Educating Aboriginal Children - Essay Example

Educating Aboriginal Children Before the 1970s Aboriginal education was not sufficiently important to the Australian education curricular developers. This educational program was not well organized and was neglected by the educationist and the educational system. Keith McConnochie1 brought up the issue of the absence of serious commitment on fundamental issues in Aboriginal education. He contended that educators were strongly predisposed towards assimilationist ends as well as person changing programs (Barcan, A. 1993, 191). Policies before this time failed to effect any change of thinking and Aborigines were still expected to modify their behaviour, language, skills and values so as to fit in the mainstream society. The shift from this stance has been gradual. Many aspects of the Aborigines' lifestyle including cultural values, skills, behaviour and language are still considered as primitive and bad. Aboriginal English, which is a dialect of English used by their group, is considered as lazy and incorrect (Eades, 1995). There are several theoretical as well as practical implications of this kind of attitude for Aboriginal children in the school system. After closely examining case study one, it is evident that Ben's problems in class have their origin in his Aboriginal heritage. His English teacher views Ben's language skills as deficient and in need of urgent addressing The teacher's attitude is that Ben needs to change his language inorder to be assimilated into the society and does not consider integrating Ben's home language in the classroom. The classroom teacher perceives Ben to be behind in his stage development. The teacher is convinced that if Ben's speech patterns are not corrected, it would affect his future learning ability (case study 1). The teacher takes it upon herself to consult with the mother inorder to point out the problem to her so that together they may address the "anomaly". She considers it to be Ben's mother's job to teach him what she considers proper language so that he may be able to catch up in school. The teacher ignores the fact that Aboriginal English is the home language of both Ben and his mother. Ben's grandfather spoke the traditional Aboriginal language. It can therefore be presumed that Ben has only been exposed to Aboriginal English since his family as well as the surrounding community spoke Aboriginal English to him. His mother could not have taught him Standard English since she herself spoke Aboriginal English most of the time. According to the case study, the teacher has failed to recognize Aboriginal English as an important language used by the indigenous people. She also does not take into account the vast differences between Aboriginal English and the Standard English in her evaluation of Ben's literacy development. She has thus formed an opinion based on her misconceptions. Due to being treated as a special needs child, Ben has withdrawn to himself whereas he was outgoing. He has been unfairly targeted as a slow and lazy child just because he had learnt to speak Aboriginal English all his life while now he is expected to use Standard English in school. Aboriginal English refers to the numerous kinds of English spoken by the Aboriginal people in Australia. It originated from the British settlers who due to their reluctance to learn the indigenous languages made it necessary for the aboriginal people to, learn some English in there relations with them. The language that developed was simplified English used in situations of limited contact (Eades 1995). However the language gained prominence when different aboriginal groups began to use it. In the subsequent developments the language resulted in widespread Aboriginal dialects of English. Today aboriginal English is an important means of communication for most of the aboriginal people. It is also important to the aboriginal identity. (Eades 1995) The language bears several similarities to the Standard English. However there are also some features that set it apart. Additionally there are also several varieties of aboriginal English. Some of the aboriginal English is close to the standard while some varieties are vastly different. The areas of difference include lexicon or vocabulary, grammar, sounds as well as semantics or meanings. There are some English words that have different meanings in Aboriginal English. These words are a source of confusion for the unaccustomed person and can result in miscommunication. Some examples of these words include: 'lingo' which means in the Aboriginal language 'mother', which may mean Auntie as well as one's own mother, 'camp' which in standard English would translate to home, expressions such as "to tongue" for which in standard English is "to long for" (Eades, 1995). Other words of Aboriginal English have a totally opposite meaning compared to the Standard English words for instance, 'protect' means to harass, taunt or pester. This was gotten from the manner of governments ironically known as the Protectors of the Aborigines (Arthur, 1996, 164). 