The name is absent

J

I

146
reconceptualisation.

• *

Nevertheless, from this date, policies not only regarding
migrants (redefined as ethnic groups), but also regarding Aborigines,
must be considered within the framework of a multi-cultural Australia.

In 1978, the Prime Minister (Malcolm Fraser), tabling the
Galbally Report in Parliament, made the following pronouncement:

Australia is at a critical stage in developing
a cohesive, united, multicultural nation. Further
steps to encourage multi-culturalism are needed
... [the government] will foster the retention
of the cultural heritage of different ethnic groups
and promote intercultural understanding (Fraser,
1978:2728).
V

It was Fraser’s view that schools were "the key element
in achieving such a goal” (ibid:2731).
4∙

In order to investigate how theorizing on the part of government
about multicultural attitudes finds issue in practice, it is
proposed to select out a particular ’world’ in which the effect
of the policy of multiculturalism can be clearly discerned, namely
the 'world' of education which Fraser saw as the key element
♦

in achieving policies of multiculturalism∙
* ≡ * » _v
φ∙

11.31 Government policy on multi-culturalism in education

The urgency of promoting multi-culturalism in education
is shown by the number and status of the committees appointed
and the speed with which they presented reports and with which
their recommendations were implemented. These general issues
will not be surveyed here. Rather, the focus will be on whether
or not the policy of integration for Aborigines is itself integrated
into overall policy for a ’new' Australia.
T

One source of government theorizing, against which policy
towards Aborigines may be tested, is found in the Commonwealth
Education Portfolio discussion paper of 1978.

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