Secretary of the NSW Department of Education Murat Dizdar presented Kylie Parsons with the award this month. Photo: Facebook.
Kylie Parsons has worked in a range of jobs over her lifetime.
Earlier this month, the proud Yuin woman and current Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) for Moruya Public School was named in state-wide awards.
“You don’t go into jobs like this, or into any education system, for the awards and the glory,” she says.
“You come in because you care … [At the awards] you got to see lots of people who were doing great work to try and improve the lives of our children and young people throughout the state.”
Ms Parsons joined the school when Uncle Darryl Cruise went on leave, and eventually took up the role full-time four years ago.
“I was asked, just on a whim, [to start working there] … we did a job share for a while and then he retired,” she says.
“[He has] big shoes to fill. He’d been here 17 years and was loved by everybody, and is still loved.”
Ms Parsons has family in the area, though she was raised in Sydney. She moved back down the coast with her young son a little over a decade ago.
“It was more or less, ‘where would I want to raise my son?’.
“I decided that I would move back down here, and Moruya just popped into my head.
“I always thought that when I’d move back home, I’d move to Narooma, to be quite honest, but I liked Moruya.”
For Ms Parsons, accepting the position was an easy decision, and drew from her past roles in local government and community organisations.
“I’ve always gone to jobs where I’m going, ‘where could I make a difference?’.
“The importance of education has been that this is the foundation. Starting from a good foundation can then take our kids to lots of different places and lots of opportunities.
“That’s what attracted me to this [AEO position].”
As the school’s AEO, she started programs giving kids “extra practise and support” as they worked on their literacy and also supported older kids as they prepared to make the move to high school.
Ms Parsons also works with Aboriginal students in years five and six as they hold fortnightly workshops in the school’s Aboriginal Student Voice program.
“We also do some leadership stuff, some personal development [for the students]. This year was the first time we’ve ever had two Aboriginal captains … that’s coming from the work and the development that we were doing in regards to our Aboriginal Student Voice [program].”
She was also involved in starting Dhurga language classes for students in years four to six, which was launched in 2020 and is taught by proud Brinja Yuin woman Kerry Boyenga.
“The decision was made to trial it, to see if people were interested – and people were. I was instrumental in trying to get it out there and connect with people,” she says.
“I’m kind of the facilitator and Kerry is the one who runs the lesson.”
Earlier this month, Ms Parsons was honoured for her work in the Public Education Awards, taking home a Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service.
“I came from public education [when I] went through school, and now I’m here working in public education,” she says.
“The awards night was a celebration of public education. For me, it was a full-circle moment.”
In Ms Parsons’ nomination, it was noted that students’ attendance rates had increased over the past 12 months.
But she says it was a surprise reading that figure.
“A number of our students were at 90 per cent and over,” she says.
“I wasn’t keeping track of that. I was seeing who the kids were that need a bit more assistance, but I wasn’t having a broader look at that data and the increases.”
