Ngalangangpum School

Ngalangangpum (Mother and Child) School was established as a Catholic School in May 1979 in answer to a direct request from the Warmun Aboriginal Community. Under a legal contract, the school authority agreed:

• to provide a curriculum suited to the needs of the children of Warmun Community
• to involve community members in the teaching of the traditional culture and beliefs
• to endeavour to provide instruction in two languages Kija and English.

As a result of this commitment a ‘Two Way’ learning process was formed.

This places equal importance on both Kija Curriculum and the Australian Curriculum. It gives specific role to Aboriginal personnel in both areas but particularly Aboriginal Curriculum. It believes that education is more than information processing- rather, it is the link between school and community. It recreates the teaching-learning relationship between the older and younger members of the community. It assumes flexibility in school structures to accommodate the appropriate Two-Way learning stance and the implementation of the Aboriginal Curriculum. It respects and fosters Aboriginal languages and culture whilst providing instruction in Standard Australian English and western culture and technology.

This reciprocal relationship of learning between staff, local liaison, community and student is to be valued and promoted at all times through the curriculum.

Our playgroup supports parents/carers of children aged 0-4 to act as their children’s ‘first educators’ through the Aboriginal Families as First Educators Program.