Fix this text
Education
Fix this textJournal of The New South Wales Teacherr' Federation
Fix this textRegistered at the G.P.O. Sydney for transmission by post as a periodical.
Fix this textVolume 46, No. 11.
Fix this textJUNE 30, 1965
Fix this textPrice: Threepence
Fix this textAboriginal Education
Fix this textConference at
Fix this textSydney University
Fix this textKeen interest- in the problems of Aboriginal Education
Fix this texthas been stimulated by the Conference held at Sydney
Fix this textUniversity on May 28 and 29.
Fix this textSponsored jointly by the uni-
Fix this textversity's Department of Adult
Fix this textEducation and the newly-formed
Fix this textConsultative Committee on Aborig-
Fix this textinal Education, the Conference was
Fix this textattended by over 200 delegates and
Fix this textmembers of the public, including
Fix this texta substantial number of Aborigines.
Fix this textTheir attendance at the Con-
Fix this textference, and their readiness to
Fix this textparticipate in the discussion was
Fix this textprobably the most significant aspect
Fix this textof the Conference, because it
Fix this textindicated the growing awareness
Fix this textby the Aboriginal people of the
Fix this textimportance of education, and it
Fix this textshowed also that able and articulate
Fix this textleaders have developed among
Fix this textthem.
Fix this textThis was particularly evident
Fix this textin the session devoted to “The
Fix this textAboriginal Viewpoint”, during
Fix this textwhich four Aborigines, Mrs.
Fix this textFaith Bandler, Miss Joyce
Fix this textMercy, Mr. Clive Williams and
Fix this textMr. Charles Perkins, not only
Fix this textspoke of the problems of their
Fix this textpeople but replied effectively
Fix this textto a spate of questions from
Fix this textthe audience.
Fix this textBarriers to Education
Fix this textThe Aboriginal speakers
Fix this textshowed very clearly the barriers
Fix this textwhich prevent so many Abori-
Fix this textginal children from making the
Fix this texteducational progress of which
Fix this textthey are capable.
Fix this textMr. Clive Williams spoke of
Fix this textthe conditions under which he
Fix this texthimself had lived—two sheets
Fix this textof iron and a strip of tarpaulin,
Fix this texthis family’s only shelter while
Fix this texthe was chasing a job. He
Fix this textspoke of the disruption to the
Fix this textchildren’s education caused by
Fix this textfollowing seasonal work, so
Fix this textthat there was no chance for
Fix this texta child to establish himself in
Fix this textone school and concentrate on
Fix this texthis education —“if I had had a
Fix this textsettled job and a house to live
Fix this textin, my son would be well-
Fix this texteducated and would have a
Fix this textgood job today,” he said. “To
Fix this textcome from this sort of back-
Fix this textground into civilised living is
Fix this textalmost impossible.”
Fix this textMr. Williams emphasised the
Fix this textneed to get to the parents, to
Fix this textimpress on them the need for
Fix this texttheir chiLdren to be educated,
Fix this textand called for Aborigines to
Fix this textbe given the opportunity to
Fix this texthelp their people in this way
Fix this textbecause “they would learn
Fix this textmore easily from their own
Fix this textpeople”. Mr. Williams also
Fix this textstressed the need for Aborigines
Fix this textto have equal representation on
Fix this textthe Aborigines Welfare Board.
Fix this text"Far Too Long"
Fix this textIn a challenging speech,
Fix this textMiss Joyce Mercy asked, “Where
Fix this textare the Aboriginal doctors,
Fix this textlawyers and parliamentarians?”
Fix this textShe, too, spoke of the barriers
Fix this textthat block the educational pro-
Fix this textgress of Aboriginal children —
Fix this textthe housing problem, ihe diffi-
Fix this textculty of employment, the atti-
Fix this texttude adopted by many that
Fix this textAborigines are unteachable
Fix this text“Far too long these conditions
Fix this texthave existed,” Miss Mercy said.
Fix this text“What are we going to do
Fix this textabout it? Are we just going to
Fix this textthink about it, or are we going
Fix this textto do something about people
Fix this textliving in these depressed con-
Fix this textditions?”
Fix this textMr. Charles Perkins also
Fix this textstressed the social and economic
Fix this textcauses for the low educational
Fix this textattainments of many Aboriginal
Fix this textchildren, and said that if he
Fix this texthad not been good at football
Fix this textand thus able to earn enough
Fix this textmoney to educate himself, he
Fix this textwould probably still be in
Fix this textAlice Springs working as a
Fix this textboundary rider instead of at
Fix this textthe university.
Fix this textHe emphasised that the
Fix this textfinancial assistance provided by
Fix this textmost scholarships was quite
Fix this textinadequate, and some of them
Fix this textwere so small they were not
Fix this textworth having. Calling for
Fix this textAboriginal children to be edu-
Fix this textcated up to European stand
Fix this textards, Mr. Perkins stressed the
Fix this textneed to improve housing and
Fix this textthe home environment side by
Fix this textside with education.
