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The Forum > Article Comments > Indigenous higher education: A policy game-changer? > Comments

Indigenous higher education: A policy game-changer? : Comments

By Joe Lane, published 3/11/2011

How an increasingly educated indigenous population will challenge indigenous policy decisions.

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Bully, you asked: "Joe, are you saying that you “can” identify 100, “Not” employed because of their “Aboriginality” but just won't name them ?"

Not employed just because of their Aboriginality - yes and I won't name them ? yes, that's right. And many would be UNemployed precisely because of their Aboriginality too.

There are many Indigenous graduates who don't, or don't know how to, play the game and who don't let themselves get shunted into some segregated unit, or lumped with all the Indigenous 'problems', who have a lot of trouble staying employed, by sticking to their principle of simply wanting to work in a job regardless, as a qualified person first, Aboriginal second.

You may have a point, but not in the way you think: the great majority of Indigenous graduates are as competent as any others, they don't need any special treatment. But it's not so simple: it seems to be very difficult for some employers, especially public employers, to treat Indigenous graduates as graduates. Almost by definition, they are seen as Indigenous first, graduates second, and 'therefore' liable to be pushed into non-mainstream units.

Secondary school teachers seem to have had great difficulty in getting appointed: one bureaucrat told one applicant that sorry, there weren't any Indigenous secondary schools in SA. Another wasn't appointed until the third week of term. Others have been offered part-time positions - one was offered two in schools about fifty km apart. So although there have been dozens of Indigenous people who have qualified as secondary teachers in SA, there are only a handful actually in the system - and I suspect that they are there only because they are working primarily with Indigenous students. Which is fine - but the entire mainstream should be open to Indigenous graduates just as it is for anyone else. There's still a lot of racism out there, Bully.

Joe
Posted by Loudmouth, Friday, 11 November 2011 7:41:25 AM
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Joe, this is good revealing stuff about the research centres, tutors and everything and needs to out there and discussed in the public domain.
I may even quote you and I hope you don't mind.

Another concern Joe, is that many graduates are taking positions in community organisations and services that would normally go to community educated or, the semi-skilled. These people turn up at interviews with their diplomas (?) and overwhelm other, less certificated job applicants.
My sister for instance went to uni for many years in Brisbane and Melbourne, but was, is happy and contented to work as a liaison person at a hospital. A position that essentially requires good communication skills and to be able to relate to other indigenous. In other words she is over qualified and not necessarily a good communicator. But got the job over other applicants because of her uni education. They are doing others out of a job Joe.
And will not engage with the private sector. This is a point I talk about.

No Joe, don't go on with your “extremely long winded” explanations on why this is so !! Please !!
Posted by bully, Friday, 11 November 2011 5:29:21 PM
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Joe, for more info, arthurbell5@bigpond.com
Hope to hear from you soon.
Arthur Bell.
Posted by bully, Saturday, 12 November 2011 7:23:55 PM
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