HELP is pleased to announce that a new question has been added to the Early Development Instrument questionnaire. Question 11b) asks “Which Aboriginal language group does this student identify with?”.
This question is about Aboriginal identity, which is grounded in land, language and culture. It is not asking whether the student speaks or understands the language. HELP is using language to understand which Aboriginal peoples the student identifies with.
HELP anticipates two potential challenges for teachers when answering this question. First, how to know which students are Aboriginal and second, which land based language groups do the students identify with, In anticipation of these challenges, HELP has produced a short video to provide some background and helpful advice when answering this question. We also encourage teachers to contact HELP’s Aboriginal Liaison Coordinator should they have additional questions.