Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory

Failure of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory government has known for the past ten years that education for most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is failing.  The causes of failure—inequitable schools facilities, inappropriate curriculums and inadequate teaching—in Aboriginal schools are also known.

In a paper being released by the Centre for Independent Studies today, Professor Helen Hughes argues that Aboriginal schools in the Northern Territory have failed to provide Indigenous students with the foundations for entry into the labour force, condemning them to a lifetime of welfare dependence.

Hughes says ‘some 10,000 Indigenous young people are unemployable, unable to speak English, and are illiterate and non-numerate.’

‘Parents are constantly blamed for poor educational outcomes, but the principal causes of Indigenous children not attending school are ineffective curriculums and poor teaching that leave them sitting in class year after year without learning. Most Indigenous primary school leavers, particularly in remote areas, are at year 1 level and their schooling has, in effect, not been extended to secondary education’ says Hughes.

The Northern Territory’s Aboriginal schools, known as Learning Centres and Community Education Centres, frequently include secondary classes, yet most have not been equipped to the standard of mainstream primary schools. They frequently lack ablution blocks and electricity connections. Some have inadequate classroom space and many do not have the teaching equipment and materials—such as books, paper, and writing and drawing materials—essential for primary schools.

‘The Homeland Learning Centres do not follow mainstream curriculums and children are initially taught in a vernacular language. Elementary addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division drills are not taught in maths classes. Children are not being taught history, geography or science.’

‘Aboriginal schools rely heavily on Teachers’ Aides many of whom are not articulate or literate in English and lack the qualifications to be an Assistant Teacher. These Teachers’ Aides are supported by qualified teachers who drive in or fly in to communities. This inefficient system benefits Homeland Association management as the teachers’ airfares are a source of income.’

‘Separate curriculum for Aboriginal children smacks of apartheid.  Educators who believe that Aboriginal children are so different from other children that they cannot absorb basic language or mathematical learning unless it is formulated to be ‘culturally appropriate’ are perpetuating indigenous deprivation.’ 

Professor Hughes calls for the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments to:

• • Standardise all primary schooling with fully equipped schools and full time teachers or provide boarding
  • Provide mainstream curriculums for all students
  • Build houses to accommodate resident teachers
  • Provide Preschools for more than the 4,000 Indigenous three to five-year-olds
  • Twin mainstream schools with remote schools to provide student and teacher exchanges

Helen Hughes is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies.
She is available for comment.

The report is available online at https://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm83.pdf

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Leonie Phillips

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