A Departmental officer was seconded for 1990 to develop a model for training AEWs. The South Australian Education Department reported to the Royal Commission that it anticipated its training model will be in operation in 1991. They also work with parents of school-refusing children in an attempt to resolve difficulties arising from conditions at home. An absence of resources, status or responsibility can limit the effectiveness and place enormous stress on these workers. In Dubbo the Royal Commission heard of an Aboriginal Education Assistant with responsibility for two hundred primary school students.
Some Educators work in several schools and are required to use their own cars for work.
However, they cannot get any travel allowance because their cars are not comprehensively insured. This, as in the case of administrators of Koori organisations, puts the Educator in a position of having to work for their community without the full entitlements. It also affects the delivery of this service to Koori students. Whilst in some regions their role had been worked out to the satisfaction of most Aboriginal people, in others there was dissatisfaction and conflict. It also stresses the need to employ both female and male AEWs, particularly in traditionally-oriented communities.