Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
4.51 In recent years there has been growing pressure for all students to learn a language other than English (LOTE) before leaving school. The second goal of the recently released Australian Language and Literacy Policy is that:
The learning of languages other than English must be substantially expanded and improved to enhance educational outcomes and communication within both the Australian and the international community. 64
4.52 While the goal is quite laudable it emphasises the neglect of Aboriginal languages within schools and in the wider community. During the course of the inquiry no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language had a curriculum to year 12 level. In fact it was extremely rare to find an ATSI language offered at high school. Torres Strait High School believes that it is close to gaining approval of its Kala Lagaw Ya curriculum to Year 12 level.
4.53 The committee finds it intolerable that while most migrant children with a first language other than English have been able to study that language up to matriculation level, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children cannot study their language at high school. As states and territories move to make LOTE compulsory the situation is exacerbated even further. Dr Schmidt cites as an example the NSW Education Department spending $3000 in 1989 for just one student to sit a Higher School Certificate exam in Estonian. She notes:
In sharp contrast, none of the Aboriginal students in the entire State were provided the opportunity of formally studying an Aboriginal language in the school system, let alone have their language recognised and catered for at matriculation level. 65
4.54 The NSW Government advised the committee that Aboriginal language courses were not currently provided nor included in their strategic plan for Aboriginal education. It said that there were "limited curriculum language resources", 66 that language programs were extremely costly and it was difficult finding fluent speakers with a background in teaching. 67 Despite this the NSW Government pointed to its curriculum reform document Excellence and Equity which has a large sector "on languages and language learning because the State is making quite a strong thrust to enhance language learning in schools". 68 Secondary students will be required to undertake at least 100 hours of study in years 7-10 under this reform. 69 It does not include any Aboriginal languages. The same witnesses gave as some of the reasons for low Year 12 retention rates for Aboriginal students:
"It is a matter of satisfaction with going to school; satisfaction with the
curriculum itself; a sense of whether they are achieving or not. 70
4.55 The committee formed the view that the New South Wales Education Department, while articulating its desire to support Aboriginal languages, had no serious intention of undertaking any specific program within the next decade.
4.56 A limited Banjalang language program operated at Tabulam Public School and Lismore High a few years ago under the Commonwealth's Disadvantaged Schools Program resulting from community initiative not that of the Department. 71 NSW has 26% of Australia's Aboriginal population.
4.57 In comparison the Northern Territory Government in addition to running 2 1 bilingual programs has recently commissioned an extensive survey in one area (the Barkly region) so that:
We, as a Department of Education, would best know how we could respond to what Aboriginal people were requesting in support of Aboriginal languages and Aboriginal culture. 72
4.58 The Northern Territory Department of Education acknowledged that the development and ongoing support of Aboriginal language programs is a long term and costly activity. 73 The Northern Territory has 15% of Australia's Aboriginal population. Aborigines constitute a very significant proportion of the Northern Territory's population and have many living languages.
4.59 Clearly the resources allocated within education systems in developing curriculum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language studies have been inadequate. While it may be argued that not many ATSI students go through to Year 12 and some leave before Year 10, it can be equally argued that these students leave because the school does not have enough relevant courses to offer them or is too assimilationist. Resources for language curriculum development are dealt with in Chapter 6.
4.60 The little evidence gained on language programs in TAFE indicated that there had been few programs and that they tended to be sporadic. 74 Several people noted that the introduction of courses and their continuity depended on the level of interest of individual course co-ordinators and of individual college administrations. Adult education agencies such as TAFE are suited to language revival or retrieval courses where this is acceptable to the language group. At university level the University of South Australia offers Pitjantjatjara 1, 2 and 3 and Monash University has in the past run courses in Banjalang.