Kormilda, the way to tomorrow? : a study in Aboriginal education

Abstract

Aborigines in Australia are demanding a kind of education that does not estrange Aboriginal children from their culture and their kin. This book discusses a situation in which such alienation was brought about. Kormilda College, a residential school for tribal Aborigines in the Northern Territory, is the focus of the study. In the college Dr Sommerlad observed young Aborigines trying to reconcile their own values and behaviour with those of the white teachers and administrators. Some students were unable to choose between black and white societies and became marginal members of both. Some felt their black identity degraded by the experience and were left in a state of confusion and self-doubt. If the education of these children is to be in harmony with the values and ideals of the community in which they live, educational reforms will have to be undertaken. From her experience at Kormilda, and drawing on the experience of United States workers with American Indians and Eskimoes, Dr Sommerlad suggests directions such reform might take and pitfalls it will need to avoid. This book must be read by all who wish to see Aborigines take their place in Australian society without losing their unique cultural identity.