Australia’s iconic sporting mascot, the Boxing Kangaroo, is now an incentive to primary students to wear their school uniform
Australia’s iconic sporting mascot, the Boxing Kangaroo, is now an incentive to primary students to wear their school uniform.
On the main road in the Cape York Peninsula, 550km northwest of Cairns, is the small town of Coen, population 250. The local primary school is managed by the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA).
“Soon after Coen Campus of CYAAA began our affiliation with the AOC’s Chat to a Champ project, we found a large stuffed animal had hopped into our school – Australia’s leading sporting mascot, the boxing kangaroo,” Principal Craig Jordan said.
Jordan has used the popular toy in a competition to encourage students to wear their uniform.
“We have been working hard to have more students wear the full school uniform and given our school uniform is green and gold, it was a natural choice for us to present the Boxing Kangaroo to the class with most students wearing the full uniform,” he said.
The students have come up with their own name for BK.
”Before we could begin awarding classes, we decided our kangaroo needed a name, and after a school-wide vote, our kangaroo soon became known as ‘Kangaroo Jack’.”
BK, alias Kangaroo Jack, spends each week in a different classroom as a reward for students wearing their uniform.
“Now each week, classes vie for the chance to have Kangaroo Jack in their class. He teaches our students to have ‘a fighting spirit’ and our students have helped him learn the class rules and also wear the school uniform.”
Frances Cordaro
AOC