Dharaŋanamirr dhukarr guŋga'yunaraw djamarrkuḻiw’ ga gurruṯumirriw marŋgikunharaw ḏälkunharaw gakaḻ’wun dhiyakun märrmaw’nha romgun: Understanding pathways to support Yolŋu children and families to achieve strong learning in two systems.

Dharraŋanamirr dhukarr guŋgayunaraw djamarrkuḻiw ga gurruṯumirriw marŋgikunharaw ḏälkunharaw gakalwun dhiyakun marrmaw’nha romgun. Understanding pathways to support Yolŋu children and families to achieve strong learning in two systems

This project was a collaboration between Charles Darwin University, Yalu Indigenous Corporation, Shepherdson College, Connected Beginnings, Families as First Teachers and Galiwin’ku Childcare.

The Ŋuthanmaram Djamarrkuḻiny’ Märrma’kurr Romgurr - Growing up children in two worlds project (growingupyolngu.com.au) demonstrated that Yolŋu children have strong knowledge and skills from their own cultural domain that may not be recognised within the very different cultural context of school. A high priority for Yolŋu families is recognition of, and respect for, cultural strengths to ensure children stay strong in the Yolŋu system as they move into early childhood programs and school. Yolŋu also want greater understanding of Balanda (non-Indigenous) systems of education. Early childhood services and school contexts are foreign systems for many children and for their families. Children may feel lost and families can find it hard to recognise how to support their children’s learning in unfamiliar systems. 

In response, our team designed a project to explore these two questions: 

• What can help Balanda to recognise and respect Yolŋu education systems?
• What can help Yolŋu to understand more about Balanda education systems?

This project used a participatory action approach with cultural experts, elders, families, children, educators and researchers working together, using an approach that has been successful in collaborative work between Yolŋu and non-Indigenous researchers in education and health research over many years. Our collaborative approach - räl-manapanmirr djäma - provided the opportunity for participants and team members to engage in intensive collaborative planning and action. The project processes (both planning and action) have supported continuous sharing of knowledge between Yolŋu and Balanda domains. 

Phase 1 used an iterative process of collaborative planning, review of relevant previous research and program documents, video reflexive ethnography, individual and group interviews. Findings from analysis of data from all sources was shared with community collaborators and participants and through a process of co-design strategies for trial and evaluation in Phase 2 were identified. Many activities were conducted through the project including community workshops and collaborative development of resources. Yolŋu involved in the project asked for these resources to be made available in an App for sustained and wide access.  

The LearningPathways YolŋuBalanda App supports Yolŋu to understand Balanda education systems and Balanda to recognise and respect Yolŋu education systems. The app includes four sections:

1. A dictionary of English terms that Yolŋu wanted explained in Djambarrpuyŋu (a Yolŋu language);
2. A Yolŋu child's developmental pathway including ways that family monitor and support children's development;
3. Explanations of the Australian education pathway (relevant to the Northern Territory) and services for children and families at Galiwin’ku; and

4. Videos to support Balanda to recognise Yolŋu education processes within ceremonial contexts.

   For links to the current version of the App and more information about the project visit the Connecting Perspectives page on growingupyolngu.com.au. More resources will be added to the App and an updated version published in 2024.