Traditionally Indigenous Australians

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Recommended: Reflection on Indigenous education

Discussion
Traditionally Indigenous Australians main form of learning was through practice, art and music using their native language and culture (Foley, 2010, p. 176). Indigenous Australians have been discriminated against, abused and forced to forgo their traditional way of life through assimilation policies. Furthermore, Indigenous Australians were neglected in obtaining any form of education, such as basic literacy and numeracy (Foley, 2010, pp. 180-182). Inequalities for Indigenous Australians continue, creating a common stereotype in today’s society (De Plevitz, 2007, p. 66). It is the history of disposition Indigenous Australians have faced through constant degradation that formed this stereotype (Phillips, 2005). Wyn (2009) identified that Indigenous Australians are the most handicapped in ALL aspects of life.
Education is a contributing factor regarding Indigenous Australians poor health, housing and employment, and vice versa. NAPLAN is designed to measure data based on annual assessments of student’s literacy and numeracy skills (Vickers, 2010). According to the NAPLAN, Indigenous students’ are performing below the national standards compared to non-Indigenous students; however, over 64% of all Indigenous Australians (majority attending ‘mainstream’ schools) meet the national standards (Fogarty & Schwab, 2012). The NAPLAN displays inequities in Indigenous education in remote areas of Australia and underperforming mainstream schools.
If policy makers continue to be influenced by means testing, then inequalities in Indigenous education will continue to have the ability to reduce Indigenous education outcomes and social justice. According to De Plevits (2006, p. 47) the NAPLAN can be “culturally bias” and unsound for Indig...

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...uctivity Commission, Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/indigenous/key-indicators-2011

Taylor, M., Schmitt, D. & Roy, P. (2003). Undermining the Social Foundations: The
Impact of Colonisation on the Traditional Family Structure of the Goulburn Tribes Aboriginal History. Vol. 27. pp. 208-223.

Vickers, M. (2010). Curriculum. In, Connell, R., Campbell, C., Vickers, M.,
Welch, A., Foley, D., Bagnall, N., and Hayes, D. (Eds) Education, Change and Society. Melbourne: Oxford.

Von Doussa, J. & Calma, T. (2008). Human rights and reconciliation in contemporary
Australia (1991-2006). In M. Hinton, D. Rigney & E. Johnston (ed.s). Indigenous Australians and the Law [eBook]. Taylor & Francis. pp.179-200.

Wyn, J. (2009). Touching the future: Building skills for life and work. Australian
Educational Review, 55. Retrieved from: http://research.acer.edu.au/aer/9

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