remote control language in indigenous education policy and practice

Presenta(on Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 1 Presenta(on Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 1

Remote Control Language in Indigenous

Education Policy and Practice

Samantha Disbray & Gillian Wigglesworth

ACTA Conference, Melbourne October 2014


Remote Control Language in Indigenous

Education Policy and Practice

Samantha Disbray & Gillian Wigglesworth

ACTA Conference, Melbourne October 2014

Remote control

Governments-‐ Federal/State/Territory

from social/historic/physical distance

Educa(on Department bureaucrats, local officers

from social/historic distance School principals, visi(ng teachers

from social/historic distance

Local teaching staff, leadership & governance

Wider poli(cal &

public discourse

Remote control

Governments-‐ Federal/State/Territory

from social/historic/physical distance

Educa(on Department bureaucrats, local officers

from social/historic distance School principals, visi(ng teachers

from social/historic distance

Local teaching staff, leadership & governance no distance

Guiding Ques(ons 1.  What does language educa(on policy look like in social

prac(ce? Who does it, with what purposes, to and for whom, and with what consequences?

2. How are language users and prac(ces ‘disciplined’ or regulated through explicit and implicit policies? (McCarty 2011; also Stri(kus & Wiese 2006; Levinson & SuZon 2001).

Data •  Na(onal and Territory policy documents, official statements,

posi(ons, default or de facto policies, responses in prac(ce •  Long-‐term observa(on of local prac(ces in schools (8 sites in NT),

documents generated in schools (workshop reports, mee(ng notes), interview data from community members, school staff and educa(on department officers, plus involvement in regional community educa(on bodies, such as the Warlpiri Educa(on and Training Trust, the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunykatjara Educa(on Council

“Knowing that our own language and culture play the biggest role in growing our spirit, our connec(on to our land and the stories of our grandmother and grandfathers. With our language we know where we belong, we know the names from our country and Jukurrpa (Dreaming stories and designs). Young people can’t lead a good, healthy and happy life without this. Language and culture come first. When kids feel lost and their spirit is weak then they can’t learn well or be healthy. They need to feel pride in their language and culture and know that they are respected. That’s the only way to start closing the gap” (Warlpiri Patu kurlangu Jaru 2012).

Rhetoric and Prac(ce

Despite rhetoric of the value of Australian Languages to Australia, and the their benefits to speakers, the Na(onal Indigenous Languages Policy does not commit to ac(on, funding and privileges English.

Na(onal Indigenous Languages Policy hZp://arts.gov.au/indigenous/languages

The importance of Australia's Indigenous languages

The most recent report on Indigenous languages in Australia, the Na(onal Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) Report 2005, found that the situa(on of Australia’s Indigenous languages is grave and requires urgent ac(on. Of the 145 indigenous languages s(ll spoken in Australia, 110 are cri(cally endangered. All of Australia’s Indigenous languages face an uncertain future if immediate ac(on and care are not taken. The Australian Government is commiZed to addressing the serious problem of language loss in Indigenous communi(es.

Na(onal Indigenous Languages Policy

hZp://arts.gov.au/indigenous/languages

Con(nued Suppor(ng Indigenous Language Programs in Schools

Significant funding for languages educa(on is being provided to the states and territories through the Na(onal Educa(on Agreement for languages, allowing jurisdic(ons flexibility to determine how funding is allocated. Funding can be used to support and maintain Indigenous language programs opera(ng in government schools. $56.4 million is also being provided over 2009 to 2012 through the Schools Assistance Act 2008 to support the teaching of languages generally, including Australian Indigenous languages, in non-‐government schools.



Con(nued Suppor(ng Indigenous Language Programs in Schools

The Government is commiZed to languages educa(on and recognises the important role that Indigenous language learning plays in some schools, par8cularly bilingual schools. The learning of English is also a fundamental skill that all Australians, including Indigenous Australians, must have in order to maximise their learning opportuni8es and life chances. All Australian governments through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) processes have commiZed to halving the gap in the reading, wri(ng and numeracy achievements between Indigenous and non-‐Indigenous students within a decade.



Indigenous languages & literacy & numeracy

The Government is providing $56.4 million over four years to provide extra assistance to schools to enable them to expand intensive literacy and numeracy approaches that have been successful with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and provide professional development support to assist teachers to prepare Individual Learning Plans for Indigenous students.

Funding for Indigenous Languages Support Its $9 million annual budget falls far short of demand. According to the

recent House of Representatives Enquiry “funding for language programs has remained at around $9 million for 15 years [and in 2012-13] the budget for the ILS program is $9.9 million, with applications exceeding $21 million” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, p. 65). In 2014, $8.8 million was allocated for community language programs, not exclusively education related.

