In Vol.2 No 3, Mr. F.H. Barker from Kennedy, Queensland, examined the advantages of black and white photography in the school. Here, Mr. Bucknall reports on the use of black and white photographs as language stimulus material.

In recent issues of the Journal Mr. Spalding has stimulated us to think about the ways in which we teach about Aboriginals. In this article Mrs. Lippmann offers concrete suggestions which will help teachers in their attempts to promote better race relations through education.

The twin issues of education and employment are inextricably bound together for all Australian school students. In a recent issue, Mr. Hall discussed how Aboriginal students at Port Augusta High School are dealing with the problem; and he suggested that schools should engage in a program of pre-employment trainging.

In this article, Mr. Lewis discusses the employment opportunities for and aspirations of Aboriginal school leavers in New South Wales. Most importantly, he tells us how his Department can assist these students to find the positions which they want.

This is the second article in the series by Mr. Spalding. After reading it, most teachers will feel the need to scrutinize carefully the books currently in use in their classrooms.

In the next issue, Mr. Spalding will write about the transmission and reinforcement of prejudice.

In the first article in this series on learning about Aborignals, Mr. Spalding suggested that racist modes of thought were embedded deeply in Australia#x2019;s settler community – “much of our progess and comfort has been gained at the price of Aboriginal distress …” A second article pointed to inadequacies in references to Aboriginal people in various Social Studies books dating from the beginning of the century to recent times.

In this third article attention is focussed upon the processes of indoctrination.

The Pre-reading program for Gupapuyngu speaking children was largely based upon the lectures of Sarah Gudschinsky given in Darwin in early 1973.

The first part of the pre-reading program involved helping the children to learn exactly what reading (and writing) is. In a European culture children often come to school with this understanding, but many Aboriginal children take some time to register the basic principles involved. This aim was achieved as much in incidental teaching as in planned lessons. The children were read to in their own language. When they were read to, the teacher often pointed to the words as he read them. The children were shown the relationship between the figures on the page and what was being read. Every day, after morning news, we wrote down what one child had said (and a picture was drawn). Later on the short story or phrase was read back to the children. When the children were sent on messages, the teacher read out what he had written down. The children learnt the communicative value of writing and reading. Children who, when they arrived at school, thought that reading involved showing a picture and making up the story, soon learnt what the words were for, and thus were motivated to learn to read.

Mr. Cook has been following a plan of parental involvement this year with his sixth class primary school students, and he feels that the principle is most applicable for teachers wishing to develop better attitudes towards school with their Aboriginal students.

There is much discussion today of the need in education to recognize the culturally pluralistic situation in which many Aboriginal children find themselves. Balgo Hills school shows one effective way of implementing this recognition. What approaches are being taken in other schools in Australia?

Most of the discussion on the topic of Aboriginal education until recently has largely focused on primary education, and not without ample justification. This is without doubt the crucial stage in education. But, as the primary section becomes increasingly more successful with its Aboriginal pupils, so it becomes increasingly imperative for secondary education to respond adequately to this new challenge. The exact nature of this challenge is the concern of many teachers involved.

Mr. Barker has built upon an element of the Van Leer approach to provide a stimulating and meaningful set of lesson experiences for his students of all ages. The program has had unexpected and delightful results both in and out of school.