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Adele Rice

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Adele Rice
AM
Born1943[1]
Bangalore, India[1]
Occupationschool principal (retired)
Known forbeing a founding principal of a school for migrant and refugee children

Adele Deidre Rice AM (born 1943) is an Indian-born Australian refugee advocate and retired school principal.

She is best known for being the founding principal of Milpera State High School in Brisbane, a school established in 1984 specifically for the children of refugees and migrants for whom English is a second language.[2][3][4]

Early life

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Born in India during the second world war, Rice was the daughter of a woman with English, Irish and Dutch heritage and an Irishman who arrived India while serving with the British Army.[1] After India gained independence, the family relocated to Australia.[1] They left Bombay by ship, arriving in Sydney in 1948.[1] Her family then travelled by train from Sydney to Brisbane.[1]

From the age of five, Rice was a boarder at the Sister of Loreto Convent at Coorparoo.[1] She then attended St Joseph's at Nundah followed by a year at All Hallows' School.[1]

Rice then completed her secondary education at The Range Convent and High School in Rockhampton.[1]

Career

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After finishing school, Rice pursued a teaching career and studied at Brisbane Teacher's College before commencing employment with the Department of Education where she remained for over fifty years.[1]

She became the principal of Corinda Special School in 1979, leading the school which catered for non-English speaking secondary students around the time of Brisbane's Indo-Chinese influx.[1]

Rice was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1984.[5] She then established a teacher training program designed for specialist teachers.[5]

In 1984, Rice became the founding principal of Milpera State High School at Chelmer, the only purpose-built school of its kind in Australia.[1] Here, Rice led a school which had a fluctuating enrolment of approximately between 180 and 250 students who spoke up to 45 different languages.[1]

Rice stayed with the school until her retirement in 2012.[6]

Throughout her time as principal of the school, Rice was widely regarded for her work in ensuring children whose second language was English obtained their secondary education through specialist learning and settlement programs.

Despite retiring from teaching, Rice continues to be active in the community, serving in varying capacities with numerous organisations such as Heal Queensland, the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma, St James College, Asylum Circle, and Global Citizen Education Network.[7][8][9]

Awards

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Rice received the Save the Children White Flame Award in 2005 which was presented to her by Queensland's Minister for Child Safety Mike Reynolds during the 2005 Children's Week celebrations.[10]

In 2008, the Queensland Minister for Multicultural Affairs Lindy Nelson-Carr named Rice as one of the state's "Multicultural Achievers" alongside hairdresser Stefan Ackerie, pole vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva, and musician Vasilini Lolo.[5]

In 2011, Rice was a co-recipient of the inaugural Professor Betty Watts Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching.[11]

In the 2014 Australia Day Honours, Rice was made a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to secondary education and to the migrant and refugee community.[12]

Rice received an honorary Doctor of the University degree from the Queensland University of Technology in 2020.[13]

In 2023, she was named as a Queensland Great.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Henry, Margot (September 2012). "Unleashing potential in young refugees" (PDF). St Mary's Matters. St Mary's Church, South Brisbane. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. ^ Chilcott, Tanya (13 June 2011). "Principal inspires refugee students". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. ^ Sykes, Emma (1 December 2010). "Migration is changing the Australian landscape". ABC Local. 9 June 2023
  4. ^ "Honorary doctorates for academic and business leaders". The National Tribune. 11 August 2020. Ms Rice was acknowledged for her service to education in Queensland, primarily through second language education in Queensland, and Australia. Her work with Milpera State High School as an intensive English language preparation centre for refugee and migrant students is well known throughout the country.
  5. ^ a b c Nelson-Carr, Lindy (12 October 2008). "Queensland's Multicultural Achievers". The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. Queensland Government. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. ^ Passmore, Daryl (15 December 2012). "After lots of g'days, it's goodbye". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Meet our board: Adele Rice AM, Director". Heal Queensland. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Who we are...Director: Adele Rice AM". QPASTT. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Advisory Council". St James College. Retrieved 9 June 2023. Advisory Council Members...Ms Adele Rice (Member}
  10. ^ "Annual Report 2006". Save the Children Australia. 2006. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Queensland College of Teachers. 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2023. The QCT introduced a new award this year – the Professor Betty H Watts OBE Memorial Award, for outstanding contribution to education. The joint inaugural winners, Ms Adele Rice of Milpera State High School and Sister Elvera Sesta of St Rita's College, Clayfield, have between them contributed over one hundred years of teaching.
  12. ^ "Award: 1148970". Australian Honours Search Facility. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2023. For significant service to secondary education, and to the refugee and migrant community, particularly through the provision of specialist learning and settlement programs.
  13. ^ "Queensland University of Technology Council Report" (PDF). Queensland University of Technology. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2023. Award of Doctor of the University Council approved the award of Doctor of the University on Ms Adele Rice AM...
  14. ^ "2023 Queensland Greats recipients: Ms Adele Rice AM". Queensland Greats Awards. Queensland Government. 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
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