Aboriginal languages finally make it to Australian curricula
Aboriginal Languages are passing a line in Australian schools. For the first time they will be acknowledged as teaching subjects in the national curricula for primary and high schools. A survey from 2009 found that only 260 schools offered over 80 different languages. The upcoming reform will increase this number by involving the community associated with the local language. There are proved advantages of building connections to the own culture, family and land as a person with Aboriginal origins. Several studies show a relation between the mortality, suicide rates and health of Indigenous residents and the connectedness to the culture. Nevertheless the government has to face the problems of finding community elders who are capable of teaching, their funding and the development of teaching resources.
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Picture: State Library of Queensland
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