Across the country, Indigenous students are far behind in literacy, numeracy and educational outcomes.
The results of the second National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy Tests demonstrate the enormity of the gap. There is agreement about the urgency of improvement, but divergent views as to how to achieve it.
The Australian newspaper recently reported the success of Indigenous opinion leader Noel Pearson's Family Responsibilities Commission (FRC), which was established to improve educational participation and outcomes in four Cape York communities.
The FRC approach includes withholding welfare payments from parents whose children do not attend school, and is labelled 'tough love'. Figures tabled in the Queensland parliament suggest it is working, if attendance is the goal, although it is far too early to measure its educational effectiveness.
On the other hand, Aboriginal educator Dr Chris Sarra recently convened a Stronger Smarter Summit, showcasing his approach, which has seen success at Cherbourg and has been embraced by a number of other schools. Sarra advocates 'positive engagement with children and communities', 'respectful partnership', and quality teachers.
While approving of some aspects of the FRC, Sarra questions whether its results justify its $48 million funding, when his achievements are comparable at a fraction of the cost. He deplores the punitive aspects of the FRC.
During the Summit, Education Minister Julia Gillard argued that teachers posted to remote schools should be 'prepared for community life and ... have strong skills in teaching English as a second language'. These words are heartening because, in remote schools at least, ESL teaching skills are vital, but often absent.
The language issue was highlighted in a recent ABC Four Corners program, prompted by the Northern Territory Government's decision to abolish bilingual education. It focused on Lajamanu, a desert community where Warlpiri is the dominant language. Since 1982, Lajamanu has had bilingual teaching, and in 1989 children there scored highest among NT Aboriginal schools in tests of English, and showed improvement generally.
Despite such successes, the gap between Indigenous pupils and others endured, even widened. Some inquiries cast doubt on the efficacy of bilingual education, and critics like Helen Hughes and Gary Johns, who blame the use of Aboriginal languages in schools for students' poor performance, have been more influential than linguists and educational specialists who endorse bilingual approaches.
Last year, the NT Government made instruction in English for the first four hours of each day mandatory from the start of 2009.
Supporters of