The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy (2015), was created to assist educators to enable Indigenous students to ‘achieve their full learning potential’, empower students to determine their futures and embrace their identities as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Education Council, 2015 p.2). The strategy has seven priority areas and eight principles to inform educators on how to uphold the vision statement and key areas of concern to create multi-level approaches around, at both local and commonwealth levels (Education Council, 2015 p.3-5). To improve educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the strategy must guide the curriculum and teachers to fully support students. …show more content…
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students show significantly lower levels of school attendance compared to their peers, eighty-three per cent of First Nations students attend school from years one to ten in comparison to ninety-three per cent of others (DPMC 2017, p.36). This is a point of concern as attendance is a key contributor for low levels of achievement (Donovan 2015, p.614). Students may not attend school if teachers are unable to engage with them. Teachers who lack cultural knowledge will have more difficulty connecting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (Donovan 2015, p.614). Non-Indigenous teachers can engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through cultural competency. The phrase is defined by Johnstone and Kanitsaki (cited in Hollinsworth 2013, p.1049) as requires ‘not only possession of cultural knowledge and respect for different cultural perspectives but also having skills and being able to use them effectively in cross-cultural situations’. Teachers who are culturally competent are aware of the histories, language and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and how this can affect …show more content…
180). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who do not speak Standard Australian English as their first language will not always use familiar language conventions as their peers, which can cause miscommunication issues with teachers (Rahman 2013, p.663). Students also face disadvantages in learning the language as there is no program for First Nations students that compares to other students who do not speak English as a first language (Buckskin 2015, p. 180). The Australian Curriculum does not aline with the second principle of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy (2015), as students are not equitable. Stronger Smarter Institute Limited, 2014, High-Expectations Relationships: a foundation for quality learning environments in all Australian schools, Stronger Smarter Institute Limited Position Paper.
Buckskin, P 2015, ‘Engaging Indigenous students: The important relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their teachers’, in K Price, 2nd edn, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education: An introduction for the teaching profession, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne,
In the 1950s and 1960s, the government began abolishing the compulsory residential school education among Aboriginal people. The government believed that Aboriginal children could receive a better education if they were integrated into the public school system (Hanson). However, residential schools were later deemed inappropriate because not only were the children taken away from their culture, their families and their people, but the majority of students were abus...
A graduate teacher should have a broad knowledge and understanding of cultural differences, including the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistics backgrounds and the implications of these differences for students from Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal backgrounds. A graduate teacher, when leading discussions or questioning students must consider how they will be received. Korff (2014) provides the example, “Aboriginal students can avoid direct eye contact with an adult as it is considered rude in Aboriginal culture” (para 3). Korff (2014) also suggest that many Aboriginal students do not ask or answer questions, because traditionally, Aboriginal culture is handed down from generation to generation in the form of song, poetry, dance and story- telling. Establishing rapport, celebrating diversity and respecting differences in the classroom e.g., cultural awareness activities and knowing how to talk to and build relationships with students of all cultures and backgrounds, would be an example of how a graduate teacher can demonstrate their understanding of Focus area
It is well known that aboriginal youth located on and off reserve are more likely to drop out of school then non aboriginals and this happens for different reasons starting from health issues to poverty. “According to Labor Force Survey data, for 2007/2010, the dropout rate among First Natio...
The first Australian Professional Teaching Standard is ‘Know students and how they learn’(AITSL, 2011). Understanding how students learn is a significant component of effective teaching (1.2 AITSL, 2011). Furthermore, effective teachers require an understanding of students physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics (1.1 AITSL, 2011). In addition, APST Standards require teachers to demonstrate both content and pedagogical knowledge through lesson plans (2.1 AITSL, 2011) with the curriculum content being structured and sequenced to facilitate effective learning (2.2 AITSL, 2011). However, it is also critical to have a repertoire of teaching strategies which are responsive to a diverse range of student backgrounds, including linguistic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic (1.3 AITSL, 2011). An effective learning, in accordance with The Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, provides learners with general capabilities (knowledge, skills, behaviours and characteristics) and include understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students learning needs and incorporate differentiated teaching methods to meet the needs of specific
The plan focused on three areas which were engagement, connections and attendance. The plan was to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a voice and cultural context that addressed the cultural gap of non-Indigenous educators and administrators (Hogarth, 2015). The limitation of the three targeted areas focused on engagement, connection and attendance but neglected the other categories of education. The plan focused only on the three domains and ignored the other areas hence causing the quality of literacy and numeracy to decrease in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. As a result, the government introduced a policy called Closing the gap in 2007. This policy was introduced to improve the quality of literacy and numeracy of Indigenous and non-indigenous students within a decade (ACARA, 2016). The three targeted areas to closing the gap was directed to improving the young Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander educational outcomes. Australia’s statistics showed that in 2009 there were 129,953 indigenous students enrolled in schools comparing to the 2 million non-indigenous students enrolled in school. These statistics show a great difference in enrolments. Since the introduction of the ‘closing the gap’ policy the number of Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander students in schools
There is a vast inequality between the education of an aboriginal and that of a non-aboriginal person. “Only 31 percent – about half the Canadian average – of the Aboriginal on-reserve population has a high school education” (Center for Social Justice, 2011). This is a staggering number when we stop to consider how hard it is in our society to become successful in life when one does not have at least a high school education. In the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms every citizen of Canada is guaranteed an education and yet the students on these reserves...
