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Working Session: Vernacular and Culturally Based Education
in Oceania Today: Articulating Global, National and Local Agendas Five papers were presented all addressing, from various angles, the socio-political and ideological tensions associated with vernacular and cultural education in colonial, post-colonial and diasporic situations. The now infamous winter storm did not prevent panelists from as far as New Zealand, Australia, PNG and France to make it to the session. Topics covered ranged from the integration of Pacific Island students in Queensland University (Bronwyn Williams) to the colonial ideology of merit (Nuhisifa Williams), the articulation of local and global education narratives (David Troolin), the place of vernacular education in the decolonization process of New Caledonia (Marie Salaün) and on the articulation of post-colonial language ideologies in Solomon Islands schools (Christine Jourdan). Discussion of these papers was lively and exciting and was enriched by the contributions of people in the audience, in particular Bill Heaney, Lisa Dobrin, Simone Pauweis, Unasa Va’a, Tevita O. Ka'ili, Natashe Gagné and Ping-Ann Addo. The session will continue as a symposium in 2011. Some colleagues who did not make it to Alexandria have confirmed their presence for next year’s meeting. We invite other interested colleagues to contact us and look forward to their contribution. Marie Salaün, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne, FRANCE; <Marie.salaun@paris.sorbonne.fr> Christine Jourdan, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec; <jourdan@vax2.concordia.ca> |
