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Out with the Outstations?
Sara Hudson

The NT government admits policy failure on outstations writes Sara Hudson in the Sunday Territorian, 19 October 08

After thirty years, it finally seems the Northern Territory government is acknowledging the failures of the outstation movement. Last Monday, the Northern Territory government released a discussion paper seeking input on proposed reforms to outstation policy.

Despite spending millions or even billions of dollars, successive governments have failed to provide appropriate standards of housing, education, and essential services in these Indigenous communities. The catalyst for the government’s change in policy is the crisis in Indigenous education, which has occurred because of separatist educational policies.

In these outstations, Aboriginal schools known as ‘learning centres’ do not have the same standards of classrooms, teaching aids, and materials as regular primary schools. They have a separate ’Indigenous‘ curriculum, and largely rely on fly-in-fly-out teachers who do not meet the normal requirements of the Northern Territory’s Teacher Registration Board. Finally, Marion Scrymgour, the NT’s Indigenous Policy Minister, has admitted that the cultural benefits of these outstations have come at the expense of children’s education.

The discussion paper argues that the NT government’s priority is to give children access to adequate services, especially education. People who are uneducated do not have true freedom, because they lack the capabilities to make real choices about their lives. At last, the NT government has recognised that ‘children must have access to education so that when they are adults they have the capacity and options in life to make a considered decision on the path they wish to take.’

kartiya jim writes:

"Aboriginal Australians are more than entitled to the best that Australia can give them in health, housing ,welfare and education ."

......What racist rubbish !

......ALL Australians are more than entitled to the best that Australia can give them in health, housing, welfare and education.

Australians in their 1967 Referenda sort to make unlawful ALL legislation qualifying the rights and responsibililties of ALL Austrlians on basis of race.

Racists are those seeking to qualify rights and or responsibilities on grounds of race.

Appears use of the word "Aboriginal" still cancels otherwise held responsibilities, accountability and rights.

Such as those of landlords.

Considering the treatment of landlords and their agents in wider community around Australia -even the Northern Territory, to the treatment of the "Aboriginal Land Rights" Trusts as landlords.

Is ongoing refusal to require these Land Trusts behave as landlords which causes so many problems in and around their communities.

Insufficient community infrastructure, insufficient and inadequate housing, poor maintenance, inadequate rental rates, lack of tenant security - no valid leases. lack of development in communities, not to mention the poor returns to intended individual beneficiaries of the Land Trusts from their assets.

The Land Trusts behave more like private zoo keepers than landlords.

When Jenny Macklin Commonwealth and Rob Knight MLA NT Government announced their Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) joint program both admitted long term leases must be in place before capital investments and before the work commenced.

They undertook Commonwealth and the NT Government would work with land councils and communities to secure appropriate land tenure in communities.

When will we see drafts for these leases ?

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