No person can grow up in Australiaian society without having learned the stereotypes assigned to the major ethnic groups. Such stereotypes appear part of the social heritage. They are an economical means of ascribing certain characteristics to groups with whom one rarely comes into close contact. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that stereotype attitudes show marked stability over time. In particular, stereotyping has been a feature of the contacts of white Australians with Aboriginal Australians. The effects that such stereotyping and associated attitudes of prejudice have had on the aspirations, motivation, and achievement of Aboriginals in the past are no less real because they were not able to be measured.

The following list contains books etc. that we have found useful at our school. Our enrolment has a high percentage of Aboriginal and part-Aboriginal children (about 70%) many of whom have learning difficulties or difficulties orientating with the European society in which they are presently living.

This is a book of twenty-four stories by Raymond Bandeedye and Charlie Djordila of the Burarra language group in Arnhem Land. The stories are presented in Burarra, with a brief English translation (provided by K. Glasgow of the Summer Institute of Linguistics) following each story. The stories are illustrated. The book has been produced by the Department of Education, Darwin.