Victorian Koorie Education

Aboriginal education encompasses an enormous time span. It does not begin with European contact, nor did it end with this contact. Prior to 1788, our people developed a complex education system. It was a system that was very different from the non-Aboriginal system. Education was not limited to a set period of time. "The education system had definite stages which in many ways equate to today's pre-school, primary, secondary, technical and tertiary levels. However, our people were educated for living and education was aimed at enabling them to function effectively in a society which did not worship material values, but was in harmony with the environment." (Colin Bourke, 1986) Education was a lifelong process, from birth to death, as individuals in the community underwent an increasing process of education throughout their lives. Education was oriented towards the achievement of goals. Every individual was seen as a valuable member of the community and, as they achieved the levels and expectations that were set by the community, they were promoted into another level of knowledge in the community.

This process was not established only so the individual could achieve, it was about how the education and development of the individual benefited the whole community. Each individual had responsibilities before they were born, and as they grew, they learned the cultural values of respect for their elders, sharing and caring, and obligations to their kin and to their land. Education was a community responsibility and everyone was involved in the process.

"For the Koorie community, education is a vehicle for empowerment for the whole community to enhance life skills from birth to death. The education of the individual is vitally important because as they become educated, they contribute to the knowledge within the community. It doesn't matter how many Degrees you get, it matters how they help to empower the Koorie community as a whole." Dr. Mary Atkinson, 2001.