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within mainstream society, as well as within a particular ethnic
group. Instead, the proposals of the Commission concerning
Aborigineswere directed to the end of progressively placing more
responsibility in the hands of the Aboriginal people themselves.
The Commission regarded it as essential (9,23) that Aborigines
be involved in the development of policies and in advising on
* ■
implementation. Parents should be involved in the school through
home liaison workers and counsellors (9.27). The Commission
was prepared to support independent Aboriginal schools, thus
encouraging duality of structures, and self-determination in
at least one area, that of education. The Curriculum Development
⅛
Centre was to be encouraged to give priority to improving Aboriginal
curriculum materials.
The 1978 Report of the Schools Commission returned again
to the promotion of multi-culturalism. It noted (8.2) that
the provision of language classes for migrants across the whole
curriculum, in regular classes (rather than withdrawing students),
was a positive welcoming of cultural variety reflecting the multicultural
aspects of Australian society.
Nevertheless, it was aware (8.3) that changes were developing
slowly and unevenly with ’’confusion both about the ramifications
of accepting a multicultural philosophy and about the possibilities
of transferring various interpretations of it into reality”.
The reality was that there was a growing acceptance in the
wider society of the different foods, music, costumes of ethnic
groups. This acceptance, taken by itself, could be seen as
trivialising the notion of multi-culturalism.
It could be argued, also, that academic studies which flourished
I
in the seventies, and were intended to promote multi-culturalism,
in fact reified the concept, and removed it from’real life*∙ Viewed
in this light, such studies could be accepted by mainstream society,
just as quaint, exotic food could be accepted.