsibility for their own actions and have difficulties following rules and class routines. Children may be disrespectful of adults, children, and others’ property; have low self-confidence and self-control, do not adjust well to change; and are usually unable to work independently.
Children who are developmentally vulnerable in the emotional maturity domain experience a number of challenges related to emotional regulation. For example, problems managing aggressive behaviour being prone to disobedience and/or is easily distracted, inattentive, and impulsive. Children will usually not help others and are sometimes upset when left by their caregiver.
Children who are developmentally vulnerable in the language and cognitive skills domain experience a number of challenges in reading/writing and with numbers; unable to read and write simple words, will be uninterested in trying, and often unable to attach sounds to letters. Children will have difficulty remembering things, counting to 20, and recognising and comparing numbers; and usually not interested in numbers.
Children who are developmentally vulnerable in the communication and general knowledge domain will have poor communication skills and articulation; have limited command of English (or the language of instruction), have difficulties talking to others, understanding, and being understood; and have poor general knowledge.
How can we change this data?
The first thing we should take from these results is - What can we do to change these statistics? We need to consider what is happening in Normanton which results in our children being more developmentally vulnerable. Is it because we are more remote, although our remoteness has many advantages? Are our kids experiencing developmental trauma? Are they exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences at a greater rate than the Australian average? Is FASD a factor? How is our socio-economic situation impacting on our kids and what can we do about it? How is intergenerational trauma impacting? What about the mental health of parents - are sufficient services available and accessible? What services/supports do we already have in place that need to be continued or further developed? What other areas need to be considered?
Secondly, we need to consider what we can do to improve outcomes for the children who are reflected in these statistics. We know that a lot of co-regulation is needed before a child can be expected to self-regulate. Are adults able to do this - or do they need support also? Are parents and carers aware of the importance of co-regulation and the value of modelling of self-regulation? How can we improve awareness and skills?
What is social competence like more generally in the Community? Does the incidence of offending in Normanton suggest some difficulties in this area. In 2019, there were 75 "Offences Against the Person" and 101 "Good Order" offences (Queensland Police Service, 2020). Linked to these statistics, many families have been impacted by Community Violence and Family and Domestic Violence, and the consequent incarceration of family members.
How can we help the next generation? Improving skills in emotional literacy, body awareness and self-regulation can help children improve their social competence, emotional regulation and ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings to others. Again - how are we going to do this? What would work in Normanton? We can improve these statistics - but it needs planned Community-based action.
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