Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 18:06:47 +1000
Subject: petition against threat to bilingual teaching


>>(by way of John Hobson <sascoor-AT-koori.usyd.edu.au) Subject: [Fwd: Bilingual
>>education threat] Dear all, This is an urgent request to all of you who
>>love language, value it as a  national treasure, and would like to see the
>>preservation of our indigenous  languages. The Northern Territory Education
>>Department is proposing to phase out bilingual education in Northern
>>Territory schools, contrary to the wishes of many Aboriginal communities
>>which have bilingual programmes. (For the NT Department of Education
>>Statement, and copies of the Minister's press release, see
>>http://www.ntde.nt.gov.au/announce) If you are concerned about this, you
>>can send letters/faxes to the two  Ministers concerned: Peter Adamson
>>Minister for Education and Training phone (08)89996266 fax (08)89817440 Tim
>>Baldwin Minister for Aboriginal Development phone (08)89997514 fax
>>(08)89817511 Parliament House State Square Darwin NT 0800 ----------- As
>>well, you could print out the petition below prepared by the Australian
>>Education Union, and circulate it:   "To all Aboriginal communities and
>>friends Please find a copy of a petition requesting that the decision to
>>withdraw the Bilingual programs from NT schools be revoked. Please send the
>>completed petitions in an envelope marked: Bilingual Petitions To The
>>Australian Education Union GPO Box 4494 Darwin NT 0801 By Friday December
>>11 If the date is not possible please send them in whenever you can " Many
>>thanks, Lloyd PETITION TO THE HONORABLE THE SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE
>>LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. WE THE UNDERSIGNED
>>RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH THAT THE PROGRESSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BILINGUAL
>>PROGRAMS IN NORTHERN TERRITORY SCHOOLS WILL MEAN THAT: Ä ABORIGINAL
>>PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THEIR WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LANGUAGES HAVE NO
>>OFFICIAL PLACE IN NT SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. Ä ACCESS TO ENGLISH
>>LITERACY WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT IF LITERACY IS NOT ACHIEVED FIRST IN THE
>>LANGUAGE THE CHILDREN SPEAK (NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTS
>>THIS) Ä THE NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED WORK DONE BY THE
>>NT BILINGUAL PROGRAMS IN COLLECTING AND MAINTAINING LANGUAGE RESOURCES WILL
>>BE DISCONTINUED (THIS IS A PART OF THE HERITAGE OF ALL AUSTRALIANS) Ä
>>ABORIGINAL TEACHERS WILL HAVE GREATLY REDUCED CAREER PATHS. YOUR
>>PETITIONERS URGENTLY REQUEST THAT THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE NORTHERN
>>TERRITORY MAINTAIN AND CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR BILINGUAL PROGRAMS IN NT
>>SCHOOLS, GIVEN THE HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THESE PROGRAMS, AND
>>YOUR PETITIONERS AS IN DUTY BOUND WILL EVER PRAY. NAME ADDRESS SIGNATURE
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>Associate Professor Lloyd Dawe Associate Dean and Head, Division of
>>Undergraduate Studies School of Teaching and Curriculum Studies Faculty of
>>Education, A35 University of Sydney NSW 2006 e-mail:
>>l.dawe-AT-edfac.usyd.edu.au Telephone (02) 9351 3113 Fax (02) 9351 4765   John
>>Hobson, on behalf of KooriNet the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
>>Internet Development Project at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney.
>>Koori Centre Old Teachers College, A22 University of Sydney, NSW, 2006
>>Phone: (02) 9351 6994 Fax: (02) 9351 6924 http://www.koori.usyd.edu.au/
>>********** Information about this and other KooriNet mailing lists is
>>available  at http://www.koori.usyd.edu.au/lists.html
>




     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---