Djambatj dhukarr: Road to excellence

This project will expand my research into the professional development of Yolŋu team teachers. It will explore ways to develop leadership opportunities through culture and language programs within Yolŋu communities, which requires a better understanding of social and cultural barriers that face the emerging generation of Yolŋu leaders. It seeks to place bilingual approaches at the heart of Yolŋu education.

Yolŋu language and culture lies at the heart of everything we do in this research. It seeks to ensure that Yolŋu leaders are equipped to develop the confidence and skills required to operate both within and outside their own communities.

There is only one qualified teacher now left at the Yirrkala School and no Yolŋu trainee teachers nearing accreditation to replace her. Integrating exchange experiences for Yolŋu team teachers with schools in Melbourne into their studies towards teacher accreditation offers a better way to meet the needs of Yolŋu learners, while at the same time recognising the importance of Yolŋu culture. As such, this project will address existing social and cultural barriers to producing the next generation of accredited Yolŋu teachers and explore more flexible and accessible educational models to overcome them.