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shovz expectation of rejection, they had less strength than
responses about the home.
Responses predicting the future (Table 31)were also less certain,
and the responses to ’working hard to get benefits later’ were less certain
than the non-Aboriginal responses.
Trusting others (Table 30) showed an even less certain
response.
While there was uncertainty in interaction with the wider
society, the school manifestly provides a sense of security (Table 40).
The Aboriginal students gave the same (high) response to the
school situation as did non-Aborigines. Both groups denied that they
Onlywent toschoolbecause they had to; both groups denied that ’it’s
no good staying at school to get a joV,; both groups agreed that the
best way to get a job was by trying hard at school; both groups
rejected the idea that theywouldend up on the dole.
The students’ responses show a sense of autonomy.
Table 32 gives a positive Aboriginal response to the statement
that if you make an effort people will help (68.9 per cent Aboriginal
response, 77.8 per cent non-Aboriginal).
Sixty-nine point six per cent of Aborigines believed they should
form groups to get somewhere (Table 34). Both groups (Table 33)
had limited support for the notion of being able to change
the ττιse Ives.
№
Aboriginal students rejected the notion (Table 38) that they
weren’t important, no-one would miss them (65.9 per cent compared
with Hon-Aborigines 50.5 per cent).
They rejected the notion that they sometimes felt like doing
something bad to show they existed (Table 35). Sixty-point seven
per cent rejected this notion, compared with 48.8 per cent of non-
Aborigines.