The evacuation of teachers in the troubled community of Aurukun should spark a state government inquiry, the Cape York school's former principal says.
Ian Mackie says the community has been "unfairly demonised" following the week-long closure, triggered by a violent attack on its current principal, and wants an inquiry to get to the root of the unrest.
The Cape York Australian Aboriginal Academy reopened on Thursday, but five teachers refused to return despite a security upgrade.
Mr Mackie said the community had been peaceful during his time there as principal and director in the late 2000s and it was too simplistic for them to be blamed for recent unrest.
"I'm disturbed the fact the community has been demonised and nobody has looked beyond that," he told AAP.
"The education department needs to launch an inquiry."
Specifically, he wants the inquiry to probe the provision of secondary school education given students have to travel to boarding school after completing year six at the school, previously known as the Aurukun State School.
"The problem is long-term prospects for people ... you've got a generation of children who have not been offered a secondary school option," Mr Mackie said.
Highly regarded indigenous educator Dr Chris Sarra backed Mr Mackie's call for an inquiry.
"It's hard to know the truth about what's going on there ... given the amount of dollars being poured in it's worth a closer look," he said.
The Department of Education and Training has been contacted for comment on the prospects of an inquiry.
Regardless, there will be an internal police investigation to examine why it took officers more than half an hour to respond to the incident that sparked the school's evacuation last Tuesday.
Twenty-five teachers and staff were airlifted to Cairns after its principal was carjacked on Sunday by three teenagers, including a 14-year-old wielding an axe.
The principal was allegedly attacked with the blunt end of the weapon after he went to the aid of two teachers who called police after youths began loitering outside their accommodation.
Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates said teachers returning to the school still felt a "level of trepidation".
"It's now a matter of working together with the community to make sure there are no further episodes," he said.
Another former Aurukun principal, Don Anderson, said the situation had improved since he worked there in the 1980s.
But he admitted the existing problems in the township would deter many prospective teachers.
A departmental spokesman said there had been a comprehensive review and upgrade of security measures for teacher housing.
"Their safety will not be compromised, but the Department acknowledges that there is no easy solution to what is a community-wide issue," he said.