'Clean' would mean to burn some parcel of land for maintenance purposes (Arthur 1996, 94, Eades, 1995, Eades, D, 2005). Other examples reveal usage of English words for concepts beyond the experiences of non-Aboriginal people for instance; a hairy man 'a small spirit' being that sometimes scorned people to death (Arthur 1996, 36). Young folk in Australia both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal have incorporated some Aboriginal words in everyday speech. Unna is one such word used as an imitation to respond but also finds usage in various other ways (Seal, G., 1999, 14). Like in many other parts of the world the indigenous language plays an important part in influencing sound system in the Aboriginal English. Some characteristics of Aboriginal English pronunciation are laced with heavy traditional language accent. The 'H' sound is absent in the Aboriginal tongue thus many English words that have letter 'H' tend to be pronounced with the 'H' being silent. For instance, 'health Haven' would be 'ealth aven'. In other instances the letter 'L' becomes an addition to English words that start with a vowel. This tendency is called hypercorrection. Other differences in consonant usage include substituting 'd' for 'th'. An example is 'dere' in Aboriginal English meaning 'there' in general English. The most widespread grammatical feature is in the structure of questions (Eades, D, 2005). It is common in Aboriginal English to end questions with words such as 'eh' or 'Inna' in southern Australia and 'Unna' in western regions. For example in Standard English one would ask, 'are you still coming' but in Aboriginal English it is, 'you still coming, eh Another trait is the structure of sentences where noun phrases are used to join sentences without adding extra words. An example is: - Aboriginal English Standard English My Uncle back there. E big My Uncle's back there. He's big (Eades, D, 2005,) Conductive hearing loss is one factor that adversely affects child development. This in turn affects learning outcomes. This can be gravitated by the additional issue of being educated in second or third language. One of the causes of conductive hearing loss is Otitis Media. This is an infection or inflammation of the middle ear. The condition usually occurs when infections that cause upper respiratory disorders, sore throats and colds spread to the middle of the ear (Partington, Gary, and Ann Galloway. 2005). According to Lanphear, B.P et al, 75% of children experience atleast one episode of Otitis Media before their 3rd birthday. The incidences of Otitis Media are more prevalent in Aboriginal children in Australia than most other places in the world (Heitmeyer, D, Allen, J, 2004, Luke et al, 2002). Besides these incidences occur earlier and last longer among indigenous children than their non-indigenous counterparts (Seal, Graham. 1999, Hill, S. 1997). These incidences therefore occur at crucial periods when children are supposed to be developing important speech skills. It is therefore highly likely that Ben had developed the condition at some point in earlier childhood. It can also not be ruled out that he has the condition presently although his earlier outgoing disposition would suggest otherwise. His language difficulties are most likely as a result of a combination of factors mainly the fact that Standard English is not his first language as well as the likelihood of early incidence of conductive hearing loss/Otitis Media. With proper intervention measures, Ben's performance in school could improve greatly. According to NSW 2006, literacy problems such s the ones being experienced by Ben and his teacher could be prevented if teachers and educational practitioners were able to recognize and respect the Aboriginal culture and language. The teacher's current perception is tainted by a colonial understanding. According to Luke et al 1993 children form an understanding of written language by relating the text tot their interactions with parents, teachers and peers. It follows that teachers who have different expectations about children's literacy experienced in non-mainstream homes, then they are not at a suitable position to help these children (DEETYA 1998 Vol. 1 p 171). It is therefore very important that teachers should have sufficient knowledge of indigenous Australians and their cultures. In addition to this the teachers should seek to incorporate their knowledge in their curricular planning. There should be conscious effort to adopt a curriculum framework that discourages the development of prejudice and racism in schools (Mac Noughton, G & Davis, K., 2001, 1). The classroom needs to be a place where Ben can develop language skills necessary for participation in wider language and cultures of the school (Eades, 1995). Another strategy would be utilizing Aboriginal Educational assistants and Aboriginal consultative group. Such programs offers the students an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture, traditions and language sin order to acquire knowledge and greater awareness on issues affecting he indigenous communities (Fishbein, Harold D. 1984, 56). This program helps children to acquire a neutral perspective on the Aboriginal issues. As Ben is at the same time developing a social identity for his new school setting, social interaction with those who have already mastered a way of being and learning with the school and cultural community would be of much help (Hill, 1997, 271). As has been proven elsewhere, involving members of the Aboriginal community into the classroom would serve as a tool to enhance language skills as well as raising cultural pride. This would give the children a sense of pride in their culture and restore self-esteem. Ben is noted to be withdrawn because of losing self-esteem and using this program would restore it. The negative school experience that has already been felt by Ben would be broken because this program establishes the important link between school and home. Teachers would also have an experience that would expand their career paths because they would learn additional skills that they could use in various other positions in their teaching careers. Heitmeyer (2004) suggested that schools should not neglect Aboriginal knowledge or the local indigenous community. Instead they should be involved in classroom teaching for the benefit of both children and practitioners. Utilizing Aboriginal learning pedagogies within the classroom is an important method of ensuring that the message gets home. The western way of teaching is based on the model where a teacher asks a question and the learner answers. However, Aboriginal learners are more accustomed to learning through observation (Simpson, L, Clancy S. 2005). These differences may appear subtle but have an important influence on learning experience. Harris, S. (1992) suggests that pedagogies that revolve around the process of questioning may not be appropriate for the Aboriginal learners. In a similar way usage of language may serve to regulate or stifle action in a way that is beyond non-Aboriginal teacher. The social-cultural conceptions of literacy shapes the way novice learners interact or react in the strange educational settings. It is therefore important to utilize pedagogies that they are familiar with. Ben can also be taught Standard English in his second language. The teacher should not assume that Ben ought to automatically know Standard English. The teacher should not also aim at replacing Ben's Aboriginal English. Standard English should be seen to advance his Aboriginal language base not replacing it (Dywer, 1993, 41). The teacher should rid herself of the view that one language is more superior than the other since Aboriginal English is an important means of expression for the indigenous peoples as well as a part of their identity. It should be sustained and maintained (Clancy, Susan, and Lee Simpson. 2002). Last but not least the colonial understanding should be discouraged through teaching Aboriginal languages and cultures in schools. Learning should be two way. The Anglo Australians ought to be encouraged to learn the Aboriginal ways and not just one way learning where the Aboriginals learn the Standard English ways. Relationships should be based on mutual interest in each others' affairs not dominance. Conclusion Teachers are not expected to automatically understand the Aboriginal cultural, spiritual and traditional lifestyles. What is expected is a modern perspective of these aspects that allow practitioners to be better placed to provide relevant assistance to Aboriginal learners especially those acquiring their first experience. They should avoid negatively stereotyping the language patterns of their students (Delpit, 1995). They ought to take initiative in interacting and learning from knowledgeable members of their students' cultural groups (Delpit, 1995, 56). Ben should not be made to feel like an outcast in school but rather should be supported to realize the opportunities open for Aboriginal literacy development and promote social justice for all children. Reference Barcan, Alan. 1993. Sociological Theory and Educational Reality: Education and Society in Australia since 1949. Kensington, N.S.W.: New South Wales University Press. Clancy, Susan, and Lee Simpson. 2002. Literacy Learning for Indigenous Students: Setting a Research Agenda. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 25, no. 2: 47+. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=5000780224. Delpit, L. (1995). Other people's children: Cultural Conflict in Classroom. New York New Press. DEETYA 1998 Vol. 1 p 171 Dywer, J, 1993, 'Aboriginal children learning to talk & learning through talk: a pussy cat has three whiskers', The Aboriginal Child at School, no.1, pp, 40-49. Eades, D, 1995, Aboriginal English, Board of Studies, North Sydney. Eades, D, 2005, Language Varieties: Aboriginal English, http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions/aboriginal.html. Retrieved on 31st March 2007. Fishbein, Harold D. 1984. The Psychology of Infancy and Childhood: Evolutionary and Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=98240835. Heitmeyer, D, Allen, J, 2004, It's not a race: aboriginality and education. In sociology of education, possibilities and practices, Social Science Press, Katoomba. Harris, S. 1992. Two-way Aboriginal Schooling: Education and cultural Survival: Canberra. Aboriginal Studies Press. Hill, S. 1997, Perspectives on early literacy and home-school connections', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 263-279. Lanphear, B.P et al. Increasing Prevalence of Recurrent Otitis Media Among Children in the United States. Pediatrics. 1997; 11: 44 - 62. Luke, Allan, Martin Nakata, M. Garbutcheon Singh, and Richard Smith. 1993. 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Seal, Graham. 1999. The Lingo: Listening to Australian English. Sydney, N.S.W.: University of New South Wales Press. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=11216271. Lingard, Bob, John Knight, and Paige Porter:139-152. London: Falmer Press. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=109122710. Simpson, L., and Clancy, S. (2005). Enhancing opportunities for Australian Aboriginal Literacy Learners in Early Childhood Settings. Pro-quest Educational Journals. NAIROBI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL NBNHFNHH HHBHRHRG OF KHNFHGGH HNFFH RN Read More