Ongoing unrest in Aurukun has prompted a review of Cape York schooling but the man who pioneered the program warns against using the town's closed school as a scapegoat.
Indigenous leader Noel Pearson on Friday stepped in to defend his model against "ignorant statements" exchanged since Aurukun's Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy was shut down without warning.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the decision - the second closure in as many weeks - was to protect the safety of 20 staff again evacuated after children as young as 6 allegedly threw rocks at security guards and attempted to steal a car near their living quarters.
"Our priority is of course for the children here to get quality education," Ms Palaszczuk said in Aurukun on Friday.
The premier was joined on the emergency visit by Education Minister Kate Jones, who flagged changes to the structure of the academy.
"In the interim we will be looking at a review of the school to ensure we are listening to the community about how they want education provided here into the future," she said.
Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch believes the problems are proof of a failed education model.
Mr Pearson fired back at what he saw as "naysaying nonsense" that equated to using the school as a scapegoat for what was "very clearly a law, order and policing problem".
"I welcome any examination of the school's results or a review of the Cape York Aboriginal Academy," he said.
In defending his model, Mr Pearson highlighted a raft of positive statistics including a jump in attendance rates from 28 per cent in 2007 to 75 per cent in 2011.
Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates said teachers had raised concerns about the education model, particularly around the absence of local schooling for students in years 7-10.
Aurukun Mayor Dereck Walpo floated the prospect of a curfew but elders have questioned why a minority of misbehaving children have been allowed to control the town and the government response.
Aurukun elder Phyllis Yunkaporta told the premier she was opposed to the school's closure, but also put the onus back on the community's parents.
"We need to show love to our children," she said.
Police Minister Bill Byrne gained most applause from the public meeting when he said the Aurukun police station would be manned around-the-clock for "the foreseeable future".
Commissioner Ian Stewart however stressed to residents police could not "arrest our way out of trouble".
"You have to set the standard," he said.
Students have been promised access to distance education for the rest of the term.
A new principal - replacing Scott Fatnowna, who was attacked and carjacked twice in the past fortnight - will arrive on Monday for what Ms Palaszczuk calls "a new start".
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