Option 3

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014

(MCEECDYA, 2010) obliges all Australian state and territory governments to

a integrated approach to closing the gap in education outcomes between

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous students. The

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy 2015

(Education Council, 2015) also states that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander are inspired and supported to outline their own futures as well as to

identify their culture identity to be Australia’s First Nations people. In order to

achieve educational equity and social equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students, schools and teachers are required to promote positive,

respectful and inclusive relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students, as well as reducing racism and discrimination in Australian

educational context. This essay will be focused on the negative impacts and

historical disadvantage that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have

experienced through history, mainly in relation to educational perspective.

Furthermore, this essay will also outline potential teaching strategies and

approaches which are based on recent and relevant government policy and

researched literature, that future secondary teachers could implement into

classroom in regrades to teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students and reducing the use of punishment and suspension.

There always has been a misunderstanding perspective on history of the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The history has been shared with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Aboriginal people since

1770, which have a huge impact on peoples’ understanding of personal

identity (Craven, Dilton & Parbury, 2013). Historically, the schooling setting

has failed to provide substantial educational needs of the Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students (Beresford, Partington & Gower, 2012). Price

(2015, p4) states that the settlers have established an illusion, which the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were “uneducable”. However,

Price (2015, p3) also indicates that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

children have always had their own education when the child moved in the

womb, and the child was taught and watched by “tutors”, whom educated the

history and the needs of life, and the most important learning method was

observation ability. However, the western education system was introduced

after the settlers arrived in Australian land, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander children were placed in mainstream classrooms and regulated with

school rules and attendance. In fact, the western education system potentially

has dined the tradition and intellectual abilities of the Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander children, which disadvantaged their school performance and

decreased school attendance. The Social Justice Report 2005 establishes

that at the end of 2014 half of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students were withdraw from Year 11 as compared to non-Aboriginal students

nationally.

According to Closing the gap clearinghouse 2010 Issus Paper, the key factor

to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ disadvantage is

retaining regular school attendance in relation to achieve suitable stages of

education (Purdie & Buckley, 2010). Moreover, there is still a large gap in

school attendance and retention between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students and non-Aboriginal students. The percentage of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students attending school is lower than non-Aboriginal

students and the number growths in terms of the stage of schooling increase

(Purdie & Buckley, 2010). The senior lecturer Dr Brenda Dobia from Western

Sydney University has presented a lecture to pre-service teachers, which

highlighted that 24% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in age

between 4-17 years old have shown serious emotional or behavioural

difficulties compared with non-Aboriginal students in Australian schooling

setting. The factors would cause Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students showing social and emotional disorders are complex, and the

multifarious disturbance could come from various circumstances such as

racism and discrimination, loss sense of identity and low expectations. All of

these factors negatively impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students’ attendance, and schools in New South Wales are not addressed

positive wellbeing management such as build up students’ resilience and

cultural competency, in fact, most of schools using suspension strategy

instead.

The Suspension and Expulsion of School Students Procedures 2011

demonstrates the definition of suspension as a strategy of removing a student

from a school for a period of time determined by the Principal due to students’

inappropriate behaviours. According to the suspension rate of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander from Aboriginal Students in NSW Public Schools Annual
Report 2015, in the period 2010- 2014, the percentage of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students short suspended decreased by 2.5%, though

the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students long

suspended has varied between 5.7% and 6.3% (NSW Government

Education, 2015). Hence, there are various reasons for short and long

suspensions that issued to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; one

of the main factors is disengagement at school due to cultural dispossession.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students do not feel sense of belonging

to the learning context and peer groups, which influences their school success

and sense of identity.

According to Aboriginal Education Policy 2008, it states that the Education

department will work closely with other government agencies and non-

government organisations to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

people receive equal education as well as building capacity within Aboriginal

communities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

achieving learning outcomes (NSW Department of Education, 2008).

Aboriginal communities have stronger and extended family values than the

mainstream society. Aboriginal children were often cared and educated by the

entire community. However, the government policies that segregated

Aboriginal children from families and communities were effectively

discontinued the cultural inheritance of history, language and spirituality from

one generation to the next. Historically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

people were experienced assimilation and discrimination; they were forbidden

to speak their languages and were integrated to white Australian society.

Essentially, schools and teachers are required to work closely with Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander community to minimize the gap between Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Aboriginal students. In order to

closing the gap, schools should implement more effective strategies and

engaging program to maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

at school. Schools may hired professional Aboriginal teaching staff or

Aboriginal education officer, who is connected to local Aboriginal communities

and fully understand Aboriginal culture and traditions. Statistics have shown

that teachers’ attitude and belief are highly affected students’ suspension

rates, especially students from low socio-economic backgrounds and minority

ethnic group or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background (DEEWR,

2010). Cultural difference and misunderstanding are often caused

misbehaviour for students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

background. Once students demonstrate misbehaviour or behavioural

problem and are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, schools

and teachers are required to communicate with parents or carers first, as well

as to identify if there is any issues of misinterpretation on culture and

perspective. Schools are also suggested to promote positive behavioural

learning and implemented social and learning programs to enhance students’

learning skills.

