.

I11

(a)

SUGGESTIONS FOR,POLICY
Tcking i n t o account the above f a c t o r s Bone noasuros a r e suggostcd,

Those should bo ragcrdctd as ground work f o r futuro policy, u n t i l Rosorvos, s u t t l m d n t s and t h d i r attondsnt o v i l s aro a t h i n g of thu past. Vastly incrossod Jxpondituro on-h_ousing t o sccomodnto thoso Lborigic?

n3s who a r a anxious f o r

place t o l i v o .

It cppesrs inovitablo t h a t

i.boriginos w i l l continue t o l i v o on Rosorvos f o r somo t i n e t o cone, bocauso

of tho advantagos o f low r e n t s , and bucausc m n y could not support thonsolves i n town, Whilo t h i s i s tho casog thoro must bo b o t t c r acconnoda-

t i o n on the Reserves, t o f a c i l i t a t e oducstional progross,

(b)

Fncilitios --

should on Rosorvos . . - boArovidod .--,----j

--U_-----

for a u l t nootinAand rocI -

r o a t i o n , which would bo a vcluablo c o n t r i b u t i o n t o a d u l t education.

Con-

c e n t r a t i o n on iirlucating a d u l t s i n thc oncouragunont of c h i l d r e n t o s t a y et

s c h o o l , and i n b e t t o r e a t i n g p a t t o r n s would bo invcluablo.
SOIio

Thoro i s , i n

casds)

a sad lack of knowledgc i n tho voxy clonontary n e c e s s i t i e s of

This nust be t a u g h t p by people i n whon they

n u t r i t i o n znd c h i l d cam.

hcvo confidence, f o r whon thoy hnvo rospoct, cs n i s t r u s t o f white "knowalls" i s far nor0 p r w c l s n t among Aboriginos than i s connonly concodea, X t r a i n i n g schono diroctod t o the education o f Aborigines CapiIblO

o f doing suoh work is v i t a l .

A l t o r n a t i v e l y , t r a i n e d nodical

social

workars who could first win t h e confidonco o f tho a d u l t s by showing concern f o r individual h e a l t h problons, and procood t o gonoral oduoation i n tho r a i s i n g of cornunity h e a l t h standards, could bo onployod.

In fact, clinic

s i s t e r s i n various country towns a r o alroady doing t h i s i n v a l m b l o work, within tho a n t i r o l y inadcqwto t i n e and f n c i l i t i o s itvailzblo t o thon. Tho closo l i a i s o n ostablishod could then bo b a s i s for oncouragonont of c d u l t Aboriginos t o l o a r n , as a connunity, &bout ways o f solving cduca-

t i o n a l and social probluns.

I n t h i s sonso tho social workor must bo ab10

t o tako on a c o r t c i n w o u n t of rudinontary educational work, but it i s nost inportant t h a t tha a d u l t s should bo approoohod through tho h e a l t h f i o l d firet.

It i s

EL

sad f a c t t h a t anong nost adult f h o r i g i n a s thoro i s an.

a t t i t u d e of ,pvoidanco of t o ~ c h o r s , who a r e i d m t a f i o d with the wholo rongo of public a u t h o r i t i o e i n whon thoy havo l i t t l o t r u s t . , (c)
B y f o e t o r i n g a cornunity intt- m a t i n oduccstiotq a f i r n s o c i a l founda-

G crctated. t i o n f o r i t s f u r t h a a n c o could b

This could go along w i t h

. I11

(a)

SUGGESTIONS FOR,POLICY
Tcking i n t o account the above f a c t o r s Bone noasuros a r e suggostcd,

Those should bo ragcrdctd as ground work f o r futuro policy, u n t i l Rosorvos, s u t t l m d n t s and t h d i r attondsnt o v i l s aro a t h i n g of thu past. Vastly incrossod Jxpondituro on-h_ousing t o sccomodnto thoso Lborigic?

n3s who a r a anxious f o r

place t o l i v o .

It cppesrs inovitablo t h a t

i.boriginos w i l l continue t o l i v o on Rosorvos f o r somo t i n e t o cone, bocauso

of tho advantagos o f low r e n t s , and bucausc m n y could not support thonsolves i n town, Whilo t h i s i s tho casog thoro must bo b o t t c r acconnoda-

t i o n on the Reserves, t o f a c i l i t a t e oducstional progross,

(b)

Fncilitios --

should on Rosorvos . . - boArovidod .--,----j

--U_-----

for a u l t nootinAand rocI -

r o a t i o n , which would bo a vcluablo c o n t r i b u t i o n t o a d u l t education.

Con-

c e n t r a t i o n on iirlucating a d u l t s i n thc oncouragunont of c h i l d r e n t o s t a y et

s c h o o l , and i n b e t t o r e a t i n g p a t t o r n s would bo invcluablo.
SOIio

Thoro i s , i n

casds)

a sad lack of knowledgc i n tho voxy clonontary n e c e s s i t i e s of

This nust be t a u g h t p by people i n whon they

n u t r i t i o n znd c h i l d cam.

hcvo confidence, f o r whon thoy hnvo rospoct, cs n i s t r u s t o f white "knowalls" i s far nor0 p r w c l s n t among Aboriginos than i s connonly concodea, X t r a i n i n g schono diroctod t o the education o f Aborigines CapiIblO

o f doing suoh work is v i t a l .

