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ANTaR (ACT) Update # 55 (Friday 11 December 1998)Dear all, this update is devoted to the issue of the proposed axing of bilingual education by the Northern Territory govt. There are things you can do to help on this one, like sending letters and faxes or printing and signing the petition reproduced below. Items in this update: 1. Message, mail/fax details and petition re the proposed axing of the
bilingual program. 1. Message, mail/fax details and petition re the proposed axing of the bilingual program. This message has been sent from the national Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Library & Information Resource Network mailing list sponsored by the KooriNet project at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney. ------------- 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 Tim Baldwin Parliament House As well, you could print out the petition below prepared by the Australian
Education Union, and circulate it: 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 By Friday December 11 Many thanks, 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:
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
John Hobson, Koori Centre ------------- 2. Two recent media articles on the proposed axing. NT 'discriminating' on bilingual classes From AAP 10dec98 3.00pm (AEDT) THE Northern Territory government had breached international law by axing Aboriginal language classes in schools, an indigenous advocacy group said today. The NT government decided last week to abandon bilingual classes in about 20 schools, arguing language was a cultural pursuit better left to the communities to teach. But the National Indigenous Working Group (NIWG), a national advocacy group, said the decision clearly breached the United Nation's agreement that being educated in your own language was a basic human right. "This is absolutely appalling, to put not too fine a point on it," NIWG coordinator Olga Havnen said. "The right to be educated in your own language is a fundamental human right." The precedent was set by the Permanent Court of International Justice in 1935 in a case brought against the Albania government by a Christian Greek ethnic community, she said. Sydney QC John Basten agreed that the communities affected might have a case for discrimination before the United Nations or the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). World language expert Stephen Wurm said the disappearance of minority languages worldwide was a symptom of oppression. "The people are proud to speak their language," the Australian National University Emeritus Professor told ABC radio. Ms Havnen said the decision did nothing to address falling school participation rates of Aboriginal teenagers in the NT. It also contradicted the HREOC stolen generation inquiry recommendation that more federal funds should be spent on preserving endangered dialects. "I would go as far as to say this is cultural genocide which does nothing to encourage kids to stay at school," Ms Havnen said. ----------------------- Language cuts 'break UN law' By MARIA CERESA 11dec98 ABOLITION of bilingual teaching programs in Aboriginal community schools has left the Northern Territory Government accused of breaching international law. Condemnation came as John Howard moved a bipartisan motion reaffirming Australia's commitment to the declaration of the UN human rights convention to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Northern Territory Education Minister Peter Adamson yesterday defended the decision to shift $3 million in funding for 22 bilingual programs to a Territory-wide scheme teaching English as a second language. But UN agreements protect people's right to be educated in their own language, according to former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Mick Dodson, University of NSW international law lecturer Sarah Pritchard and National Indigenous Working Group spokeswoman Olga Haven. Mr Dodson said the move was a breach of article 27 of the international covenant of civil and political rights and article 15 of the convention on the rights of the child. "It is outrageous. It is a breach of both of these conventions that Australia is signed up to," he said from Geneva yesterday. Asked if he was concerned about potential breaches to international law, Mr Adamson yesterday said: "No one has contacted us. We are not aware of any." Asked to intervene by Labor member for the Northern Territory Warren Snowdon, federal Education Minister David Kemp yesterday told parliament the introduction of English as a second-language courses for indigenous students by the Commonwealth had been "an exceptionally effective way of addressing the literacy needs". Meetings protesting against the ministerial directive to axe the bilingual programs were held at schools across the Northern Territory yesterday. Michael Christie of the faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at the Northern Territory University warned relationships between communities and the Education Department, vital for retention and attendance rates, had been damaged. "It shows they don't really have any notion that Australia's first people have a place in our society, whether we like it or not," he said. Linguist at the north-east Arnhem Land Yirrkala school and fellow at the NTU, Raymattja Marika, yesterday called on Mr Adamson to reverse his decision of "oppression". Ms Marika said Yirrkala had a bilingual program in place and had achieved improvements in English outcomes. "It's a direct attack on our rights to teach, and for our children to learn, both languages," she said.
***************************************************** 3. Comment on the international law implications. The Albania Case referred to in the media article above is extremely important in that it established that the definition of equality was substantive equality in fact, rather than strict equal treatment. It was very influential on later International Court of Justice cases and later on bodies monitoring international human rights. Substantvie equality would without doubt be the test in any 'hearing' on the matter. Under Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right specifically states that Members in ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the members of their groups, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion OR TO USE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE." ANTaR (ACT) Contact Details GPO Box 1323 ANTaR - Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation *Please forward this message on to other interested people* *****GETTING ON/OFF THIS LIST: |