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Indigenous Mothers' Aspirations for Their Children in Perth, Western Australia: The Value of Education and Schooling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2015

Helen Lette ,
Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet ,
Linda Slack-Smith ,
Kerry Hunt  and
Janine Nannup
Helen Lette
Affiliation:
Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia
Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet
Affiliation:
Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia
Linda Slack-Smith
Affiliation:
School of Population Health and School of Dentistry, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
Kerry Hunt
Affiliation:
Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia
Janine Nannup
Affiliation:
Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia
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Abstract

This project involved the collection of stories about the aspirations, goals and strategies from a sample of mothers of Indigenous children living in Perth, Western Australia. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews indicated that the education of their children was important for many of the mothers. Whilst some of the mothers preferred their children to learn about their Indigenous history, culture and identity, others valued the type of education that emanates from a mainstream-style school system. A major theme was a need for schools to partner with Indigenous parents in the decision-making process to engage the families in a positive education experience.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 65 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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