Category Archives: australia

Australia: Northern Territory government defends its bilingual education policy

Northern Territory education minister Chris Burns has defended the Government’s policy on bilingual education after it was criticised by one of his federal Labor colleagues. “I know some people have got a long-term attachment to it but really what I’m … Continue reading

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The big Australasia TEFL news roundup

Here are some recent TEFL headlines from around the region. South Korea: Language education ‘starts in the womb’ Bilingual education starts from womb, a research team led by Krista Byers-Heinlein and Janet Werker from the University of British Columbia claims … Continue reading

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Australia: A report blasts bilingual policy changes

Under the Territory Government’s controversial changes to bilingual education, all students will learn in English only for the first four hours of the day from next year, notes ABC. A report released in Canberra by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal … Continue reading

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Australian Voices of Dissent

Australia: In 2003, at the Kalkaringi Community Education Centre, a bush school on what was once known as Wave Hill station, teachers George and Robyn Hewitson put the first remote area indigenous students – 3 of them in total – … Continue reading

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A call to ‘nurture’ the English language empire

Australia: Britain’s colonial empire may be long gone, but the language that helped run and often unite it has helped build an empire of a different kind. This English language empire needs to be nurtured and protected by universities in … Continue reading

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Marion Scrymgour backs down on bilingual education plan

Australia: Northern Territory Education Minister Marion Scrymgour has buckled to a backlash from the bush in her bid to force teachers in remote Aboriginal schools to teach predominantly in English, notes TheAustralian.com. Ms Scrymgour said yesterday that a requirement to … Continue reading

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Australia: Teachers will mind language

Australia: The Territory Government says from next year all schools will teach in English for the first four hours of each day. It is facing a revolt from remote teachers who vow to continue teaching in Aboriginal languages, despite the … Continue reading

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Australia: Department’s reports undermine Minister

Australia: Minister Marion Scrymgour has repeatedly said there is no evidence to show that bilingual schools accelerate English literacy. But two reports by her own department have surfaced. Both say schools that teach young indigenous children in their own language … Continue reading

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Australia: Commissioner labels bilingual education ‘a success story’

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner says bilingual teaching is one of few success stories in the recent history of Northern Territory education. Tom Calma says the Northern Territory Government is ill-advised to implement restrictions on traditional language teaching in bilingual schools. … Continue reading

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Australia: Classrooms limit indigenous languages to 1 hour a day

Something very worrying is happening in the Northern Territory, notes website Crikey.com. The NT Minister for Education recently announced that indigenous languages can not be used in NT classrooms, except for one hour a day in the afternoons. This announcement … Continue reading

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