Wadeye
Wadeye (pronounced Wad-air) (Port Keats) is a tribal Aboriginal Catholic community situated on the western edge of the Daly River Reserve in the Northern Territory. Flying time is around 50 minutes. During the wet season Wadeye is cut off from the outside world for up to five (5) months.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Wadeye is a Catholic Aboriginal School which is Bilingual. Bilingual education was introduced in 1976 and was first accredited in 1985.
There are about 367 students attending the school ranging in age from 4 yrs of age to 19 yrs. The children are taught in both Murrinhpatha and English.
There are 6 (six) Aboriginal class teachers in Early Childhood. These teachers have been trained as teachers through the RATE program through Batchelor College. RATE stands for “Remote Aboriginal Teacher Education”.
There are at Wadeye several different tribal groups, each with its own language, and belonging to a particular land and dreaming.
There are seven different languages spoken by the different clans.
