Needs Assessment

Extract

In Vol.16 No.3, p.37, we published an article by Mr Kerr entitled “A Metaplan Approach to Needs Assessment”. This was an outline of an approach used by the Aboriginal Education Unit, Kalgoorlie Education Centre, W.A. to determine the educational needs of Aboriginal Communities. One of the target groups selected for this program was a group of traditional Aboriginal people from the remote community of Coonana. Mr Kerr now writes:

“As a result of the program at Coonana, we were again asked to return to help the community re-assess their needs and to formulate some ideas on how they could tackle a few of the other identified key areas. We used a similar approach to the year before, putting topic headings onto a large sheet of paper and then getting people to write down ideas on how to achieve progress in this area. The response from these people was magnificent, and again I reiterate the point of how often have we seen non-Aboriginal people go into Aboriginal communities to tell them that they know best, and make no attempt to listen to or solicit the Aboriginal viewpoint.”

The following is a copy of the report on the project sent to the Coonana School.