e" DOCUNUT BEMIRE . 4 -4 -------- ED' 153706 . OD 020 383 .. , , , Jr.. AUTHOR ) Taylor, Sandra C., .,Ed.: .Baldauf, Richard B... Ed. -, TITLE Aboriginal, and Islander EducatiOn: iPerspectives and Chittge. /INSTITUTION James Cook Univ. of North 'Queensland,Townsville* (Australia). ' . PUB DATE Jun 79 . NOTE 36p.: Procee'dings Of a Seminar* at James Cook Uniersity (TownsvilleQueensland,Ustralia , .. October 7-8, 1978) _ EDRS PRICE NFO1/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPtORS Change Strategies: *Educational ImErovement: *Educational. Problems; *Educational Resources: Educational Strategies: Ele entary Secozdary Education.; Foreign Countries IDENTIFIERS ,*Aboriginal Pearls; *Australia: Torres Straits Islanders 'IBSTRACT The seminar in this report fooused onperspective*, recent developments, direction's for improvement, andcommunity involiement with regard to the education of Aboriginal andTorres Strait- Islander childien in Australia.. Theseminar underscored that there is cOnsiderable interest inAboriginal and Islander education. wioth attention centered on human andcurric_ular resources available to improve education. Workshop yeports areinctuded on the ollowing topics:or) Aboriginal and 'Islander adolescents: (2) language 'Er.ograms:(3) dulti-ethniccurricultm development;(4) Aboriginal and Islander children in urban schools: and (5) resources .forlearning. (MK) .se I. 4 r 4 ************** * Reproductions supplied by EWES are the best, that(cast be made * , * * from the original docume t. ff. - 1! , 0 v , ABbRIGiNAL AND,IStANDER EDUCATION:, . 1 V PERSPECTIVES AND CIUNGE _ A 1. Proceedings of a Seminar held at James Ck University,'October 7th-8th1978 r* r . Smiisored by the Aboriginal and Islander t -,' Studies committee of the Tamps Cook Universiiy of North Qeensland A A -LB,sm 0 q09'714- U S S DEPARTMENT OrNEACTN, VPERMISS1ON TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATION &WELFARE TER L H E NT 1 T NATIONAL INSTITU,TE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUME N'THAS BEEN REPRO. 1 [MED ext.( TL v As RECEIVED FROM TkifpElSON OR ORGANIZA roN dATINC, POINTS OF vIEW OR OPINIONS SWED 130 NOT NEcVSARn y REPRE. - SENT OFF IC IAL NA T.IONAL INS TITUTE OF RESOURCES EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY TO THE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)," 4 a 'The Aboriginal andIslander-Studies Committee is a committee ofthe Faculty of Arts, James CookUniversity. In recent years the committeehas sponsored films and guestlectrures on a variety of topics, and.has published.ABibliography of Australian Aboriginqs. l'he aims of the committee intlude the coordination anddissemination olf 'research inforMationrelating to Aborigines and Islanders in NorthQueensland. A, particularly important aspect of.this activity is the encouragementof research viewed as impqrtant byAborigines and Islanders themselves. 4 I 4. 4 ii t- .INTRODUCTION A seminar on:Aboriginal and Islander Educatio North Queensland Waslheld at Jaffies Cbok Universit on . October 7th and 8th 1978, which 'brought together- range of perspe'atives on Aboriginal and Islander educat on.. Participants from the jamea Cook Univerbity, the owns-- ville College cif Advanced Education, the public 4nd private schools, the Queensland.Education Departierit,, and interested parents, had the opriortunity to liste informed speakers, to examine an extensive colie tion of curriculum materials and to hear presented effec ive strategies' for better understanding and teefghinAborig- inal and Islander chilOren. or The onehunciiredparticipants,,including a ubstantial nUmber of Aboriginal* and Islander people, also et in q' workshop sessions which allowed those partiCipaing to 4 become involved and discuss in detail issues rased in 0" the general sessions. Although much of the material presented at the semi.nar was done_on.an informal-basis and not presented; as prepared papertg-it was felt ,that the'tape recorded information collected during the seminar would provide valuable insights into Aboriginal and fslander education, and should be.made aVailablein some form for Varticipants fand others unable to attend. To accomplish this, the editors have used, their ow4 . judgement to summarise, edit, and in'some capes extract parts of addresses based on transcriptions of the:tape recorded sessions, It should be emphasised agaih that the speakers did not present formal papers, but, wyre \ :giving their personal opidlons about Aboriginal educatigin. The editors..have tried to capture the spirit of.