Uncle Joe and Aunty Pearl Trindall raised seven of their own children, but there are literally hundreds more youngsters they encouraged to get a good education.

The respected Gomeroi elders, now both in their 80s, established the Birrelee Multi-functional childcare service in Tamworth, which has provided early educational support to Aboriginal children for the past 20 years.

Working largely voluntarily, the Trindalls were also involved in setting up medical services for Aboriginal people and still regularly visit indigenous prisoners.

They were recently honoured at the Nanga Mai Awards for their lifelong support and service to Aboriginal students’ achievement in public education.

Mrs Trindall said she and her husband always encouraged Aboriginal students to “have pride in their cultural identity and to believe in their dreaming”, because their indigenous heritage was a privilege.

“It’s very important that our children get education, that’s why we spent so long establishing a preschool for them, because whichever career they choose to take education is the key,” she said.

Twenty students, school staff members, community figures and organisations were honoured in this year’s Nanga Mai Awards held at Taronga Zoo. Nanga Mai is an Eora word meaning “to dream”.

Vincentia High School, on the south coast, was named the outstanding school for Aboriginal education, particularly for its 100-hour mandatory Dhurga Aboriginal language course for Year 8 students and its Dance and Didge Troupe where indigenous students invite a non-indigenous friend to join to promote reconciliation.

Helen Pussell, an Aboriginal education assistant at Vincentia High, was the recipient of the outstanding leadership award for her contribution to both groundbreaking programs and other initiatives in the school and community.

The education department’s director-general, Michael Coutts-Trotter, paid tribute to the award winners and to the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, the department’s partner in Aboriginal education.

“I congratulate the individuals, the families, the communities that we are celebrating today and I congratulate the schools and the teachers and the other school staff who make it possible,” he said.

“And it’s not just about professionalism, it’s not just about skills, it is about love and commitment and care and devotion … it’s a celebration of public education.”

He said last year’s Basic Skills Test showed significant improvement in the academic performance of Aboriginal students, but there were “days and weeks and months of work ahead” to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.

The deputy director-general (schools), Trevor Fletcher, said departmental and school staff had worked closely with Aboriginal communities to raise achievement levels.

“Everyone had a red hot go last year and we are starting to see results,” he said.

The gains made in NSW for Aboriginal students now saw the state’s public education system “outperforming the rest of the country”, he said.

John Lester, the director of Aboriginal education and training, said partnerships between communities and schools were a critical ingredient for success and the 3Rs should be recited as “respect, respect, respect”.

“Aboriginal education is about relationships,” he said.