EDUCATIONAL POINT TO PONDER

There is one problem and one main problem only that underpins indigenous education. It’s that of school attendance. I have been connected directly and indirectly with remote education (both as a school principal and an interested follower in retirement) and can tell you that non-attendance, disrupted schooling and “gapped” education is an issue of a half century or longer. It is the most enduring problem confronting indigenous education.

It stands to reason that with so much missed education, particularly in early years when key learning takes place, that aboriginal students are not going to succeed either within their communities or if they’re taken away into boarding contexts.

The problem can be fixed but people won’t bother. Take it from me that I had success in overcoming issues of school attendance.

For years I was principal

of Angurugu School on Groote Eylandt and we overcame the problem; Angurugu now has the worst record for school attendance of any indigenous school in Australia. It’s not alone for chronic non-attendance is a problem everywhere but is one that educational systems will not confront.

EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

A number of remote communities in East Arnhem are losing their funding for the provision of after school hours care programs. Some disappointment has been expressed at the curtailment of services, but the change is totally understandable. These programs are only relevant if children attend school. Chronic non- attendance and truancy make the provision of such services totally farcical.

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Denise Cahill ( A lesson on how not to be a leader, Sun. Territorian 25/10/20) makes some salient points on what elevates and deflates leaders in the eyes of beholders. The power of personal example is ever so important bin determined respect held for leaders. Good leaders are also people who learn about how to lead, by learning (often from observation) about what not to do as a leader. Leadership based on respect cannot be transcended.

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Parents need to be on guard and absolutely aware of the online sites their children visit and the online games that can be so absorbing. Schools play their part, but awareness, education and the shaping of young attitudes has to start in the home. Parents discount this issue at their peril, for it is one of clear and distinct danger to children.

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EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

I hope many of our students who are facing situations of phyrric and compromised year twelve results, elect to revisit their final year of secondary school in 2021. COVID-19 has played havoc with and destabilised the 2020 educational year, largely trashing learning opportunity that should be satisfying and rewarding. Revisiting year 12 next year could provide the fulfilment stripped from students this year.

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It is a shame that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has seen fit to cut the interest rate on the Dollarmite accounts of children who are learning to save through school banking. Saving money is becoming an increasingly rare skill and children need to understand the importance of saving against the future. The CBA’s reduction of what was already a small interest reward for a very important attitude is disappointing. Hopefully children will not be discouraged from saving.

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Congratulations to Bryce Fullwood our home grown Territorian, who has debuted on the Supercar stage. He has done the hard yards and worked assiduously to claim the status he is now earning. He is an example to all young Territorians and has proven that hard work and dedication pays off.

EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

ABORIGINAL EDUCATION – A LAMENT

How good it would be if I could ever have a conversation with the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs on matters to do with Indigenous Education. That of course will never happen because the way things were managed and met in past times, together with strategies that were tried and which worked are of no interest to present leaders.

It is little wonder that in so many ways we get stuck

on Genesis 1: 1.

The shame of turning away from the history of Indigenous education is that there were many things done that were good in terms of both approach and outcome. Peer mentoring is a strategy that could have been employed but never has been used. Sadly, remote education goes around in circles, gaining little ground. And that is both a terrible shame and a sad waste of human and material resources.

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EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

Clearly, there needs to be a stringent examination of the financial accounting processes that have operated at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE). It may be wise to draw a line under tenuous operational processes and start afresh. What has happened historically seems to have muddied the waters, making it hard for the Institute to get a firm grip on future directions. Going forward, there MUST be full financial accountability based on clear accounting processes.

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Matters surrounding the Remote Aboriginal Teacher Education (RATE) program (NT News 4/1) are somewhat unclear. The program described as ‘groundbreaking’ ran in the 1980’s and 90’s, helping qualify Indigenous staff to work as teachers in classrooms. If the program was so successful, why was it then dropped for the best part of 25 years and is only now being reinstated? This is a question that deserves a response from the NT Education Department.

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It’s time for Australian Universities to put off the crawl to overseas students for the sake of dollars. To regard students as cash cows and to count them as money bags rather than considering them as people is so wrong. Nor are our domestic students second class citizens.