Fix this textMrs. Faith Bandler, the State
Fix this textSecretary of the Federal Coun-
Fix this textcil for Aboriginal Advance-
Fix this textment, also emphasised the link
Fix this textbetween education and social
Fix this textconditions. She said the Federal
Fix this textCouncil had been formed with
Fix this textthe express purpose of making
Fix this textAboriginal affairs a Federal
Fix this textresponsibility, so that the right
Fix this textto decent housing, to land, to
Fix this textemployment and to education
Fix this textcould be achieved, not merely
Fix this textby a few individuals, but by
Fix this textall the Aboriginal people.
Fix this textIn New South Wales
Fix this textToday
Fix this textFollowing a paper on the
Fix this textsocial and historical back-
Fix this textground to the present situa
Fix this textCooking facilities at a home at Bowraville.
Fix this texttion, an outline of Aboriginal
Fix this texteducation in New South Wales
Fix this texttoday was presented by the
Fix this textFederation’s Research Officer,
Fix this textMrs. Gloria Phelan.
Fix this textMrs. Phelan pointed out that
Fix this textuntil the Federation’s Survey
Fix this textlast year of Aboriginal pupils
Fix this textin N.S.W. secondary schools,
Fix this textthere was virtually no informa-
Fix this texttion available about the attain-
Fix this textments, the numbers or even
Fix this textthe whereabouts of Aboriginal
Fix this textpupils in our schools. Federa-
Fix this texttion’s surveys have revealed that
Fix this textthere are approximately 500
Fix this textAboriginal and part-Aboriginal
Fix this textchildren enrolled in secondary
Fix this textschools and approximately
Fix this text3,090 in primary schools. Some
Fix this text700 of these children attend
Fix this textAboriginal schools, but the
Fix this textgreat majority of them are
Fix this textenrolled in public schools.
Fix this textThus in New South Wales
Fix this text(unlike Queensland), the Edu-
Fix this textcation Department accepts full
Fix this textresponsibility for the education
Fix this textof Aboriginal children, and
Fix this textmost people have assumed that
Fix this textif they are receiving the same
Fix this textsort of education as other chil-
Fix this textdren, this is all that is
Fix this textnecessary.
Fix this textDisparity
Fix this textIn Attainments
Fix this textFJowever, the Survey of
Fix this textAboriginal Children in N.S.W.
Fix this textSecondary Schools revealed a
Fix this textshocking disparity between the
Fix this textattainments of Aboriginal
Fix this textpupils and those of other chil-
Fix this textdren. Of 514 children covered
Fix this textby the Survey, only one had
Fix this textreached Fifth Year, and only
Fix this text48 (9%) had proceeded beyond
Fix this textthe Second Form. Almost 60%
Fix this textof the children w'ere rated as
Fix this textslow learners.
Fix this textThe significance of these
Fix this textfigures can be appreciated more
Fix this textclearly if they are compared
Fix this textwdth the attainments of chil-
Fix this textdren. in a number of secondary
Fix this textschools with a comparable
Fix this textenrolment. Thus Cowra, Cam-
Fix this textden, Kyogle and a number of
Fix this textother secondary schools last year
Fix this textiad enrolments ranging from 500
Fix this textto 570 roughly comparable
Fix this textwdth the number of Aboriginal
Fix this textchildren at the secondary level
Fix this textcovered by the Survey. In
Fix this textcomparison wdth the one
Fix this textAboriginal child enrolled in
Fix this textFifth Year, each of these
Fix this textschools had enrolments of
Fix this textFifth Year pupils ranging from
Fix this text34 to 44; in comparison with
Fix this textthe 48 Aboriginal children
Fix this textwffio had proceeded beyond
Fix this textSecond Form, these schools
Fix this texteach had enrolments ranging
Fix this textThese town houses are two of ten recently built at Bourke by the Aborigines
Fix this textWelfare Board. About fifty houses are built by the Board each year, an
Fix this textannual budget of about £150,000 being allowed for this work.
Fix this textThe task of replacing sub-standard residences in other towns, as this one
Fix this textat Wellington, will be a long process at this rate of development. One
Fix this textimportant factor in the school performance of aboriginal as with all children
Fix this textis the influence of the home in developing attitudes to school and to work.
Fix this textfrom 226 to 290 beyond
Fix this textSecond Form.
Fix this textHowever, research work into
Fix this textthe mental ability of
Fix this textAborigines carried out by the
Fix this textQueensland University shows
Fix this textvery clearly that their capacity
Fix this textis in no way inferior to that
Fix this textof other Australian citizens.
