Disciplinary problems are to be solved by the community; they
are not the responsibility of the teachers. The typification of
teaching roles is based on prior decisions as to the content of the
curriculum. Value-Iaden subjects, such as social studies in its
accepted forms, have no place in the Strelley curriculum. The Mob
has its own ’social studies’ programme underpinning all its activities.
As time elapses, certain teachers are assigned roles over and
above their teaching role, 'Through a subtle process,
certain members
are cast in a special way as a consociate/consultor for a language
groupɪ, contributing to the stability of the structure. The same
members of the white group are from time to time appointed to ’act
upon’ white society on behalf of the group, to convey to appropriate
white agencies decisions taken by the group.
The establishment of new typifications is seen perhaps even
more clearly in the school situation. Strelley school has come
to be a prototype of an Aboriginal community controlled school.
Relationships have been established with Noonkanbah (with which there
is a radio connection) and reciprocal visits to the school take place.
Turkey Creek community, in a discussion with the local priest, despite
immense pressure from the latter for a school the priest would control,
opted for a ’community school like Strelley*.
Some of the people
of Alice Springs have withdrawn their children from the local school
and started a 'school like Strelley'.
Schooling is a white institution, a structure 'taken' from white
society.
The Nyangumarta group were tending to use one teacher
as a consultor; the Manyjiljarra group tended to consult another.
Neither of these teachers were linguists, Their selection was not
based on their ability to communicate in the vernacular. They had
obviously been assigned a special role because of trust placed in
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