Factors influencing development of curicula for Aboriginal children must not overlook the importance of a strong verbal language component.

It is evident from research projects, and observation that persons of average or above average verbal abilities are found in most Upper Secondary Classes, Colleges and Universities. As a large proportion of graduates have proficient verbal abilities, this must be an area in our schools on which we must place importance. It is also a fact that just about any desirable avenue in life depends on some type of admission or selection procedure; whether it be tests written or telephone applications or interviews. The weighting of most selection criteria tends to give greater weight to verbal abilities than to any other personal individual characteristic.