The Karldurrk Early Learning Program (ELP) was established in November 2016 to care for and teach 0-4 year olds in the Kabulwarnamyo community. The community named the program Karldurrk, which means kookaburra in Kunwinjku because the children are often laughing loudly.
Excitingly, in 2022, ELPs were rolled out at both Manmoyi and Mamadawerre Schools. The ELP is delivered from 8.30 – 11.30am Monday to Friday during school terms, staffed locally and supported by Nawarddeken’s full-time registered teachers. Based on the Families as First Teachers model, the ELP aims to equip children with the social, cognitive and emotional skills they need to engage in learning.
A secondary aim is to increase employment opportunities within communities, with the program staffed by a roster of daluk (women) who share responsibility for the planning and delivery of early learning activities. During 2023, more than 20 early learners engaged with their parents or caregivers in the ELP across the three schools.
The ELP continued to allow wurdurd to participate in play based learning activities, develop their gross motor competency, introduce them to early literacy and numeracy skills, and encourage listening and speaking capacity. Free play is the other key component of the ELP, where wurdurd learn important skills in building positive relationships, resilience and problem-solving skills.
Early learners also participate in Bush Trips with Nawarddeken students. This time on Country offers our early learners experiences that support the development of their cultural identity, introduces them to customary knowledge and encourages traditional skills-based development. This year, our ELP grew from one program in Kabulwarnamyo, to a formal program running across all three Nawarddeken Academy schools.
Early Learning in Manmoyi and Mamadawerre commenced under the shade of a tree or kodbarre (paperbark shelter), whilst planning and building of new infrastructure began. To support the ongoing growth of this program, seven daluk (women) travelled to Darwin to participate in training for the Abecedarian Approach with other early childhood educators from across the Northern Territory. Participants were trained a set of evidence-based teaching and learning strategies for early childhood educators and parents to use with children from birth to five. This involved new approaches to engaging families on outstations, and hearing from other early childhood educators about the unique challenges within remote communities.
All of the daluk returned Karldurrk Early Learning Program home with new ideas and a greater sense of confidence in their ability to deliver a culturally rich educational program. Early learning programs such as this are not eligible for government funding in the same way as independent primary and secondary schooling. KKT, thanks to the generosity of donors, supports the basic services, infrastructure, salaries and resources required to effectively prepare young children to learn and grow on Country, to be strong in both the Bininj and Balanda worlds.