A l t o r n a t i v e l y , t r a i n e d nodical

social

workars who could first win t h e confidonco o f tho a d u l t s by showing concern f o r individual h e a l t h problons, and procood t o gonoral oduoation i n tho r a i s i n g of cornunity h e a l t h standards, could bo onployod.

In fact, clinic

s i s t e r s i n various country towns a r o alroady doing t h i s i n v a l m b l o work, within tho a n t i r o l y inadcqwto t i n e and f n c i l i t i o s itvailzblo t o thon. Tho closo l i a i s o n ostablishod could then bo b a s i s for oncouragonont of c d u l t Aboriginos t o l o a r n , as a connunity, &bout ways o f solving cduca-

t i o n a l and social probluns.

I n t h i s sonso tho social workor must bo ab10

t o tako on a c o r t c i n w o u n t of rudinontary educational work, but it i s nost inportant t h a t tha a d u l t s should bo approoohod through tho h e a l t h f i o l d firet.

It i s

EL

sad f a c t t h a t anong nost adult f h o r i g i n a s thoro i s an.

a t t i t u d e of ,pvoidanco of t o ~ c h o r s , who a r e i d m t a f i o d with the wholo rongo of public a u t h o r i t i o e i n whon thoy havo l i t t l o t r u s t . , (c)
B y f o e t o r i n g a cornunity intt- m a t i n oduccstiotq a f i r n s o c i a l founda-

G crctated. t i o n f o r i t s f u r t h a a n c o could b

This could go along w i t h

provision of b e t t o r rofiironco n a t o r i a l s , and l i b r a r y f a c i l i t i e g , - o i t h i r at the 'Roswve school, whom t h o r o i s ono, o r i n tho h a l l provided f o r adult
o dslcet ion.

Bowov'ar, tha a5ovo i s not likoly t o bo tbo s o l u t i o n t o tho wholo problbn of adult eilucation, and honco t h e education of t h o c h i l d , i n the p a r t i c u l a r l y doprivod and l i n i t o d conditions which prsvGil i n shanty
COP-

n u n i t i o s l i k e Wellington, Unlgott, l o r o a , Gulargmbone and Boggabilla, t o qudte only

E.

few.

Horo intonsivo nodical a s s i s t a n c e , with encouragttnont

. r

i n t h s l o a r n i n g of dcononics t o bo p r a c t i s e d ' i n n o d i c a l bonofigs, insuranco ttnd housokooping could bo

(a)

Adult o d u c a t i z , boing only ono fncot o f t h o i r problon, emphasis should

bo plecod on tho immodi'ate and sinultanoous improvoncnt of housing f a c i l i t i o s ,

both i n t e r n s of r o o m , spsco, d o c t r i c i t y and a pcrmnont water supply. c o n n i t t m n t t o such inprovomont was ovidencod, with adoquato provision, i n s t d a d o f chooso-paring t m p o r a r y moasuros, tho basic f a c i l i t i o s f o r study
oould bo Srovidod.
(0)

If

n . bo inadeHowova, i t i s r e a l i s e d thcso suggosted p r o v i s i o n s w i l l a f t o ,

q u c t e l y u t i l i s e d by tho Aboriginos thsnsolvos,

WO

From a p r a c t i c a l standpoinl
$0

rucogniae t h a t the nonoy should bo spont whoro tho conrnkity appoars

bo tho most prdnising.

But t h i s should not oxcltklo tho v e r y re

~

f o r homy connYttnont t o lzroils wharo educationally,. t h e s i t u a t i o n appoars . most hopoloss.

If guidiinco i s o f f o r o d with t a c t and sympathy, tho rowards

An oxanplo of t h i s is the

ofton show thonsolvos s u r p r i s i n g l y quickly.

Nanifla P r i n a r y School a t Wollington, w b r e t h o t a a c h m has o l i c i t o d a good rosponso and r a i s e d tho stcndard of the School t o a vory sound s o c i a l and oducational lavol. Thoro a r e f'urthor roconnondationsp r o l a t i n g nor0 s p o c i f i c a l l y ' t o tho oducat i o n s 1 noada of pro-school, p r i n a r y and high-sohool children, sub-

n i t t e d by the Consultativo Connittoo on Aboriginal'Education. f u l l y endorsos ovory onG o f thoso socomondations, havin

S.A,F.A.

scrutiny.

Rocogheing tho p r o f i c i e n c y a d

i n t o the Cons~taf'avo' Connitt' t&on as road t h a t

WO

S 'roc ohnorida

wouldirbproduco those roconneridations i n our r e p o r t ,

& i f thoro was any reason f o r s o ~ ' d o i n g o A'B they a r ~ . E t l r o a d y - & v a i l a d lto'

tho.m6nbors o f tho Pezli'mmfary S d o c t Conmittoc,

than.

WO

shall not d u p l i c a t e

The' opportunity f o r l a y i n g valuable groundwork f o r tho future; is

i n the hands o f o u r Govorment.

If i t i s not i n s t i t u t e d innediately,

snothdr g m s r s t i o n of frboriginal c h i l d r e n w i l l grow up with l i t t l e oducnt i o n , 2nd oven Isss o p p o r t u n i t y for work, as o u r S o c i o t y dsnonds nor0 s p o c i a l i z e d s k i l l s from i t s mnbors. t i o n n t e dinansions. s i t y z , if
WO

Tho gap w i l l widen t o Clispropor-

Comnitnont and homy e x p a d i t u r o i s a vital necos-

aro not t o reap tho b i t t o r f r u i t s of anothGr "loet

gonoration" o f Aborigines*