WHAT INSPIRES US

AN AṈANGU EDUCATION

Through leadership in bilingual policy, curriculum and resource development, PYEC supports an Aṉangu Education which is responsive to Tjukurpa / Wapar, Ngura (Country) and Walytjapiti (Kinship) explored and shared through Wangka (Language).

Built on these strong foundations, Aṉangu children and young people are equipped to enter a world beyond the classroom, strong in their identity and ready to travel the pathway they choose.

Nyangatja Aṉangu tjuṯaku kuula. Ini ngaṟanyi kuranyu “Aṉangu” - tjitji Aṉangu tjuṯa tjarpanytjaku.

“This school is for Aṉangu. The name out the front says “Aṉangu” - it’s a place for Aṉangu children.”

— Joseph Peters, Aṉangu Coordinator - Murputja Aṉangu School

Kuula Aṉanguku nyaa purunypa ngaranyi?

Nganampa Tjukurpa / Wapar kuṉpu alatjiṯu ngarangi iritinguru. Kala tiṯutjara nintiringangi tjamu kamiwanu - kukaku, maiku, tjuḻpu tjuṯaku, puṉu tjuṯaku, waruku, kapiku - uwankaraku. Munula iritinguru munu kuwarikutu walytjapiṯingka nyinara tjunguringkupai inmaku pakantjikitja munu ngapartji-ngapartjingku aṯunymankunytjikitja.

What makes an Aṉangu school Aṉangu?

Our Tjukurpa / Wapar has stood strong and complete since the beginning of time. And we have always been learning on Country through our grandmothers and grandfathers - about animals, foods, birds, plants, fire, water - everything. From the deep past to the present, we have existed in our vast kinship networks, coming together to perform ceremonies and to care for one another.

Nganampa Ananguku witulyatjara kuṉpu ngaṟangi iritinguṟu alatjiṯu. Nganampa Aṉangu way, Aṉanguku Aṟatjara – nganampa Manta, nganampa Tjukurpa munu nganampa wangka nyanga paluṟu tjana iritinguṟu alatjiṯu ngaṟangi kuṉpu witulyatjara. Aṉangu Way-ngku nganampa kulintja kuṉpuṉi nintiringkunytjaku – munu witulyatjara mulapa. Ka uti tiitja tjutangku nyakula kulinma, nganampa witulya kuṉpu mulapa ngaranyi.

Our power has always been there, since the beginning of time. Our ‘Aṉangu Way’: our culture; our Country; our Tjukurpa; and our language. These things have been there for all time, and our power lies within them. ‘Aṉangu Way’ strengthens our thinking for learning, and it’s incredibly powerful. It’s important that teachers recognise this - that we have this deep power and strength.

— Makinti Minutjukur, Aṉangu leader - Aṉangu Lands Partnership

Ka mungaṯu kuula tjuṯa pakaṉu nganampa kiminiti tjuṯangka. Munu kuula nyanganpa tjana nganampa mantangka ngarapai, kuula nganampa. Kala piranpaku tjukurpaku kutju nintiringkunytjikitja mukuringkunytja wiyaṯu. Nganampa Ngura nyir-nyirpa wiya ngaranyi. Ka nganampa foundation kuṉpu ngarinyiṯu nyanga palulanguru wirura nintiringkunytjaku. Kala ara kutjaratjara ma-pitjanyi kuranyukutu, lipula alatjiṯu. 

More recently we have built schools in our communities. These schools are on Aṉangu Land, and they belong to us. We don’t want a purely Western education. This Land is not empty. We have a strong foundation on which to build new understandings, and to move forward with two ways of understanding the world, side by side.

Nganaṉa mukuringanyi kuwaritja wiru tjuṯatjara kuulangka nintiringkunytja tjuṯa - munu nganampa Aṉanguku witulyatjara kulu ma-katintjikitja kuranyukutu ma-pitjala. Kutjaraṯu katinytjikitjala mukuringanyi.

We want everything a modern school education has to offer, and to simultaneously carry our own power into the future as well. We want the very best of both worlds.

— Makinti Minutjukur, Aṉangu leader - Aṉangu Lands Partnership

Nganaṉa nintipuka alatjiṯu, tjukurpa / wapar pulkatjara. Munula tjamu kamiwanu nintiringangi palyanyku nyinara palyantjikitja.

We are intelligent people, with a vast knowledge system. We learnt from our grandmothers and grandfathers how to live, work and relate in the right way.

Imagine we are learning about some Western concept, okay? Now the kids might struggle to understand. But what about all the science embedded here in our own knowledge system? You know, we’ve been doing this work about burrowing frogs recently, and this is a good example of how we explore concepts in a different way. Our grandmothers are our scientists, our grandfathers. And they are our teachers.

— Katrina Tjitayi, Aṉangu leader - Aṉangu Lands Partnership

Tjinguṟu nganaṉa nintilpai tjukurpa piṟanpaku, kulinin? Ka tjitji tjuṯa puṯu nguwanpa kulini. Ka tjinguṟu science tjuṯa ngaṟanyi nyangangka! Panya nganaṉa ngaṉngitjara palyaṉi kuwari ka nyanga puṟunypa nyanganpa tjana nganaṉa nintiringanyi kutjupa way. Kaminya nganampa scientist puṟunypa, Tjamunya. Munuya nganaṉanya nintilpai.

Bilingual Education Resources