Datapoint Gurindji Kriol/Domains of use: school

Officially, Kalkaringi has an English-only school. Gurindji, as the traditional language of Kalkaringi, is given no place in the school. Gurindji language subjects have existed from time to time. Baptist missionaries ran a Gurindji school programme in the 1980s. Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (DAC), an Aboriginal Language Centre based 500km away in Katherine, started the school language programme again in 1996 and it ran until the end of 1999 when the school Principal discontinued it. In line with a continuing English-only policy, no programme has existed since. The Gurindji people's desire to reinstate the Gurindji language programme has been hindered by the English-only policy of subsequent principals. Gurindji Kriol is afforded no place in this debate because it has low prestige both in the eyes of the education department and the Gurindji community. Currently it has no official place in the school. All teachers are non-indigenous and they only speak English to the students. A number of local assistant teachers are also employed. These assistant teachers use Gurindji Kriol with students, often translating Western concepts from English into Gurindji Kriol. In this respect, Gurindji Kriol is used as a bridging language to English competency.

Values

Limited

Confidence:
Very certain