In the course of this Commission it became obvious that there is a widespread lack of information about the history and culture of Aboriginal people in this State. Not only were people largely uninformed about Aboriginal life in the area where they were living, but the attitudes and impressions they had were often poorly informed. Rarely, is history presented from an Aboriginal perspective so that non-Aboriginal people can see a valid and alternative way to see history.
History stays in the place where it has been made.
There have been a number of occasions when Aboriginal people expressed dissatisfaction with teachers. Students are easily identified as low achievers with teachers finding it difficult to understand their behaviour and too readily judge what they perceive from their own ethnocentric base. Reports into Aboriginal education have been clear for some years about the importance of teacher training including training in Aboriginal culture and history and orientation programmes for new teachers of Aboriginal students. This should include general background in Aboriginal culture, the history of Aboriginal people and their place in modern Australian society. This unit should be separate and distinct from multicultural studies or any other entity or discipline.