The wellbeing of Aboriginal children who attend a 'two-way' independent separatist school in remote Australia : a post-colonial case study

This ethnography analyses the circumstances of Aboriginal children attending a remote Australian school, in this case a private, segregated, two-culture school managed by Aboriginal Elders. Typically, Aboriginal children in segregated schools fail national achievement standards. This thesis examines factors affecting the physical, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of Aboriginal children at one school. The post-colonial research aims to contribute to debates on ‘closing the gap’ in indigenous disadvantage and advances options for policy makers concerning the future of educational prioritisation of Aboriginal wellbeing. The researcher spent some months at the School and was immersed with reflexive awareness of epistemological assumptions, positionality, and ethics. The research involved 38 participants who work with about 200 children. The data include observations recorded at the School, interviews with all staff at the School and published research about Aboriginal children. The findings presented relate to the children’s wellbeing, carefully interpreted from the data. The data show that poor wellbeing affects these children’s capacity to participate in schooling, distracting them and others. Often under-trained, School staff are morally obliged to cater for children’s immediate needs, providing assistance for problems that are usually under control before children first attend school. The School adjusts the syllabus and complements western content with Aboriginal content, employing Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal men to develop respect for indigenous ethics. The children’s parents and carers are, however, rarely supportive of School activities. Preparedness for formal education enables teachers to focus on the curriculum, modelling skills, behaviour and practices for the children’s future. When children are not ready, and their carers are not supportive, and the school, staff time and energy are drained by emergencies, little time is left for essential long-term education. The thesis argues that the children need more preparation before starting academic schooling. Programs to prepare both the children and their families can help. Policies that support schools and staff in radical adaptations of programs to better suit the children could include: behavioural practices in western society; emotional self-regulation; self-imagery as independent, important people; adjustment of school starting and finishing times (to suit the Aboriginal life-style); reduced number of school days per week (to match other NT schools operating on a 3-day fly-in-fly-out model), and developing materials in local languages that help Aboriginal people learn about western health threats and how to manage illnesses