An Open Letter to the NT Minister for Education,
Dear Minister,
The Standing Committee of the Uniting Church, Northern Synod, in
support of the NRCC - the Synod’s Indigenous Presbytery, asks you to
reconsider the decision to cease bilingual education in the NT. Your
announcement that in 2009 the first four hours of each school day are
to be spent in English only, effectively means bilingual education
cannot be conducted.
The purpose of bilingual education is to give support to Aboriginal
communities which wish to maintain their language and culture as well
as having positive student outcomes in Aboriginal languages and
English. Where this is the expressed community view, it is difficult
to see how a partnership relationship between Aboriginal communities
and government can continue in the face of disregard for stated
community views.
As the data (schools involved? attainment levels at Years 3, 5 and 7?)
pertaining to English outcomes has not been publicly released by your
Department, it is also difficult for the community, especially for
those out bush, to understand what is going on.
Given that some reports have claimed positive English outcomes, it is
requested that your Department enact a moratorium on the ‘English for
the first four hours’ directive for 2009, so that Aboriginal
communities who wish to achieve sound outcomes in English and
Aboriginal languages have the opportunity to discuss this matter
further.
At a time when the Commonwealth Intervention, the implementation of
Shires and possible changes to homeland centres are causing confusion
and concern in the bush, the dismantling of bilingual education is
another impost from government. Indigenous members of Uniting Church
have asked for support as they do not wish to have existing bilingual
programs closed, hence the request for a moratorium on English only
for the first four hours in 2009.
In this season of Advent, a moratorium and release of outcome reports
will shine some much needed light and show respect for community views
where bilingual education is a valued educational approach.
Peter Jones
General Secretary
Uniting Church
Darwin
(printed in the NT News, 3 Decemeber 2008)