Embracing plurality through oral language

The transmission and dissemination of knowledge in Aboriginal societies for the most part occurs orally in an Aboriginal language or in Aboriginal English. However, whilst support is given to speaking skills in Indigenous communities, in our education system less emphasis is given to developing equivalent oral communicative competence in Standard Australian English (SAE). Instead the focus is given to the ongoing assessment of reading and writing skills and grammatical knowledge – this is in direct contrast to the existing language experience of Aboriginal students. Therefore, for Aboriginal students to participate in mainstream society, we suggest that there is a need to nurture oral language skills in SAE and provide learners with the experience to develop their code-switching ability to maintain continuity with their first language or dialect. Drawing on previous research that we and others have undertaken at several schools, this paper highlights the need for three fundamental changes to take place within language education: (1) school policies to change and explicitly accept and support Aboriginal English in code-switching situations; (2) familiarity among school staff about the major differences between Aboriginal English and SAE; and (3) tasks that focus on developing and practising the ‘when, why and how’ of code-switching

Fertility Regulation

In the past two centuries the proportion of couples using some form of conscious pregnancy-prevention has risen from close to zero to about two-thirds. In European populations this radical change in behaviour occurred largely between 1870 and 1930 without the benefit of highly effective methods. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, the change took place after 1950 since when the global fertility rate has halved from 5.0 births to 2.5 births per woman. In this chapter we describe the controversies surrounding the idea of birth control and the role of early pioneers such as Margaret Sanger; the advances in contraceptive and abortion technologies; the ways in which family planning has been promoted by many governments, particularly in Asia; trends in use of specific methods; the problems of discontinuation of use; and the incidence of unintended pregnancies and abortions

The regulation of business and the achievement of ethical standards

tag=1 data=The regulation of business and the achievement of ethical standards. by G. F. K. Santow tag=2 data=Santow, G.F.K. tag=3 data=Australian Quarterly, tag=4 data=65 tag=5 data=2 tag=6 data=Winter 1993 tag=7 data=38-49. tag=8 data=CORPORATIONS LAW tag=10 data=If our Corporations Law is to be simplified, how can that best be done to encourage a climate of compliance and good business morality? tag=11 data=1994/6/1 tag=12 data=94/0040 tag=13 data=CABIf our Corporations Law is to be simplified, how can that best be done to encourage a climate of compliance and good business morality

Mandatory Sentencing: A matter for the high court?

Oppressive mandatory goal laws in the NT and WA may be viewed by reasonable members of the public as comprimising the integrity and independence of the judiciary, though High Court authority may stand in the way of a successful constitutional challenge

Patterns of Contraceptive Use

This chapter investigates patterns of contraceptive use among Australian women who are at 'risk' of pregnancy: that is, women of reproductive age who are sexually active. The aims of this chapter are to determine how women control their fertility, and how contraceptive use varies over the reproductive life course. There are many factors that are associated with contraceptive method use to prevent or delay pregnancy. Availability and access to methods is an important consideration, and the chapter starts with an overview of the contraceptives available in Australia, from the most popular through to the lesser-used methods. Contraceptive method use in Australia is also compared with a number of other countries. Method use is then compared for different sections of the population. Important factors that have been found to be associated with contraceptive method use include age, partnership status, education, religiosity, family size (number of children ever born), and fertility intentions. An emphasis is placed on the type of method used and the timing of fertility intentions. This chapter uses information on contraceptive method use and fertility intentions collected in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey as part of the Generations and Gender modules in 2005, 2008 and 2011