NEWS Gunner will sign treaty

Indigenous freedoms to be enshrined in document

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has vowed new freedoms for the Territory’s indigenous population and confirmed he would commit to signing a landmark treaty at Barunga Festival on Friday.

It is understood a draft agreement of the treaty would have committed the Gunner Government to recognising that Australia was improperly settled and its First Peoples need recompense for “deep injustice (and) violent dispossession”, but it is not yet clear what the final version will say.

In an opinion piece inside today’s Sunday Territorian, Mr Gunner has also suggested schools in indigenous communities be given the right to run themselves.

“Under the Treaty it could be agreed the Government provides money for education and the community takes responsibility for how it is delivered locally,” he says.

“Locals could take control of the curriculum – from bilingual education to culture.

“Locals could also take control of children attending school, for teachers to be employed and seeing even more locals becoming teachers.”

The idea has been backed by local education researcher Dr John Guenther of the Batchelor Institute.

“Absolutely I think that’s a really positive initiative if that can be made to work,” Dr Guenther said.

“I think it’s something that research says is incredibly valuable and important and the evidence suggests that this will result in better outcomes in the community and school and the students.”

One school in remote Arnhem Land, Nawarddeken Academy, has taken the steps to become an independent non-government school.

Nawarddeken Academy chief executive Olga Scholes said the school was created to allow the outstation to guide the education of its children.

“The school came out of need and the community wanting the best for their children,” she said.

Education Minister Eva Lawler said the communityled model would empower Aboriginal people to take control of their children’s education.

“Communities will drive the types and level of decisionmaking that is appropriate for them,” she said.

OPINION P12