EDCX505 A1 - assignment PDF

Preview

Summary

assignment...

Description

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

EDCX 505: Aboriginal Education Assignment 1A: Structured Essay Harriet Hooke

1

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

Assignment 1A: Structured Essay 1.

What is the connection between some key events in Aboriginal Australian history and official education policies? How have Aboriginal people responded to these policies?

The history of Aboriginal education and dominant attitudes of Aboriginal antipathy of the Australian community since colonization are inextricably linked (Parbury, 2011, 132). There was an ignorance throughout the white community borne of little or no knowledge of the Aboriginal culture or of their current plight. The early stages of Protection displayed disregard of Aboriginal culture and wishes (Lippmann, 1994, 15). Among the white community there was prejudice towards the Aboriginals who were not recognized nor given any rights. During the stages of Protection and Assimilation, up until the 1960’s, Aboriginal children were taken from their families by British colonizers and educated in an alien culture (Lippmann, 1994). The missions, funded by the government, were a force for assimilation and tried to control their education accordingly (Lippmann, 1994, 10). The genesis of “White Australia’s” Aboriginal association is rooted in conflict and resistance. Australia’s colonization and early development history prevented any chance of normal social interaction and equality between black and white (Lippmann, 1994, 11). Despite the Public Instruction Act of 1880 prescribing free, secular and compulsory education for all children, Aboriginals were commonly excluded from schools and put into separate ‘Aboriginal schools’ regarded as ‘second class’ schooling as they were not expected to reach secondary school (Parbury, 2011, 134). Despite the establishment of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) in 1976, and the National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC) in 1977, whose visions were to include the Aboriginal community views on all matters relating to education and training, disregard of the Aboriginal culture in education persisted during the Integration stage (Nicol, 2005, 254). The educational policies and practices forged a sense of failure and destroyed the self-confidence of Indigenous people (Nicol, 2005, 254).

2

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

Post war immigration and social change challenged white attitudes towards Aboriginals. The 1967 Referendum recognized Aboriginals as citizens in their own land (Parbury, 2011) and showed the growth in the influence of Aboriginal political organisations and public support for change (Hollinsworth, 1998, 165). Many Aboriginals were confident in their determination to enact social change through education (Hollinsworth, 1998, 152). The first negotiated NSW Aboriginal Education Policy became mandatory in 1987 during the stage of Self-Determination in which the Government was beginning to give more recognition to Aboriginals. In 1989 during the stage of Reconciliation, the Australian Education Council introduced the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy, the first National Policy and funding for 21 goals to achieve education equality by 2020. In 1990 the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was established. In 1996, the Aboriginal Education Policy served to promote educational achievements for Aboriginal students and educate all students about Aboriginal Australia. Policies aimed at improving Aboriginal education saw a positive response from Aboriginals resulting in increased retention rates for Aboriginal students until Year 12, increased attendance, performance, behavior and better educational outcomes. However, on average, Aboriginal students were still behind non- Aboriginal students in numeracy and literacy, had less access to schools and achieved lower educational qualifications (Lippmann, 1994). Despite improvements, the biggest cause of delay in progressing Aboriginal education is the negative or hostile attitude to learning in the older generations of Aboriginal peoples from which younger Aboriginal peoples develop their attitudes (Fletcher, 1989, 288). A history of denial of Aboriginal culture and community among nonAboriginals is a reason for skepticism, rejection and resistance among Aboriginals of education provided (Nicol, 2005, 255). The lived pain and damage that prevailing racist attitudes and social practices are based upon have shaped generations of Indigenous Australians (Hollinsworth, 1998, 142). 2.

In some detail, explain how the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy & Guide (2008) and, in less detail, how the NSW DEC Connected Communities Strategy (p. 3 only) propose to redress Aboriginal disadvantage through schooling.

3

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

The NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy & Guide (AETP) (2008) proposed to redress Aboriginal disadvantage through objectives aimed at the core elements of structural disadvantage. These objectives are: Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders will match or better the outcomes of other students; other students must be educated and develop an understanding about Aboriginal history and culture; Aboriginal communities be involved in decision making about Aboriginal education; and all Aboriginals have the right to fair, equitable and inclusive education (NSW DET AETP, 2008). Community consultation and cultural competency are essential in creating learning partnerships with Aboriginal people and providing meaningful studies for the Australian curriculum and fundamental objectives (NSW BOS, 2008, 5). A cooperative approach ensures that Aboriginal’s cultural contexts, sensitivities, values and practices are incorporated into the mainstream delivery of education and training so that it is inclusive and appealing to all students (NSW DET AETP, 2008). The NSW DEC Connected Communities Strategy (2011) proposed to redress Aboriginal disadvantage through a place based approach and to redress the issues of the entire community (NSW DEC, 2011). It proposed to raise cultural awareness; teach Aboriginal language and culture; increase Aboriginal involvement in collaborative decision making through employing Aboriginals as school executives; focus on early years’ education, personalised learning plans and pathways beyond school for each student; and to have schools as service hubs for the community (NSW DEC, 2011). This strategy, operational in 15 remote and rural schools in NSW since 2013, is meeting the needs of students through integrated, flexible and responsive services (NSW DEC, 2011). Building empowering relationships between schools and communities provides a foundation of support for better education for all students and access (Harrison, 2011, Ch 9). Keeffe (1992) describes a two-way reaction from Aboriginals to these education policies. ‘Aboriginality as Resistance’ was a reaction which united Aboriginals as a people oppressed by colonization who resisted the white community. ‘Aboriginality as Persistence’ united them as a people who kept their traditional culture but the commonality of identity with white Australians created a sense of ‘Pan-Aboriginality’ (Keeffe, 1992). The ‘Resistance’ reaction created opposition to education and

4

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

‘Persistence’ encouraged cooperation to achieve the objectives of these education policies. 3.

