The Quest for Community Control at Yirrkala School

16 The drivers of home language maintenance and development in indigenous communities

“…Additionally, "aboriginalization" of the curriculum, i.e. ownership of educational content of the Yolŋu people as well as representation at the School Council and integration of the wider community, remain outstanding issues (Stockley et al 2017). Community involvement also came up as the top theme in responses for key elements of language activities in the 2014 Indigenous Language activity and Language attitude survey (Marmion, Kazuko, and Troy 2014).…”

Renewing the Yolŋu ‘Bothways’ philosophy: Warramiri transculturation education at Gäwa

“…However, the thesis also demonstrated that even with a commitment to such a philosophy, for Balanda, the 'tide of history and our ethnocentric and assimilatory dispos-ition… (and) significant structural and cognitive barriers (exist) which mean we inhibit democratisation and devolution of control' (Wearne, 1986, p. 37). A recent reflection on this time period is also provided by Stockley et al (2016). Indeed, it was only when many of these Yirrkala Yolŋu educators continued their tertiary studies at (the then) Batchelor College that the 'Bothways' philosophy truly emerged, and began to shape the andragogy of the college (White, 2015) and become readily accessible to a broader audience.…”