Slide+4+-+Modern+culture+and+the+link+to+learning

Slide 4 planning page

Due to the painful history of the Torres Straight Islanders few saw any relevance or even had access to education or further education. In modern day many Torres Straight Islanders have taken the opportunity to undertake education that their parents and grandparents did not have access to. As Shnukal (2001, p. 29) mentions “there are increasingly numbers of Torres straight Islanders that are undertaking undergraduate and even post graduate degrees to gain valuable skills that are contributing to the management of their local communities.” Thus Torres strait Islanders are gaining an education that utilises their culture and in turn their achievements help develop their society and preserve their culture.

There have been some massive achievements from Torres Straight Islanders who have taken the opportunity to gain an education. Some famous Islanders include: (Shnukal, 2001, p.29)
 * Mary Garnier was the first Torres strait Islander to gain a university degree in 1965.
 * Nartin Nakata was the first Torres Strait islander to gain a PhD in education in 1997.
 * Roy Whittaker was the first Torres Strait Islander to become a doctor.
 * Catherine Anne Pirie became the first Torres strait islander to become a magistrate in 2000.

References Shnukal, Anna. "Torres Strait Islanders." FROM : Brandle, Maximilian (ed.). Multicultural Queensland 2001: 100 years, 100 communities, a century of contributions 2001 pp 21-35 State Of Queensland (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)