*at said and done, and hope we have not in the process mis-\J represented any,speaker's point of view. -In general, the seminar showed that there is a considerable interest in Aboriginal and Islander education, and focussed attention on the nUmerous human and curripular resources which are available to improve the education of these children. The editors wish particulerrly to acknowledge the contribution Made to the production of this report by Kerrie Ferguson,%for her transcription of taped materials and typing of several drafts of the-manuscript. Acknow- ledgement is also made to the Department of gducation and the Aboriginal andrIslander Studies Committde whose financial assistance =Id! the report possible. Finally, we wish,to thank the many people who presented materials during the seminar for stimulating our thought on Aboriginal and Islander education' and for helpinCto make the seminar the success that it was. Sandra C. Taylor Richard B. Beildauf, Jr. Department of Education James Cook University Tmum 1(117Q . TABLE OF CONTENTS Seminar Programme Page, Tfie seminar wasoiganised around three lecture and discussion sessions whichraised issuesifor workshops in specific areas ofparticipant interest,to follow the general sessions? Saturday October 7 - , Forum I: Al3original -9.30 - 1Q.lb Pespectives on , and Islander Education 11.00. 12,30 : Zftshop 12.0- 1.30 : Films a Forum II: a 4 1.30 4- 2.30 : Recent Developments in /Aboriginal and Isi!sulder Education .014 4.30 : Workshop . 7.30 : tarbecue at John Flynn . College 16anday OctobT8 drig 4 Special Sessionn 12 9.0 - 11.00 : Di rdections tor the Improve-- tent of Aboriginal and r C Islander Education. Forum Ins 11.30 - 12.30 : Community Involvement in 1.7. Aboriginal and Islander Educadon f3 Workshy keports 1. Aboriginal and Islander adolescents - including careers education, counselling, life skills programs Language/programs - Van Leer program, 21 teaching Aboriginal and Islanderlanguages in the schools 3. Multi-ethnic curriculum development -, 23 including Aboriginal and Islanderstudies 4. akiporiginal and Islander children in urban 30 'classrooms iome practical suggestions and strategies for teachers Resources fór learning in_includingpeople, 31. published materials, production of materials; photographyl'learningcentres. 1 (Forum I: Perspsetives on Abori&inal and Islander Education Speakers: John Budby (Chair) - Member of National Aboriginal Eduoation Committee and Executive Director of Queensland Consultative Committee on'Aboriginal & ,I.slander Education Robyn Sullivan -DeputiltPrincipal, Pimlico High School 4 Kukwan,Wapau - High School Student Didamaine Uibo - Teacher GraCelyn SMallwood-- Nursing Sister During the first,session a number of speakers expressed their concerns in the area of Aboriginal and Islander . edUcation. % . Ase / Deputy Principal at Pidlico, Robyn .sullivan spoke from, the perspective of the high sdhool administrator. She commented an the lack of preparation in the training of many secondary school teachers for teaching Aboriginal and Islander students. ,She noted _that there-were also prbblems because the teaching profession is dominated by white'middle class people. Howeven, some steps were being taken to:assist Aboriginal and Islander students, Mainly in the area of guidapbe7and. home/school liaison. An Aboriginal aide'workineat PiMlito was attempting to .increase the amount of tontact between teachers and parents. .40.5. Mrs Sullivan1:4o discUssed the, truancy rate for Aboriginal anciasndep students and'said that she felt tha.t the`wpcoblein of taking school meann*ful for Aborig- .1.9aa,ancVf014ndelz.students had not yet seen solved. Kukwan Wapau, a high school student Irom ThUrsday apoke about his experiences at high school. In -particular, he discussed the difficulties caused by poor health affeoSing school work,'and also the problems of /living away"Trom'home.- thipd speaker was Didam ine Uibd%1 a four year ,trained Aborrginal teacher.rom ern.Territdry. .She explained.the training programme she had undergone at Bachelor, and,stressed the need for more Aboriginal teachers. She said that A4original.parehts were often .too shy to come to school', and that home visitswere pprticularly important.. Gracelyn Smallwood, nursing sister with a range of experfence In tearea of Aboriginal and Islander health,'spoke about her own fexperiences at school. She described her prOlems in finding employment after gaining a junior certificate, because she was an Aborigine. .She Maid that many black Atudents 'drop-out' of high school because'of an awareness of the problems of finding employ- ment. She referred to widespread.discrimination against AVoriginal and Islander people, and ended by.stressing the need for a change.in, attitudes of the white,sopulation. The views exPressed in the first forum were summarized by John Budby: 0 "The obviousproblem that I halie seen with regards to Aborigines, is 'education fo'r -what purpose?' At this stage, as GracelynkSiallwood mentioned, there is a tremen- . dous amount of prejudicethroughout Australia wtth regard to employment for Aboriginest'so why go-thr ugh to Gride