What are some factors that may work for and some factors that may work against the realisation of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy's initiatives?

Changing the culture of the school involves changing the way Aboriginal children perceive themselves. If they are going to believe in the policy then it has to be more than words (Sarra, 2003, 6). Teachers can help children do this by expecting more of their students- improved attitude, attendance, behavior and performance in class (Sarra, 2003). Students should talk about school in a way that positively impacts others about education (Harrison, 2011, Ch 1). Participation in sport also plays a vital role in improving a sense of self-worth of Aboriginal students and their communities. Fostering a culture, predominately reinforced by the staff, especially teachers, where all students are treated equally and required to meet the same expectations will work for the realization of the policy’s objectives, particularly increased attendance and fair and equitable education for all students (NSW DET AETP, 2008). Teacher training and education about Aboriginal history and culture will enable teachers to get to know and understand their students better, as the basis to suitable learning strategies and meaningful content for effective learning and better outcomes for Aboriginal children (Sarra, 2003, 8). Indigenous school staff can be a significant factor in collaborative decision making, fair and inclusive education and an understanding of Aboriginals by other students (NSW DET, 2008). Further, it meets the objective of learning Aboriginal languages, which is important in ensuring Aboriginal students feel a connection to their Aboriginal culture (Harrison, 2011, Ch 8). When Aboriginal staff are in key positions within in a school, they are role models for Aboriginal students who start to believe in Aboriginal leadership and foster more positive attitudes to education (Sarra, 2003, 10).

A negative factor to the realization of the policy’s objectives is teaching Aboriginal history and culture in a controlled and formalized way through the curriculum, as

5

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

content can seem somewhat artificial, contrived and feed the generalizations of society (Keeffe, 1992, 51).

Learning about the tumultuous history of Aboriginals and the English ‘white’ settlers can stir debate and opposing views (Harrison, 2011, Ch 3). Aboriginal students may react negatively and fight against raised educational expectations for Aboriginals (Keeffe, 1998, 54). If Aboriginal history and culture is approached in an objective way that serves to develop an understanding of Aboriginal people and their culture and to inform students about racism and anti-racism strategies (NSW DET, 2008), it can unify Aboriginal people across Australia and foster pride in Aboriginal heritage and contemporary identity (Keeffe, 1998, 54). Despite considerable development, there is still more to do to improve education for Aboriginals in Australia (Sarra, 2003).

6

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

References Board of Studies NSW (BOS NSW). (2008). Working with Aboriginal Communities. Retrieved from https://ab-ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au/files/working-with-aboriginalcommunities.pdf Fletcher, J. (1989). Clean, Clad, and Courteous. Documents in The History of Aboriginal Education in New South Wales. J. Fletcher, Carlton, N.S.W. Harrison, N. (2011). Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education. 2nd Edition. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. Chapters 1, 3, 8, 9. Hollinsworth, D. (1998). 'Aborigines, Racism and Assimilation Before the Referendum: 1926-1967.' Race and Racism in Australia. 2nd Edition. Katoomba, NSW: Social Science Press. Chapter 5, pp. 120-166 Keeffe, K. (1992). 'Talking and Learning About Aboriginality-As-Persistence’. From The Centre to The City: Aboriginal Education, Culture and Power. Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press, pp. 48-59 Lippmann, L. (1994). 'The History of Oppression Begins.' Generations of Resistance: Mabo and Justice. 3rd Edition. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. Chapter 1, pp. 1-19 Nichol, R., M. (2005). 'Aboriginal Education in New South Wales: Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.' Socialization, Land, and Citizenship Among Aboriginal Australians: Reconciling Indigenous and Western Forms of Education. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press. Chapter 7, pp. 253-276 NSW Department of Education (NSW DET). (2008). Aboriginal Education Strategy and Policy. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/aec/policy-strategyand-business-systems NSW Department of Education and Training (NSW DET). (2011). Connected Communities Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/about-us/news-atdet/announcements/yr2012/connected-communities-strategy.pdf

7

Harriet Hooke EDCX505

Parbury, N. (2011). 'A History of Aboriginal Education.' Teaching Aboriginal Studies / Edited by Rhonda Craven. 2nd Edition. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Chapter 7, pp. 132-152 Sarra, C. (2003). Young and Black and Deadly: Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Indigenous Students. Canberra, ACT: Australian College of Educators, pp. 1- 14

8...