The Aboriginal Education and Training Policy`s (AETP) (NSW DET 2008) main goal is that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will match or better the outcomes of the broader student population” (1.1.2) and includes an explicit focus on developing cultural competencies (NSW DET 2008, p.6). Establishing ‘learning partnerships’ and relationships with Aboriginal communities, including Aboriginal content within the curriculum (NSW BOS 2008, p. 2), and engagement are advocated as necessary elements to achieve this edict. Racism has been proven to be an extremely detreimental factor on all fronts, especially within the education context. To address this intolerance the Anti-Racism Policy (ARP, 2005) is committed to eradicating all forms
The United States educational system faces a major challenge in addressing the disenfranchisement of youth due to poverty and racism in the schools. The U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 found that “currently about one-quarter of Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans are living in poverty in the U.S. compared to less than 10% of Asian Americans or Whites.” (Hughes et al. 2010, p. 2) Hughes, Newkirk & Stenhjem (2010) identified the stressors children living in poverty faced caused young adolescents to suffer mental and physical health issues which resulted in anxiety, hypertension, fear and depression. Lack of health care, neighborhood crime levels, joblessness, prejudice, and inadequate housing are among the many reasons multi-cultural youth from high poverty backgrounds become disenfranchised from the American school system. Race, racism, and poverty combine to create a triple jeopardy which severely impacts the fulfillment of the need of young adolescents to experience a sense of belonging and cultural competence. Lack of supportive environments both in school, society, work, and family life often prevent students from developing the cultural competence minority students must develop in order to become fully successful. For the purposes of this essay key issues were identified regarding the disenfranchisement of Native American youth, such as systemic prejudice and cultural bias within the school system which resulted in loss of connectedness of Navajo youth to school, teachers, and family. Galliher, Jones, & Dahl (2010) identified cultural connectedness as being the key component necessary in order to reengage the Native American student within the educational environment.
Indigenous students in schools have made it clear as to what they want and need from the education system. Knowledge of Indigenous humanity and diversity, the history of colonialism, local history and contemporary culture, indigenous knowledge, languages and worldviews are topic in which they want to become evident in school system that are able to help with their health and wellness. There has been and there are continuing attempts to reform First Nations education funding. Aboriginal children and adults continue to face these unsuccessful attempts which continue to horrify Canadians.
...digenous students. The historical conditions, combined with the views and attitudes enforced on the Aboriginal race today and generations of low socio-economic status from a lifetime of disadvantage has caused educational disengagement. This essentially culminates in a system where the Aboriginal youth will forever be disadvantaged which has implication for their attainment of higher education, employment and quality of life. Programs to improve the schooling success have demonstrated only small, if any improvements. Greater government focus tailored to the specific cultural needs of the Indigenous students is required as well as better education and training for teachers to manage the diversity in the classroom. Perhaps increasing the skill set in Aboriginal cultural values would place greater importance on their education, leading to increase education outcome,
The needs of Aboriginal youth are not being met in mainstream systems. Undoubtedly, with the high dropout rate of “7 out of 10 first nation youth drop out of school” (Donovan, 128), the school system is failing them. Across Canada only “23 percent of the Aboriginal population has their high school diploma” (Donovan, 129). Aboriginal people make up the youngest and fastest growing segment of our population, and yet many still have significantly less education than the general population.
To what extent have the views of the Indigenous population impacted on the educational outcomes for Australian aboriginal teenagers.
All of these points of discussion reaffirmed to me that our government’s lack of willingness to work with Indigenous Peoples and hear their voices greatly denies them of their rights. This course helped me to see the way our society interacts with Indigenous Australians and the importance of working collectively to overcome the issues still present. I think in terms of who I am this course further illuminated how my ethnicity, as a British Australian with a predominately Caucasian background, grants me a certain level of privilege. This is not a new idea to me, in the last few years it is something I have given a lot of thought to, especially in terms of how it has shaped my experiences within Australian society. I grew up in a predominantly
Students have great amounts of knowledge available to them at fast speeds, and they consume, produce and communicate that information in ways which require specific skills. The Australian Curriculum seeks to ensure each student develops skills in communication, collaboration, research, critical and creative thinking, metacognition, motivation, self-efficacy, conscientiousness, perseverance and problem-solving (New South Wales Department of Education [NSWDoE], 2017, p. 3). The Australian Curriculum also incorporates the development of general capabilities, linked to learning areas and subjects, to complement student’s acquisition of the above skills. These general capabilities include literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology competence, critical and creative thinking, ethical behaviour, personal and social competence and intercultural understanding (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA],