As a prospective teacher who had lived in towns where white Australians, essentially teachers, were the minority groups, the reality of a posting to Aurukun was weighing on my mind. I began to wonder what school for Aboriginal Australians was like and what it should be like.

This role is vital to the teacher aide because it helps him/ her to develop a good relationship with teacher, parent and child. This way parents can take an interest in their child’s education. Their attitude towards teachers would be much more pleasant and understanding. Parents would be aware of their responsibilities both in the school and at home. It would help the child to recognise his/her good and bad points, how to get on well with other children in the classroom and around the community, and last but importantly, to cope with society.

The following is a brief account of the achievements of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee (QATSICC) in Innisfail.

In the Northern Territory there are an estimated 400 Outstation or Homeland Centre communities, 63 of which have requested some form of schooling. These are family groups ranging from approximately 12 to 35 in size who, since the 1970’s, have been returning to live on land with which they have a traditional affiliation. Typically, the families are small groups consisting of the clan leader or traditional landowner and members of his immediate and extended family.

In 1986 I was successful in my application for an award under the Schools Exchange and Travel Scheme (a Commonwealth Schools Commission project). As I had expressed interest in visiting small schools with predominantly Aboriginal enrolments, arrangements were made to visit four schools in the East Arnhem Region. During the two weeks of my visit to Arnhem Land I was able to visit Numbulwar, Umbakumba, Yirrkala, Ramingining and Gapuwiyak schools, as well as two outstation schools, Raymangirr and Dhamiyaka.