Nine Aboriginal women who have each worked tirelessly for decades educating Central Australian children will tonight be recognised with special certificates recognising their length of service.
The Warlipri women, five of whom are retiring at the end of the 2019 school year, will be presented with their certificates tonight by Minister for Education, Selena Uibo, in Alice Springs, as part of World Teachers Day celebrations.
The nine women work at community schools within the Warlipri triangle, including Nyirrpi, Yuendemu, Willowra and Lajamanu.
Their contributions over many years have given countless Walrpiri children a solid start in life, and has also been the backbone of the region’s strong bilingual and bicultural curriculum.
The nine women being recognised include:
· Fiona Gibson
· Barbara Martin
· Yamurna (Nancy) Oldfield
· Maisie Kitson
· Valerie Patterson
· Marlkirdi Rose
· Helen Morton
· Sharon Anderson
· Tess Ross
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education, Selena Uibo.
“For thousands of generations, the Warlpiri people have maintained strong language, culture, traditions, customs and laws and thanks to the tireless work of these eight educators, they remain strong to this day.
“I would like to thank these strong Aboriginal women for being such exceptional leaders in their communities, for inspiring Warlpiri children and for helping guide many generations of children on their paths to bright futures.
“I am very proud to present these ladies with certificates recognising their length of service, as they have blazed the trail for up and coming Aboriginal educators, by being leaders in their schools and their communities.
“They have also shown how strong communities can be when Aboriginal people are given the opportunity to contribute to their own learning.
“The Territory Labor Government is restoring local decision making to remote communities, because, as the contributions of these ladies has shown, local decisions are the best decisions.”
Media contact: Hannah West 0436 641
108