Education tradition & a Norf'k Language Camp! -
AUDIO>> You have just heard the late Archie Bigg reciting his poem about the Year 9 Norfolk Language camp
In this episode, let’s explore the foundation of our Norfolk Island education from our Pitcairn origins.
The educational tradition on Norfolk Island extends back to the Pitcairn Islanders. In 1835, the community on Pitcairn instituted compulsory education for children aged six years and over. This early dedication to education stemmed from John Adams, one of the original Bounty mutineers, who taught the first generation of Pitcairn children to read in the early nineteenth century using only the Bounty Bible and a prayer book.
This educational foundation proved influential when just one month after the Pitcairners’ arrival in Norfolk Island in 1856, the Reverend George Hunn Nobbs, who had been educated in England and served as the community's teacher, pastor, and doctor on Pitcairn, established schooling in the Old Military Barracks at Kingston.
The Pitcairn educational tradition was reinforced the following year when Governor Denison published laws for compulsory school attendance on Norfolk Island—recognised as the earliest legislation of its kind in the British Empire.
While formal education was highly valued on Norfolk Island, the practical realities of island life required a sensible approach to schooling.
The lemon and passionfruit industries represented crucial export markets for Norfolk Island during certain periods, providing essential income for families and the broader community. When harvests peaked, all available hands—including school children—might be called upon to ensure the crop was gathered efficiently before spoilage. Children on the island learnt practical skills that complemented their formal education—understanding agriculture, commerce, logistics, and the seasonal rhythms that governed island life.
This balance between formal classroom education and practical life skills created a holistic educational experience that prepared children not just for academic achievement but for the realities of life on a remote island.
One of the most significant educational initiatives has been the deliberate effort to preserve and promote our unique Norf'k language, with one of the most notable of these initiatives being the annual Language Camp for Year 9 students.
The camp took students out of the standard classroom environment and placed them in settings where they actively used and learnt the Norf'k language while simultaneously engaging with traditional cultural practices.
>> AUDIO Have a listen now to Gaye Evans, Judith Davidson & Colleen Crane as they share with us how the Norfolk Language Camp came about and what it involved.
>> AUDIO: the next collection of audio compilations includes the Year 9 students in 2013 speaking about their fishing experiences, favourite foods and activities, along with the late Archie Bigg, Colleen Crane, Maev Hitch, Greg Magri and Arthur Evans.
The ripple effects of the Language Camp extended throughout the community. Participating students often returned home with renewed enthusiasm for Norf'k, bringing phrases and cultural practices into family settings and encouraging intergenerational language use. The camp also paid tribute and acknowledged appreciation of our community elders, whose knowledge of language and tradition is showcased as valuable expertise rather than relics of the past.
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