NT Language and Culture in Schools

60 out of 154 schools -‐ one or more Indigenous language, overwhelmingly at primary level, for on average between 1 and 4 hours per week

Indigenous Language Prac((oners in NT Schools

To do it well, you have to do it that way, to make it official. Its one of the official languages taught in the school. So you get proper money and so you make it official. Have a budget for it, you’ve goAa have the human resource and the material resources. We wrote a Language and Culture Policy, but no one sees it. Every new principal comes with a different idea. We have to start again and may be we can teach language and culture.

Things are always changing, we are doing accelerated literacy, then kids maAer, now its visible learning

There is no team-‐teaching, no learning together, planning together and teaching together, so Kardiya and Yapa just work apart.

3. How do policy processes normalize some languages and speakers, and marginalize others?

The review focuses on the English language skills and knowledge that underpin success in the western educa(on system and proposes that these are gained through rigorous and relentless aZen(on to the founda(ons of the language and the skills that support par(cipa(on in a modern democracy and economy. This report recommends the explicit teaching and assessment of founda(onal elements of English literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics and vocabulary. (Wilson 2014, p.12 Review of Indigenous Educa(on in the NT )

Language and Ideologies

1.  Social Darwinism – set low educa(onal expecta(ons for Indigenous students

2.  Cultural Imperialism – held Indigenous language and culture in low esteem and ac(vely repressed them

3.  Cultural Depriva(on (Deficit) – Indigenous language and culture as a handicap to rec(fy (1-‐ 3 TruscoZ & Malcolm 2011)

4.  Cultural Rela(vism – Pluralis(c, inclusive, rights-‐based support for Indigenous languages

5.  Global Impera(ves – focus on global markets and economic needs, at the expense of more local objec(ves (eg. Home languages) (On points 4 & 5 see also Lo Bianco 2001)

6. Literacy Crisis – Lo Bianco, 2002, Lo Bianco & Freebody 2001, Hannan 2009) 7.  Prac(cal Equality – ra(onaliza(on of a set of skills, goals & indicators for

all.

Literacy is all things

Languages > Language (English) > Literacy (English, in formal setngs ie. educa(on and the workplace)

Literacy is the key to success (No other factors lead to/contribute to a lack of success eg. lack of iden(fica(on of the goals associated with this formula(on of success – mo(va(on, poverty, trauma, racism, mental health)

Literate = either/or LiZle or no acknowledgement of bilingualism; knowledge of a language other than English does not lead to success or fulfillment, but rather acts against success and fulfillment.

Language Speakers percep(on of bilingualism When I went to school, it was a bilingual educa(on at Ernabella. I learned my first language and then English. When I was 16 years of age it was my family’s decision that I have to go away to school […] I stayed and learned new things in a new place and environment […] I’m s(ll learning today and everyday. Pitjantjatjara educator and educa(on leader Makin( Minutjukur (2013) Warlpiri is like a vehicle to learn a new language […]. I think that the proper recogni(on of our iden(ty and language makes us strong and grown-‐up, knowing English and Warlpiri together. I think that the Indigenous language can assist in many ways such as in transla(on, because that is what I grew up on, especially the experience in the classroom of always having two people, a Kardiya—a European—and a Yapa an Aboriginal person, a Warlpiri person. They were both there for me to make sure that I got the proper educa(on in both ways. That has been an important thing in my growing up in both worlds, Warlpiri and English (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, p. 25).

Language Speakers percep(on of bilingualism cont. We learn from our elders that language is sacred. Yolngu kids think in their own language, which can then inform them about English, its meaning and its value. I consider that Yolngu kids can be as clever as any one else in the world. And I don’t want the cleverness ley outside the classroom door. Not for my kids, or my grandkids. They should have equal rights, the same rights as any kids in the world, whether they’re Chinese or Balanda, equal rights to learn in their own language. There should be a choice given to all schools and communi(es about how our schools should operate. Yalmay Yunupingu 2014

And yet, Fogarty and Schwab (2012 p.9) note: Calls for ‘back to basics’ educa(on fail to recognise that it never ley. In fact, “[p]hone(cs, arithme(c and grammar exercises have long formed a daily part of the teaching and learning cycle, especially in the remote schools of the Northern Territory where much of the debate is focused.

4. How do minori(sed speech communi(es exercise agency in the face of restric(ve language policies? And finally 5. How can we use our work to address these maZers?

