Learning about teaching: the AnTEP way
by Rebecca Gill
For Indigenous Australians living in remote communities,
getting a tertiary education often presents insurmountable hurdles. But
a UniSA program, one of few in Australia, is helping Aborigines to
become UniSA graduates.
AnTEP (Anangu Tertiary Education Program) has been developed specifically to educate Pitjantjatjara/ Yankunytjatjara students to become qualified teachers in their communities.
For Indigenous people living in central Australia, going to university usually means leaving their community, which provides a strong support base and often childcare. Most choose to stay because their studies would impinge on their role as carers.
AnTEP gives students the opportunity to study in their communities and acknowledges family responsibilities by being flexible with attendance requirements.
The program operates in nine different communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the north-west corner of South Australia, at Yalata on the west coast of SA and Oak Valley in the Maralinga Tjarutja Lands.
Run in conjunction with the Department of Education and Children’s Services and local communities, AnTEP offers two awards specialising in Anangu Education: Diploma in Education and Bachelor of Teaching.
Graduates who complete the Diploma can work as Anangu Education Workers (AEWs), providing instruction under the supervision of a registered teacher. Those who complete their teaching degree can work as independent teachers in Anangu communities.
Now in its third decade, AnTEP has graduated 18 people with Bachelor degrees in Teaching, and 35 with a Diploma in Education. This year 55 students are enrolled.
Dianne Brown, who studies at Ernabella, says she couldn’t leave the supportive network of the community to attend university.
"If I couldn’t study at AnTEP, I don’t think I would move to Adelaide to get my degree," she said. "It’s too hard."
For students like Brown, the program provides an opportunity to establish a career in a field they are passionate about.
"I love reading stories to young children," Brown said. "Last year I did my practice teaching for three weeks.
"English is my second language, so I find studying difficult sometimes, but I really want to get my certificate and become a teacher."
Another student, Nancy Thompson, enjoys AnTEP’s special learning activities. These have included a trip to Mawson Lakes campus for a maths workshop and visits from APY Land Management to learn about the environment and plant trees.
Adelaide Coordinator of AnTEP, Bruce Underwood, says the program is relevant to people living in remote communities.
"With the cultural experience students bring to the classroom and the knowledge and skills they learn through AnTEP, graduates give an invaluable service to the community, particularly in remote areas where the population’s youth are facing many hardships."