Fix this textSir Fred Schoncll, the Vice-
Fix this textChancellor of the University,
Fix this texthas commented on the findings
Fix this textas follows;
Fix this text“Although popular belief
Fix this texthas been that the Australian
Fix this textAborigine has not developed as
Fix this textfar as the European in think-
Fix this texting ability, there is no evidence
Fix this textto support this view. It has
Fix this textbeen found that there are
Fix this textsome bright, some dull and a
Fix this textmajority of average students, as
Fix this textone would expect to find in
Fix this textany European sample. The
Fix this textthinking capacity of the
Fix this textAborigine has been shown to
Fix this textbe in no way inferior to that
Fix this textof Australian citizens as a
Fix this textwhole.”
Fix this textSocially Handicapped
Fix this textChildren
Fix this textThe Federation’s Survey
Fix this textshowed that the main factors
Fix this textimpeding the education of
Fix this textAboriginal children are the
Fix this textsocial and economic conditions
Fix this textunder which they live. They
Fix this textare in fact socially handicapped
Fix this textchildren.
Fix this textWe recognise quite clearly
Fix this textthat children with other types
Fix this textof disability—blind and deaf
Fix this textchildren, spastics, mentally
Fix this texthandicapped children—need a
Fix this textgreat deal of special assistance
Fix this textif they are to receive an ade-
Fix this textquate education, and while we
Fix this textdo not do enough about these
Fix this textchildren, their special needs
Fix this textare clearly recognised. Thus
Fix this textthe Education Department pro-
Fix this textvides special classes for deaf
Fix this textchildren, for partially-sighted
Fix this textchildren and even for some
Fix this textmentally handicapped children,
Fix this textbut there is no special pro-
Fix this textvision for children with a
Fix this textsocial handicap. We just pul
Fix this textthem in ordinary classes and
Fix this textwhen they don’t do well their
Fix this textpoor performance is attributed
Fix this textto lack of ability.
Fix this textThe basic problem of Abori-
Fix this textginal education is the problem
Fix this textof overcoming the depressed
Fix this textliving conditions of Aboriginal
Fix this textfamilies, and that is why
Fix this textteachers cannot stand aside
Fix this textfrom the struggles of the
Fix this textAboriginal people for equal
Fix this textwages, better housing, for land
Fix this textrights and for the removal of
Fix this textthe discriminatory clauses from
Fix this textthe Federal Constitution.
Fix this textBut at the same time there
Fix this textare a number of things which
Fix this textneed to be done on the educa-
Fix this texttional front in New South
Fix this textWales.
Fix this textIt is essential that the Edu-
Fix this textcation Department should con-
Fix this textduct a comprehensive survey of
Fix this textthe educational progress ol
Fix this textAboriginal children. Such a
Fix this textsurvey must show, according to
Fix this textthe primary enrolments con
Fix this texttained in the answers to the
Fix this textFederation’s Survey, that the
Fix this textmajority of Aboriginal children
Fix this text—some 2,500 —are enrolled in
Fix this text60-ockl schools. Is it too much
Fix this textto ask that special provision he
Fix this textmade at these schools to meet
Fix this textthe needs of the Aboriginal
Fix this textpupils?
Fix this textThis special provision should
Fix this textinclude the establishment of
Fix this textpre-school classes and the
Fix this textappointment of additional stair
Fix this textto ensure that classes can be
Fix this textsmall enough for these chil-
Fix this textdren to receive the extra help
Fix this textthey need; to ensure also that
Fix this textremedial classes can be formed
Fix this textwherever they are necessary.
Fix this textHomework centres along the
Fix this textlines of the one which is func
Fix this textdotting so well in Armidale
Fix this textare another urgent need; so
Fix this textalso is the inclusion in teach-
Fix this texters' training programmes of
Fix this textcourses to give them an under-
Fix this textstanding of the special diffi-
Fix this textculties of Aboriginal pupils,
Fix this textsuch as the courses provided
Fix this textfor teachers in Western
Fix this textAustralia.
Fix this textEqually necessary is the
Fix this textestablishment of hostels, and
Fix this textthe provision of special bur-
Fix this textsaries by the Education Depart-
Fix this textment for all Aboriginal chil-
Fix this textdren who would benefit by
Fix this textremaining at school beyond
Fix this textSecond Form.
Fix this textThese are some of the pro-
Fix this textposals which will be under
Fix this textdiscussion as a result of the
Fix this textConference. There can be no
Fix this textdoubt that the Conference will
Fix this textlead to widespread demands
Fix this textfor practical steps to eliminate
Fix this textthe shameful disparity between
Fix this textthe attainments of Aboriginal
Fix this textpupils and the standards
Fix this textreached by the rest of the
Fix this textschool population.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222208
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. (1919). Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Retrieved June 8, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222208
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation and New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Sydney: The Federation, 1919. Web. 8 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222208>
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. 1919, Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation The Federation, Sydney viewed 8 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222208
{{Citation
| author1=N.S.W. Teachers' Federation.
| author2=New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation.
| title=Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation.
| year=1919
| section=volumes.
| issn=0013-1156
| issue=Vol. 46 No. 11 (30 Jun 1965)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222208
| id=nla.obj-710222208
| access-date=8 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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