Creative and Innovative Ways to use, teach & promote Indigenous Languages

Ways Forward Local -‐ Bilingual affordances through innova(ve out of school partnerships Remote -‐ Na(onal mul(lingual language educa(on policy opens up ideological and implementa(onal spaces for mul(lingual educa(on (Hornberger 2009) Remote to Local -‐ TruscoZ & Malcolm 2011 – advocacy, beZer teacher training, decisive and well-‐implemented policy Remote to Local -‐ Recognise Campaign – Cons(tu(onal recogni(on

Angelo, D. (2013). Steps for encouraging early independent wri(ng: A language perspec(ve on whole-‐class literacy learning inclusive of EAL/D learners. PracPcally Primary, 18(2), 11-‐16. Commonwealth of Australia. (2012). Our Land, Our Language. Language Learning in Indigenous CommuniPes. Canberra: House of Representa(ves Standing CommiZee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. Fogarty, W. (2013). Country as classroom. In J. Altman & S. Kerins (Eds.), People on Country: Vital Landscapes, Indigenous Futures (pp. 82–93). Annandale: The Federa(on Press. Fogarty, W., & Schwab, R. G. (2012). Indigenous EducaPon: ExperienPal Learning And Learning Through Country: CAEPR Working Paper No. 80/2012. Canberra: Australian Na(onal University. Freeman, L. (2013). NAPLAN: A Thin Veil of fairness -‐ excerpt from senate submission into the effec(veness of NAPLAN. TESOL in Context, 23(1,2), 74-‐81. Hoogenraad., R. (2001). Cri(cal reflec(ons on the history of bilingual educa(on in Central Australia. In J. Simpson, D. Nash, M. Laughren, P. Aus(n & B. Alpher (Eds.), Forty years on: Ken Hale and Australian languages (pp. 123-‐150). Canberra: Pacific Linguis(cs. Klenowski, V. (2009). Australian Indigenous students: addressing equity issues in assessment. Teaching EducaPon, 20(1), 77-‐93. Levinson, B., & SuZon, M. (2001). Introduc(on: Policy as/in prac(ce A sociocultural approach to the study of educa(onal policy. In M. SuZon & B. Levinson (Eds.), Policy as pracPce: Toward a comparaPve sociocultural analysis of educaPonal policy: Westport, CT: Ablex. Liddicoat, A. (2008). Models of na(onal government language-‐in-‐educa(on policy for indigenous minority language groups. In T. Curnow (Ed.), Selected papers from the 2007 Conference of the Australian LinguisPc Society (pp. 1-‐14). Adelaide. Lomawaima, K., & McCarty, T. (2006). To remain an Indian: Lessons in democracy from a century of NaPve American educaPon. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Lowe, K., & Howard, P. (2010). So you want to work with the community? Principles and strategies for school leaders affec(ng the establishment of Aboriginal language programs. In J. Hobson, K. Lowe, S. Poetsch & M. Walsh (Eds.), Re-‐awakening languages: theory and pracPce in the revitalisaPon of Australia's Indigenous languages (pp. 194-‐ 209). Sydney: University of Sydney Press. Maori Language Commission. (n.d). hZp://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/act87/index.shtml. Nicholls, C. (2001). Reconciled to what? Reconcilia(on and the Northern Territory's Bilingual Educa(on Program. In J. L. Bianco & R. Wickert (Eds.), Australian Policy AcPvism in Language and Literacy (pp. 325–341). Melbourne: Language Australia Publica(ons. Osborne, S. (2013). Un(tled Sidney Myer Rural Lecture. Red Dirt Curriculum: Re-‐imaginging Remote EducaPon (pp. 18-‐22): Flinders University. Purdie, N., Frigo, T., Ozolins, C., NobleZ, G., Thieberger, N., & Sharp, J. (2008). Indigenous Languages Programmes in Australian Schools: A Way Forward: Commonwealth of Australia. The Australian. (2014, June 19). Language barrier in nod for all people. hZp://www.theaustralian.com.au/na(onal-‐affairs/indigenous/language-‐barrier-‐in-‐nod-‐for-‐all-‐people/story-‐fn9hm1pm-‐1226959159261. Unsworth, P. (2013). Studying The Effects Of Naplan On Indigenous EducaPon In Remote Schools, Australia. University of South Australia, PhD Thesis: hZp://ura.unisa.edu.au/R/?func=dbin-‐jump-‐full&object_id=121270. Warhol, L. (2011). Na(ve American language educa(on as policy-‐in-‐prac(ce: an interpreta(ve policy analysis of the Na(ve American Languages Act of 1990/1992. InternaPonal Journal of Bilingual EducaPon and Bilingualism, 14(3), 279-‐299. Webb, J. C., Godinho, S. C., Woolley, M. F., & Winkel, K. D. (2013). Sharing Place, Learning Together: the birthplace of new ways? Medical Journal of Australia, 1. Wigglesworth, G., Simpson, J., & Loakes, D. (2011). Naplan Language Assessments For Indigenous Children In Remote Communi(es: Issues And Problems. Australian Review of Applied LinguisPcs, 34(3), 321-‐434.


Thanks to all of the people who have taken part in the Remote Education Systems project so far and shared their insights. The work by the first author reported in this publication was supported by funding from the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres Program through the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the CRC-REP or Ninti One Limited or its participants. Errors or omissions remain with the author.

remote control language in indigenous education policy and practice

Education

language educaon policy

indigenous languages

indigenous education

remote control language

warlpiri educaon

language users

educaon department ocers

local ocers