Rural and Remote Education - NT

Rural

and Remote Education - NT

Several speakers

expressed very sincere concern about the decision to stop the Bilingual

Education Program. The Inquiry was told over and over again that the teaching

of Yolngu is a vital part in the work to educate the children of Yirrkala.

Teachers, parents and concerned community members all stressed that they

wanted education in Yolngu as well as in English. They are afraid that

they will lose their language if it is not taught in school and that if

they lose their language they will lose their traditional culture.

A letter from the

former principal of Yirrkala Community Education Centre (CEC), Mandawuy

Yunupingu, was read to the Inquiry. The letter addressed the necessity

of continuing the Bilingual Education Program. "We have much to offer

the people of the world. And language is at the hart of what we have to

offer. If we lose that, we lose our culture. And if we lose our culture,

you lose something that is unique."

"If the language

is lost, the culture will be lost also, customs, tradition and law will

be destroyed, because we also need to use the language of the law in politics

and many other areas."

The people of Yirrkala

were also concerned about the lack of education for some children in the

10 homeland centres in the Yirrkala area. Most of these children only

receive cultural education and no mainstream education. There is a strong

wish for a school in every homeland centre where they can provide cultural

as well as mainstream education for the children.

"We need our children

to be educated. Educated in the proper manner. Educated in a way that

we would like them to be. Because tomorrow's future is held by these young

people."

Last

updated 2 December 2001.