Yirrkala community meeting, 12 May 1999 - notes
Bilingual education
Several speakers expressed very sincere concern about the decision to stop the Bilingual Education Program. The Inquiry was told over and over again that the teaching of Yolngu is a vital part in the work to educate the children of Yirrkala. Teachers, parents and concerned community members all stressed that they wanted education in Yolngu as well as in English. They are afraid that they will lose their language if it is not taught in school and that if they lose their language they will lose their traditional culture.
A letter from the former principal of Yirrkala Community Education Centre (CEC), Mandawuy Yunupingu, was read to the Inquiry. The letter addressed the necessity of continuing the Bilingual Education Program. "We have much to offer the people of the world. And language is at the hart of what we have to offer. If we lose that, we lose our culture. And if we lose our culture, you lose something that is unique."
"If the language is lost, the culture will be lost also, customs, tradition and law will be destroyed, because we also need to use the language of the law in politics and many other areas."
Homeland centres
The people of Yirrkala were also concerned about the lack of education for some children in the 10 homeland centres in the Yirrkala area. Most of these children only receive cultural education and no mainstream education. There is a strong wish for a school in every homeland centre where they can provide cultural as well as mainstream education for the children.
"We need our children to be educated. Educated in the proper manner. Educated in a way that we would like them to be. Because tomorrow's future is held by these young people."
Last updated 2 December 2001.
