A Facebook post shared by Boggabilla Central School on Wednesday has incensed Elders in the community.
The post, which was shared on Wednesday, requested photographic evidence of students holding their learning resources.
“If your child/children was/were not sighted or spoken to on Monday 30.08.21 please send a photo through messenger of your child/children to the school Facebook page holding up their learning pack/s,” the post read.
“Please be advised if your child/children has/have not been sighted by Wednesday a police check will be initiated to ensure the wellbeing of your child/children. Thank you for your ongoing support.”
It has since been deleted.
Gomeroi Elder Christine Cubby, whose three grandchildren attend the school, told NITV News the post was disrespectful to the town's First Nations community.
The post on the Facebook of Boggabilla Central School which has now been deleted Source: Supplied
She says the post did not take into account the community's historic traumas associated with the police.
“It affects the older generation more than the younger generation, the parents of today didn’t experience the Stolen Generation as much as we did," she said.
"My age group, we take it as a threat because we saw all our kids being taken away by DOCS (now the Department of Communities and Justice) and police in the past.”
NITV News reached out to Boggabilla Central School for comment.
In a statement on behalf of the school, the NSW Department of Education said the post was "poorly worded."
“To celebrate the great work students are doing during the lockdown and to emphasise the importance of staying connected to the school, families were asked to post photos of their children with their workbooks," it read.
"The original post was poorly worded and removed as soon as possible.
"There has been a wonderful response to the school’s requests for photos and these are now being shared on the school’s social media.”
Christine Cubby says she emailed the school on Wednesday when the post was shared but is yet to hear back from them.
She is asking for the school to be more sensitive to their Aboriginal community in the future.
“They need to choose more acceptable and sensitive words for Elders and grandmothers and families of the children.”
