From article by By Louisa Rebgetz: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/01/2702178.htm?site=indigenous&topic=latest

The man who conducted a review into the Northern Territory Education Department says bilingual education has never been given a proper chance in the Territory, where the Government is sticking by its policy to force schools to teach only in English for the first four hours of each day.

Dr Chris Sarra from the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute says embracing culture and language is key to improving outcomes for Aboriginal students.  “I’m not convinced that there’s been a sustained investment for long enough to make any valid conclusion,” he said.

“The challenge for the Territory is to have a look at what world’s best
practice has to say and create those circumstances… and that would mean quality leadership, quality teaching and language
speakers who are quality teachers as well. .. I don’t know if we have had all of those conditions to draw any conclusions.”

Dr Sarra has also condemned a policy linking school attendance to
parents’ welfare payments.  A report in Queensland shows school attendance has improved at two Cape York communities where truancy trials are running.  However, Dr Sarra says he does not believe in the truancy program. “It’s an absolute waste of time and money,” he said. “There is a tremendous expense on some sort of quasi bureaucracy that doesn’t even sit amongst these communities.

“We’ve proven time and time again that where there is quality leadership and quality teaching, there is room for quality relationships with communities and that’s the kind of thing that will get children to come to school.”