Shine Magazine, Issue 9, October 2009 - Department of Education ...

Letters
T
28 Apr Jul 09 Opinion
Pandora Petrovska
Why Aboriginal languages
should be taught
“Before we started I had absolutely no idea that our
language even existed.” – VCE Indigenous Reclamation Language Student
here is something profoundly
sad about a young person being
oblivious to their own history.
Knowledge about oneself and one’s
heritage is fundamental to our sense of self, and
understanding of the world. Language is an
enduring marker of identity and culture, and this
story shows how individuals strive to overcome
the deep wounding of past policy affecting self, to
this day.
It was the summer of 2005 when I first met
Wotjobaluk woman Jennifer Beer from the
Wimmera, as she stood in the doorway of my
office. It was hot and she had trave led from
Horsham to Melbourne to meet with somebody
who could help her realise her dream: the teaching
of her language, Wergaia.
Jennifer Beer is one of those remarkable characters
you are truly fortunate to meet in a lifetime; a
person whose vision inspires many to do things
they never imagined were possible, like asking for
the basic rights we take for granted. For Jennifer,
this meant teaching a Victorian Aboriginal
language that is no longer spoken as a primary
means of communication.
It is a well-known fac that after the establishment
FRIDAY 31 JULY
Phonics and Spe ling in the Early
Years
David Hornsby
PREP TO YEAR 2 TEACHERS
WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST
Three Dimensions in a Day – Part 2:
Measurement, Chance & Dat and
Working Mathematically
Rob Vingerhoets
(can be a tended as a stand-alone
seminar)
PREP TO YEAR 6 TEACHERS
of government and church missions, where
Aboriginal people were forbidden to speak their
language, or practise their culture, the transmission
of Victorian Aborigina languages ceased. This,
and the threat of having their children removed,
was an effective mechanism to achieve a situation
where these languages simply faded.
Jennifer Beer had come to the right place: the
Victorian School of Languages, a specialist
government language school teaching 45
languages in over 40 schools in Melbourne and
country Victoria, as we l as a distance education
section teaching nine languages to a l school
sectors. With broad VCE provision, many
thousands of students around the state, and
Term 3 & 4 Program
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST
Project-Based Learning in the Middle Years of Schooling
Darryn Kruse
YEARS 3 TO 9 TEACHERS
THURSDAY 27 AUGUST
Comprehension and Strategies for Fiction
Deb Sukarna
YEARS 3 TO 9 TEACHERS
TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
Assessment for Learning in the Inquiring Classroom
Kath Murdoch
PREP TO YEAR 6 TEACHERS
We had a country centre at
Horsham, so delivering an
Indigenous language was
possible. But this experience
was very different from the
many established languages
we taught.
I read with great interest your article on ‘Why Aboriginal
languages should be taught’ (issue 06, page 28). I think that
reviving, reclaiming and honouring all cultures is important.
When apartheid was lifted/banned in South Africa in 1994,
at least 15 African languages and three Indian languages
were made compulsory in schools, acknowledging and
representing the varying segments that made up the South
African population. This was a moment in history that
reflected that all people were equal and important and
that the South African culture was not only a reflection of
Western values but made up of a rich tapestry.
It is wonderful to see that my niece’s children learn English,
Hindi, Zulu and Afrikaans at school. The inclusion of all
languages is a true representation of the people. The shame of
being black has been replaced by dignity when all languages
are recognised and acknowledged in the curriculum of the
school. If the government wants to build a true and united
nation then Indigenous languages need to be taught.
In South Africa the overthrow of the ‘white only’
government saw three major changes: the flag, the national
anthem and the inclusion of Indigenous languages in
the curriculum. Apart from the ‘Sorry Day’ speech, so far
the Australian Government has not changed anything to
acknowledge the Aboriginal people as the First Nation of
Australia. The Aboriginal culture has a lot to teach us about
conservation, harmony and interconnectedness. I feel that
it is a sorry day indeed that Aboriginal culture is still not
officially reflected in our government logos and community.
Dr Intal Chetty
recent delivery of Yorta Yorta in partnership with
Northland Secondary Co lege, we were we l
placed to assist.
We had a country centre at Horsham, so
delivering an Indigenous language was possible.
Bu this experience was very different from the
many established languages we taught. There were
no dictionaries or grammar books. Even when
we undertake the teaching of refugee languages,
like Dinka and Somali, materials have often been
developed internationa ly, and may be adapted
for the Australian classroom. This required a
partnerships and co laboration with many to
become a reality.
Permission to undertake the reclamation and
revival of Wergaia was given by the community
in the Wimmera, and after consultation with the
Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group
(LAECG) and the Land Council, the community
received funding from the Victorian Aboriginal
Corporation for Languages (VACL) to develop
a Wergaia word list. Monash University linguist,
Dr Julie Reid, developed the Wergaia Community
Grammar and Dictionary in 2007.
For the firs time, Wergaia was taught at VCE
level to students in Horsham and Ba larat using
Ivanhoe Grammar School is committed to building academic professional knowledge through
the delivery of high quality seminars and workshops presented by internal and external speakers.
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER
Ensuring an Effective and Strong Final Term in Maths
Rob Vingerhoets
PREP TO YEAR 6 TEACHERS
THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER
Mathematics – Teaching and Learning the Four
Operations in Number
Michael Ymer
PREP TO YEAR 6 TEACHERS
Fo registration forms and enquiries, please contact Paula Welham on:
Telephone: 9490 1877 • Mobile: 0488 110 000 • Email: mail@ivanhoepl.com • Book online: www.ivanhoepl.com
Where: Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre
(Cnr Be l Street & St Georges Road, Preston)
Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm (Registration from 9:00am)
Cost: $185 (inc. GST). Cost includes morning tea,
lunch& hand-outs
our video conferencing facility in Thornbury.
