PM Transcripts

r( 7 PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEIENT NO. 16
14 December 1972
ABORIGINAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
The Federal Government will launch a campaign to have
aboriginal children living in distinctive aboriginal communities
given their primary education in aboriginal languages.
The Government will also supplement education for
aboriginal children with the teaching of traditional aboriginal
arts, crafts and skills mostly by aborigines themselves.
The Government will assist in the training of teachers
and teacher aides some of them aborigines in help with the
introduction of language teaching in primary schools.
Planning of the projects is already taking place within
the Office of Aboriginal Affairs.
The Prime Minister, Mr. W¾ hitlam, announced the moves today
after consultations with the nominated Minister for Education,
Mr. K. E. Beazley, and Dr. II. C. Coombs.
Ir. Whitlam said the Government felt a need for greater
respect for aboriginal languages and culture. The tribal
cultures should be preserved, not crushed, he said.
Mr. ! Whitlam said in introducing the programs the
Government was implementing conventions of both the I. L. O. and
U. N. E. S. C. O. which encouraged the teaching of indigenous people
in their own languages.
In primary schools in aboriginal communities English
will be taught as a second language.
Among the traditional and cultural skills which will be
taught aboriginal children will be art, carving, music, dancing,
tracking, traditional religion and mythology.,
When the program is fully implemented it will affect most
aboriginal children in the Northern Territory and will be extended
to tribal areas of northern Queensland, the Kimberleys in
Western Australia and northern South Australia.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.