EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION

DEMAND 6

Lift the ban on bilingual education and allow expansion of bilingual programs in NT schools where requested.

Invest in training and employment of Aboriginal teachers and Aboriginal teachers' aides and ensure they play a central role in curriculum development.

Provide resources and employent opportunities to enable schools to become important centres of culture and community life.

Invest in staff, infrastructure and equipment to ensure all remote Aboriginal schools have full time qualified teachers and enjoy the same resources per enrolled student as schools across Australia.

Stop punitive programs linking welfare payments to school attendance.

Overview

In 2007, the Australian Education Union estimated (pdf) that $1.7 billion extra investment was required over 5 years to provide 1360 extra teachers, as well as 585 extra school staff, to address chronic under-resourcing in remote NT schools.

Most of the 45 Homeland Learning Centres operating in very remote areas do not have qualified teachers (pdf page 49) or provide a full-time education, and many are simple tin shacks.

146.5 full time equivalent new teaching positions have been allocated over the period of the Intervention. And 250 part time support positions have been created in schools to replace losses from the closure of the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP).

But the AEU (pdf page 15) estimates that there were 5-600 school based positions operating under CDEP. Many of the new positions have limited hours and are on the lowest level of public sector pay - an effective pay cut for some former CDEP participants. And many more jobs for local people have disappeared as bi-lingual education programs close down.

In 2008, the NT government prohibited bilingual education, which taught from curricula developed in both English and local Aboriginal languages. New regulations only allow for one hour per day teaching in Aboriginal languages.

Government statistics show a marked decrease in school attendance rates since the Intervention, including a 5.6 per cent drop from 2009-10. School enrollment numbers are also down.

Some of the largest drops in attendance have been in schools which formally ran bi-lingual programs, including a 23 per cent decrease at Lajamanu. There is comprehensive evidence  (pdf) that teaching a child in their own language is the best way to improve literacy.

New reforms introduced in 2009 give Centrelink the power to completely suspend the welfare  payments of parents whose children are not attending school. This despite their being no evidence (pdf) that taking away a families livelihood encourages school attendance.