Linguist Dr Julie Reid conducted weekly twohour
classes, and regular one-day workshops
in Ba larat in accordance with the VCE Study
Design for Indigenous Languages of Victoria:
Revival and Reclamation, which was specifically
designed to teach the fundamentals of language
reclamation.
The starting point for the linguist, and the class,
was the sketch grammar written by Hercus
(1986) based on 1960s audio recordings of
individuals speaking Wergaia. Unbeknowns to
her, these audio recordings had captured the voice
of one of Jennifer’s own relatives. “I remember
growing up hearing Uncle Walter and others
speak language as a sma l child, but I did not
know he had been recorded,” she told me. “When
I heard his voice on the tapes, I had a deep sense
of pride.”
Seeing these VCE Indigenous Language
Reclamation students successfu ly complete their
studies and receive validation from Minister
for Education Bronwyn Pike, at our VCE Top
Scorers Function was bri liant. The joy for me
wi l be seeing what they do with this knowledge
in the future and the language classes they wi l
teach. On reflection, as I write this, I understand
why I came to spend so many years with this
language school.
Pandora Petrovska is assistant principal of the
Victorian School of Languages (VSL). She leads
curriculum and training for over 700 language
teachers employed by the VSL statewide and has
been instrumental in the implementation of VELS
electronic reporting and many other projects at the
VSL, which are shared across a l government schools.
Tell us what you think.
Email editor@edumail.vic.gov.au
Email editor@edumail.vic.gov. au
Letters may be edited for space.
Opinion
Shine 29
Briefcase
Shine 5
Letter of the month
We applaud Dr Patricia Edgar’s continued efforts to combat the
advertising of junk food on television (issue 07, page 26). Such
marketing is indeed highly questionable, particularly when it is
aimed at children. Our concern is that it becomes so pervasive in
the child’s world that it limits knowledge and interest in other food
choices, putting additional health-related pressures on families.
It is a disservice to our young people to underestimate their
capacity (and their right) to enjoy real food. While children
are susceptible to advertising, on the other hand they can be
wonderfully open to new, fresh and healthy choices. Parents
and home economics teachers
know what pleasure young people
get from preparing, tasting and
sharing food, and how much they
can learn along the way. This
experience and knowledge can
help children to be critical of the
food advertising they see around
them, and to aspire to long-term
health. But kids, parents and
teachers could do without the
constant bombardment of
counterproductive messages
on television.
Jo Scanlan
Bouquets for Shine magazine! It’s very attractive, encourages a browse
and there is an interesting range of articles. There is a gap though.
I have been a full-time classroom teacher since 1970. It has been
a privileged, professional life and it continues for me. Many of my
peers are retiring or have retired. A concern to me is the prevailing
view that many workers will change careers numerous times during
their working lives. This view encourages a perception that being
a teacher is not a long-term commitment, and that after a while a
person might/ought seek greener pastures and move on/up in their
professional journey.
I, on the other hand, believe we should be encouraging new
teachers to see this career as lifelong and not just one railway
station on the longer line. People need to be encouraged to stay
the distance. They need to be shown how others have stayed the
distance; that you don’t have to become burned-out wrecks after a
short time.
Dennis Matthews
Next month’s best letter wins an audio book!
26 Aug Apr 09
Opinion
Send us your views on an article in this month’s issue and you could win
the classic Andy Griffiths novel Mascot Madness: Schooling Around in
audio book format, courtesy of Bolinda audio.
Email editor@edumail.vic.gov.au
I
sat on the beach last summer observing
the parade of bodies, recalling
photographs taken of my children
playing on that same beach one
generation before. The difference was massive.
Australians are now among the fattest people
on the planet. Twenty per cent of Australian
children are overweight and 10 per cent are
obese. These young people will battle i lness
for most of their lives – type 2 diabetes, bone
disease, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Studies pu the cost of obesity in children
and adults in Australia in excess of $21
bi lion dollars. Researchers are warning that,
In Sweden, television advertising
to children under 12 has been
banned since 1991. In the UK,
television regulator Ofcom
banned junk food advertising in
and around children’s television
programs in 2007.
Opinion
Dr Patricia Edgar
Biting off more than
we can chew
Children are targeted relentlessly by fast food companies with irresponsible
marketing campaigns. As teachers – your voices should be raised in this debate.
for the firs time in more than a century, life
expectancy may fall.
The psychological impact of obesity can
be as damaging as the physical effects with
many children demonstrating increased levels
of stress with effects on their behaviour,
concentration, learning ability and mood. I
am sure teachers observe these symptoms in
classrooms across the state.
We are hearing more and more messages about
healthy eating bu they get lost under the
welter of products designed to tempt, which
are thrust under our noses. In supermarkets
there are lo lies, chips, chocolates and biscuits
all on shelves at children’s eye level so they can
pester their parents.
It’s not just the amount o food we now eat
but also what is in the food – the saturated
fats and the quantity of sugar – that make the
battle to keep weight within normal range
a cha lenge for many people. The way food
and drink is advertised creates confusion
about what are the contents of food products
and what represents healthy eating. Labels
trumpet: 20 per cent less fat; 70 per cent less
sugar, but the real meaning is less clear.
Children are targeted relentlessly by
companies and advertisers with irresponsible
marketing
fat, sugar an
promotions
Shrek promo
popcorn, Cok
Without
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Sophistry bedevil
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media industries in
they only offer ente
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refuse to buy, feed th
But business conspire
are way ahead of the g
best minds to bear on w
develop the market. The
people genera ly would
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buy the super size, the va
Super-sizing led to a revo
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