Report blasts bilingual policy changes (fwd link)

[Sarah Cutfield]

Hello all,

We held a symposium on Friday to launch this Discussion Paper, at which speakers from several affected communities spoke about the importance of bilingual education. The authors of the Discussion Paper presented their research on this issue, as did several other academics as well as the Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Rights, Tom Calma. Also, see this link for more information about the political context for this debate: <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/26/2609161.htm?site=news>.

The Discussion Paper can be downloaded from here: <http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research_program/events2/bilingual_education_symposium_2009>. We will be posting videos of each of the presentations to this site in a week or so.

I will keep the list updated on any further developments on this issue.

Ma, bonj.

Sarah.

---
Sarah Cutfield
Research Fellow
Language and Society
AIATSIS
GPO Box 553
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel: +61 2 6246 1116
Fax: +61 2 6249 7714
E-mail: sarah.cutfield at aiatsis.gov.au

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cashcash at email.arizona.edu
> Sent: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:15:05 -0700
> To: ilat at listserv.arizona.edu
> Subject: [ILAT] Report blasts bilingual policy changes (fwd link)
> 
> Report blasts bilingual policy changes
> 
> Posted Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:37pm AEST
> Australia
> 
> A new report on bilingual education for Indigenous students has reignited
> debate
> on whether the Northern Territory should change its policy.
> 
> Under the Territory Government's controversial changes to bilingual
> education,
> all students will learn in English only for the first four hours of the
> day
> from next year.
> 
> A report released in Canberra today by the Australian Institute of
> Aboriginal
> and Torres Strait Islander Studies states there is no evidence to suggest
> the
> policy will work.
> 
> Access full article below:
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/26/2609521.htm