This paper will explore some of the pedagogical, social and political issues surrounding a 1991 decision to dose an urban school servicing Aboriginal students in the Northern Territory. In order to contextualise the discussion, a brief description of recent State and Federal government policy documents will be provided, along with a description of the school. This will be followed by an analysis of the decision and subsequent events. Some comparisons will be made with similar events and other court cases in Australia and overseas. This discussion highlights the conflict between the Federal government's policy of self-determination and the Territory government's assimilationist practices as well as the discourses used to override the parents' aspirations to keep the school open.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the progress of a study undertaken in North West New South Wales which investigated the views held by parents, students and teachers towards the learning of mathematics in Years 5 and 6. The study involved Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people being interviewed within their community. This paper presents a background to the study, some comment on how the study was implemented and an initial analysis of the views held by one Murri student.

This paper examines the philosophy and practice of programs that aim to maintain, renew, or revive Aboriginal languages in Australia. I focus here on languages, mainly those of urban and rural rather than remote areas, for which there are few if any fluent speakers left. I will refer to them as dead or dying languages although I am aware that in the Aboriginal tradition people consider themselves to own languages that neither they themselves nor their dose kin speak, and that this ownership is very much a part of a living culture. I begin by reviewing some basic issues that arise in planning language programs for such languages. The final section considers some of the factors affecting the success of such programs.

The focus of this paper is on how teachers can recognise and build on the mathematical knowledge Aboriginal students utilise outside the classroom. It also examines the importance of providing experiences and strategies in which students gain meaning and develop the appropriate language that enables them to extend their skills in Western mathematics.

Otitis media (middle ear infection) is one of the most common childhood diseases all over the world and is very prevalent in many indigenous populations including Australian Aborigines. When children have otitis media they often have a hearing loss that can range from slight to moderately severe. This hearing loss is often hard to identify and can come and go. The problem often starts in infancy and can continue for years; hearing returns to normal in some children but some have permanent hearing loss. Even a mild hearing loss in early childhood can seriously affect communication development and learning. This can make it very difficult for children to succeed in the classroom — even when they no longer have active otitis media or hearing loss.

This Workshop paper was presented at the Ministerial Council on Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affair s (MCEETYA) Gender Equity Taskforce Promoting Gender Equity Conference 22-24 February 1995 held in Canberra and attended by advisers to various State/Territory governments, academics and some school-based educators, on gender issues.

This program is based on a unit of work created and taught by Elsabe Bott and Anne Brooks. It was constructed for a Year 10 class of Aboriginal students. The class consists of twenty-five 15-year-olds (approximate age) from the following range of communities: Boroloola; Mornington Island; Elcho Island; Katherine; Ngkurr; Pigeon Hole; Bulman; Tenant Creek; Alice Springs; Tiwi Islands; Alexandra Downs Station and Elliot. This combination of communities changes each year.

Tiwi educators (Tungatalum, 1991; Pilakui, 1991; Tipiloura, 1992; Tiparui, 1992; Munkara, 1992; Orsto, 1993) have raised issues of concern regarding educational operations, curriculum design and the educational structure of community education. These educators are writing in a context vastly different to their grandparents and parents, where a number of critical events have influenced, and are still influencing the social, political, spiritual and economical lives of Tiwi community members. Through their analysis of the current educational system they have isolated a number of issues and have suggested alternatives to the current structure. Language and culture appear as the greatest concern to these educators and the maintenance of both emerge as a priority. They also state that community education programs do not adequately address the importance of Tiwi culture as the foundation of education, and the powerful role that community members and Tiwi teachers should play in determining the direction of education. From Tiwi educators' collective concerns, an alternative model has been constructed and salient issues are discussed. The model is certainly not seen as an answer to Tiwi educators' collective concerns, but it presents an alternative to the current Muruntawi dominated system.

In the Torres Straits, the cultural agenda, along with the push to move away from English as the language of instruction, has not been met with uniform enthusiasm by all Islanders. For many there has been a growing sense of disquiet and continuing frustration about the preoccupations with liberal humanist agendas in Islander education, and the ongoing low levels of educational outcomes (Nakata, 1994a; Nakata, Jensen and Nakata, in prep.). As interesting as the writings in education (Orr and Williamson, 1973; Finch, 1975; Langbridge, 1977; Orr, 1977, 1979; Osborne, 1979; Cunnington, 1984; Kale, 1987,1988; Castley and Osborne, 1988; Castley, 1988; Williamson, 1990) are to some people, they contribute little towards an understanding of our difficulties as we, Torres Strait Islanders, experience schooling, and thus contribute little towards a platform for improving our current or future educational outcomes.

This brief report highlights an apparently inflated suspension and exclusion rate for Aboriginal students in Western Australian government schools. The elevated rates for both suspension and exclusion, but especially for the more serious step of exclusion, should be reason for concern for all educators.