CDU partnership grows Indigenous teachers in the Territory

An innovative partnership between Charles Darwin University and Catholic Education Australia is providing tertiary qualifications to Indigenous assistant teachers in remote communities.

Funded by a $1.8 million federal grant, the Growing our Own Indigenous Teacher Education Program (Growing our Own) is providing the Bachelor of Teaching and Learning to students in six Indigenous communities.

The partnership involves CDU and six Catholic schools across the Northern Territory, located in Wadeye, Daly River, Katherine, Santa Teresa and two schools at Nguiu on Bathurst Island.

There are currently 28 Indigenous students undertaking the two-year course.

The Growing our Own program involves CDU lecturers travelling to each remote community one day per week to provide tuition, with on-the-job training provided by non-Indigenous teachers within the classroom.

EHS team leader Associate Professor Marguerite Maher said Growing our Own was a two-way learning program for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers.

"Indigenous assistant teachers provide local language translation and cultural education to the non-Indigenous teachers, while gaining practical skills and teaching experience," Associate Professor Maher said.

"Indigenous people are often reluctant to leave their communities to study, so we decided to take our lecturers to communities instead.

"Graduates of the Growing our Own program will be very well placed to bridge the divide between their people and the standard education curriculum," she said.

The launch at Wadeye, on May 26, was attended by special guest of honour, His Eminence Cardinal Pell.

There are eight Indigenous students at Wadeye enrolled in the Growing our Own program, with four expected to graduate at the end of this year and the remaining students at the end of 2010.