Apart from involving Aboriginal communities to work with schools to increase

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ engagement, attendance and

retention rate, it is also important to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students’ numeracy and literacy skills in Australian Standard English

without decreasing their Aboriginal English or Aboriginal language dialects. In

the Closing the Gap – Prime Minister’s Report 2017, the data shows that

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have only achieved national

minimum standards in Year 9 Numeracy from NAPLAN results. Therefore, the

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has

developed Language framework to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander languages in Australian Curriculum. The Shape of the Australian

Curriculum: Languages states out “Strengthening the bilingual literacy of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is essential to improving their

overall academic achievement and success”(ACARA, 2011, p17). The

implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in

Australian Curriculum is beneficial for all students, especially for Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students. They have the opportunity to learn their

own language, which could increase students’ self-esteem and sense of

belonging, also enable their passion of learning in other curriculum units

(Price, 2015). Language is not only a speaking tool; it represents the culture

and history of an ethnic group. We all should protect our own languages in

terms of maintaining our culture and history.

In current Australian educational setting, teacher education is highly expected

to include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaning outcomes, which

embedding the knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories

and cultures. The NSW Syllabus for every unit is requested Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in Cross-curriculum priorities.

However, in the real classroom, teachers are rarely include the content or

concept of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture due to teachers have

lack of knowledge on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and

cultures. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at Graduate

level requires teachers to implement strategies for teaching Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander student, as well as demonstrating the understanding of

knowledge and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories,

cultures and languages (AITSL, 2011). Phillips and Lampert (2012) indicate

in order to perform classroom teaching in a reasonable way that establishes

commitment to Aboriginal education, teachers are always required to

demonstrate Aboriginal perspectives in subject matter. Teachers should be

aware of what they are teaching through Aboriginal perspective, as well as be

responsible of what they are saying.

Furthermore, teachers should demonstrate high-expectations in classroom as

well as building positive relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students, which could enhance positive student identity. The five meta-

strategies in Stronger Smarter Module are effective and useful strategies for

teachers to adopt and implement into teaching when working with Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students. Sarra (2012) states high expectation

relationship is a reliable two-way relationship of supportive and challenging.

The definition of high expectation means people expect them self to perform

and achieve higher than they think. Teachers should always examine their

teaching practice, and always reflect their own thoughts and beliefs; they are

also accounted of responsibility in Aboriginal education, which is to best

support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieving learning

outcomes.

As a future teacher, I will definitely implement the five meta-strategies into my

teaching practice. In my opinion, a model of schooling has an enormous

impact on students’ attendance in regards to students’ learning. Therefore, I

will strongly suggest my schools to work with Aboriginal communities and

design a suitable model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to

best prevent low school attendance due to cultural responsibilities such as

attending funeral. Schools and teachers should always design a special

schooling model to best enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’

learning capacity. Additionally, I will never stop studying on Aboriginal

education, as well as to further develop my knowledge on Aboriginal culture

and history.
Reference:
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. (2005). Social Justice
Report (3). Retrieved from:
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/social_justice/sj_report/sjr
eport05/pdf/SocialJustice2005.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). The Shape of the
Australian Curriculum: Languages 2011. Retrieved from:
https://acaraweb.blob.core.windows.net/resources/Languages_-
_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_new.pdf

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2011). National
Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from:
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Beresford, Q., Partington, G., & Gower, G. (2012). Reform and resistance in Aboriginal
education. Reform and Resistance in Aboriginal Education, 498.

Craven, R., Dilton, A., & Parbury, N. (Eds.). (2013). In Black & White: Australians All at the
Crossroads. Connor Court Publishing.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2010). What Works. The
Work Program: Core Issues 2. Retrieved from
http://www.whatworks.edu.au/upload/1284012446636_file_2Suspensions.pdf

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2017). Closing the Gap – Prime Minister’s
Report 2017, Chapter 3 Education, pp36-53.

Dobia, B. (2017, August 7). Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Youth [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from:
https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-2780340-dt-content-
rid23980103_1/courses/102085_2017_2h/Week%204%20102085%202017.2.pdf

Education Council. (2015). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy
2015. Retrieved from:
http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/ATSI%20documents
 /DECD__NATSI_EducationStrategy.pdf

Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs. (2010).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014. Retrieved
from:
http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/ATSI%20documents
/ATSIEAP_web_version_final.pdf

NSW Department of Education (2008). Aboriginal Education Policy 2008. Retrieved from:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/aboriginal-education-and-
training-policy

NSW Department of Education and Communities (2011). Suspension and Expulsion of

School Students Procedures 2011. Retrieved from:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/suspol_07.pdf

Phillips, J., & Lampert, J. (2012). Introductory Indigenous Studies in Education: Reflection
and the Importance ofKnowing. Frenchs Forest, NSW, AU: Pearson Australia.

Price, K. (2015). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the
teaching profession. Cambridge University Press.

Purdie, N., & Buckley, S. (2010). School attendance and retention of Indigenous Australian
students. Retrieved from:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2010/ctg
-ip01.pdf

Sarra, C. (2012). Reflections of an Aboriginal school principal on leading change in an

Aboriginal school. Changing schools: Alternative ways to make a world of difference,
61-71.