If you are a black parent don’t expect your kids will get the same access to schooling as white kids, it just doesn’t work that way in the Northern Territory.
Before the residents of Mapuru were able to access any educational services for their children, they first had to construct a school building. They had to find a Mapuru resident who was willing to teach without pay for six months. This was, and still is called the ‘trial’ period before becoming an acknowledged Homeland Learning Centre. In 1982 Mapuru parents saved their money and built the school house. For six months they operated a school program without pay and minimal assistance. In 1984 Jackie began working as the Assistant Teacher at the centre. While Jackie has no formal teacher training he, like all Mapuru parents, is extremely committed to all the children in his community.
In 1998 Jackie’s uncles Johnny and Kevin asked the Department of Education for a permanent English speaking teacher to be resident at Mapuru. This, and other requests were ignored for the next five years. Their words fell on deaf ears. Early in 2003 Kevin sent a letter to the Minister for Education. There was no reply to this letter for several months, but after follow-up letters and several telephone calls the Minister visited Mapuru in late 2003 and promised, at a meeting with residents, that qualified teachers would soon be living permanently and teaching there; nothing happened. In 2006 Kevin visited the Minister in Darwin who reaffirmed his intention to honour the previous commitment. Again the community was disappointed with the lack of response.
