The Aboriginal Liaison Officer in Western Australia: Views from Three Levels

Abstract

In Eastern Australia the respective State Education Departments are encouraging the liaison of Aboriginal parents with the schools. An Aboriginal person is usually employed to facilitate this important interaction and is employed under various titles – The Aboriginal Home Visitor, Home-School Coordinator, and Community Education Counsellor. The diversity of nomenclature is maintained in Western Australia, where the Aboriginal person entrusted with this demanding task is employed as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer.The following articles describe the duties and performance of the Aboriginal Liaison Officers from three levels. Colin Mounsey, Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in Western Australia, provides a state-level overview, relating the history and special requirements of the Aboriginal Liaison Officer. Neil MacNeill (Principal, Roebourne Primary School) and Gladys Walker (Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Roebourne) relate the operations of the Liaison Officer from a local and personal viewpoint. (C.N. MacNeill)