The ICAC report and recommendations on the Milingimbi School funding situation and monetary use, raise two very important points. Firstly, school principals and finance managers have to be scrupulously circumspect in the way priorities are established for the use of funds. Secondly, the Department of Education audit processes must involve an examination of school accounts and not be about rubber stamping without checking. A situation like Milingimbi reflects badly on the budgetary management of all schools and that is not fair.

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The decision by the Charles Darwin University Board to reinstate the Diploma of Nursing is very good news. Hopefully the revamped program will have a strong focus on practical skills including bedside manner and relationships with patients. Too often, modern training has a clinical focus but not one that includes the way nurses interact with those being treated.

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Educators and those who place a high level of emphasis and importance on NAPLAN tests (NT News 25/8) will be delighted at the upturn in NT competencies confirmed by the May 2021 results. This is great news and helps confirm the benefits of ongoing face to face teaching in our schools. Opportunities for many students in other states have been hindered by school closures and forced online learning.

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EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

Thank you for the 2020 educational highlights package in the NT News (28/12). The resilience, resourcefulness, creativity and coping strategies developed and practised by school staff and students in countering this most challenging of years deserves high praise. One can but hope that 2021 will be a less challenging educational year.

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The year in education has been an Australian and indeed a worldwide educational year with significant difference to those of the past two or three decades. Students, staff, schools and their communities have had to cope with forced change like never before.

Some have coped better than others, but for all there was a significance that made this year one that stood out. For the most part, the standing out was for all

the wrong environmental reasons.

Well done on coming through and all the best for 2021.

EDUCATIONAL POINT TO PONDER

It seems to me that more and more students, particularly those at secondary level, are confronted with homework tasks that are well and truly over the top. Students are being handed massive assignment requirements, requiring countless hours of time, where the teaching that should be associated with units of study have not been offered. This requires students to tackle topics without a sufficient and class taught understanding of what is required.

Homework is increasingly being used as a means of transferring teaching obligations straight onto students and also their parents. The curriculum is widening and deepening in terms of content that has to be taught. A lot is extraneous and b opted onto requirements at the whims of government and ‘experts’. What does not help is a system that says, “yes, yes, we can take on board more and more”.

So it is downloaded as new learning , without prerequisite classroom teaching, onto students. This is not the way to go for outcomes will be web based constructions handed in for assessment where the work has been mechanically prepared, under obligation, and with little understanding and love for these conscripted responses.

Modern educational approaches are too often scarce on meaningful teaching and destructive of a love for learning.

EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

The way on which children and students have been ‘batted’ between home, school and care centres must be very disconcerting for young minds trying to understand matters about the coronavirus and its consequences. It is to be hoped they don’t succumb to feeling unwanted and unloved.

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The (almost) 1000 teachers who stayed in remote communities during the recent school holiday in order to void possible COVID-19 contamination and virus spread, deserve special commendation. To surrender one’s holiday (and that of family members) takes extraordinary dedication and special commitment. This is an example of people who are members of the teaching profession going well above and beyond the call of duty.

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One can empathise with remote area police being required to remain within communities because of COVID-19 imposed restrictions. Limitations on travel and movement apply equally to other government employees resident within these communities. I think especially of teachers who were required to stay put during the recent holidays and who, by the end of term, will have been in their locations for six months. Thank you all for your efforts.

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EDUCATIONAL POINTS TO PONDER

I recently conducted a week long online survey. The question asked was “Should handwriting be taught as part of the primary school curriculum?” There were 701 respondents. 93% said ‘yes’ to the question and 7% ‘no’. That is a resounding rebuff to those believing handwriting is no longer important.

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AT LAST children aged between 12 and 16 are to be vaccinated against Covid. Thanks to our Health Minister and CMO for this determination and for the common sense that is prevailing in the NT’s virus management program. School outbreaks in southern states and the ACT confirm absolutely that the virus is virulent among persons of all ages. Our young people deserve the protections afforded by vaccination as much as those of us who are older.

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I believe that principals, the Education Department, Catholic and Independent Schools Associations should report in public the damage and vandalism being inflicted on schools by those with nefarious intent. Staying silent and leaving the community unaware of this problem is counter productive. Those who desecrate our schools and destroy the work of students with wanton acts of vandalism should be called out.