Assignment 2:

All students need access to a quality education on Aboriginal people and their culture to help them further develop
their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of a range of historical and contemporary issues. For example,
racism and community engagement have had an impact on Aboriginal people and their cultures. As a result, this has
also had an impact on Aboriginal education. Teachers need to address cultural diversity in the classroom and teach
students about past events that have occurred in Australia, in relation to how Aboriginal people were treated. In
particular, when addressing this cultural diversity, to try and make the classroom and school an exciting place for all
students, it is important to plan learning experiences that will find ways to be more inclusive of these students. This
can be done through using the conceptual framework for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and
Cultures priority and integrating it with different subject areas such as Humanities and Social Sciences and languages.

A range of historical and contemporary issues have impacted on Aboriginal people and their cultures, therefore, also
having an impact on Aboriginal education. Aboriginal groups live all around Australia with each group having their
own distinct dialect and individual cultural identity. European settlement had profound effects on these Aboriginal
groups. They were generalised by Europeans as one group and forced to integrate into the European ways against
their will (Department of Families and Communities, Government of South Australia, 2004). Aboriginal people
became almost foreigners in their own land because of the sudden exposure to social life enforced upon them by the
settlers who took over completely and treated them with a total lack of respect (Department of Families and
Communities, Government of South Australia, 2004). In particular, two events that occurred; children being taken
from their parents and Aboriginal people being relocated to reserves / missions from their homes significantly
contributed to the negative relationship that developed between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
(Department of Families and Communities, Government of South Australia, 2004).

Aboriginal groups were impacted socially and educationally. They were segregated i.e. not allowed into various
places such as hotels, hospitals and social functions due to the colour of their skin. Curfews were placed on their
movements and restrictions placed on education, health and employment opportunities. Historical racism issues
would have impacted immensely on the attendances of Aboriginal children at school. Their culture was being
ignored and total lack of respect toward parents by authority figures was accepted behaviour. The removal of
indigenous children was in effect until the early 1970’s, so it is as much a contemporary issue as historical. Many
parents of children now attending schools would have memories / experience of this policy.

In order to understand Aboriginal people today it is important to understand their traditional culture, as it is their
culture which provides the foundation for their identity. Much of the Aboriginal history and tradition was passed
down verbally, so a large portion of their culture disappeared along with the many deaths of Aboriginal people.
(Department of Families and Communities, Government of South Australia, 2004). In 1988 Aboriginal Studies
curriculum was introduced to South Australian schools which is important as all children need to have a good
understanding of the importance of Indigenous cultures (Harrison, 2011b). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children need an education that helps them understand and see the importance of their culture and help them to
develop a sense of identity to help their self-esteem (Buckskin, 2012). It is also contributing to achieving
reconciliation (Price, 2012, p.153).

Teachers require a clear understanding of the diversity in their classroom as Australia is a multi-cultural society. All
students need to be provided with a true education on Australia’s history and significant past events to help them
gain a deeper more knowledgeable understanding of Aboriginal people and their culture (Evans 2012). To enable
teachers to do this, it is important to remember the history between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and
how they have been treated in the past and looked down on, creating an unequal power relationship (Harrison,
2011a).

Historical and contemporary issues such as racism have had a negative impact on Aboriginal Education as it shifts the
student’s focus away from their work and negatively towards other students. It can be a stressful aspect of life for
Aboriginal people as it is an ongoing experience for Aboriginal families. At times, students can ‘receive racist taunts
from children and their parents in the school yard’ which can lead them to feeling intimidated and worried about
attending school (Gollan & Malin, 2012, p.158). Students who have been, or are affected by racism, are less likely to
concentrate on their school work and will be less inclined to attend school. School attendance may also be
determined by social factors i.e. home environment, distance (transport), and transiency. Teachers may need to
work with outside authorities to overcome these problems.

It is important to recognise that Aboriginal students may have different learning methods and might see things
differently to other students. When teaching, it is important to be careful not to make these differences so
enormous that a massive gap is created between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. (Harrison, 2011b). It is
also important that assumptions about the learning capabilities of Aboriginal students are not made prior to
teaching. Working collaboratively with the Indigenous community to identify each student’s cultural heritage at
enrolment, can make a positive impact on designing curriculum within the classroom. When addressing cultural
diversity and trying to make the classroom and school an exciting place for all students, it is important to plan
learning experiences that will find ways to be more inclusive of these students. This can be done through different
subject areas such as languages, history, geography, ICT, play, dance, music, maths etc. Mutual respect and
interaction with the adult Aboriginal community within classes will promote community engagement and enhance
self-determination amongst the young Aboriginal students.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures should be integrated into all learning areas in the
curriculum. It is essential that the classroom teacher embeds this information into daily learning activities. This can
help to gain the interest of Aboriginal students and be more inclusive of their cultures which can also help to have a
positive impact on their education. For example, students in year 4 focussing on the Humanities and Social Sciences
topic, Civics and Citizenship learn about the ‘different cultural religious / social groups to which they and others in
the community belong i.e. recognising that the identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia is
shaped by Country/Place, language and knowledge traditions.’ (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority [ACARA] 2017b). Students can particularly focus on the aspect of language to conduct further research
about the origins and history of their own traditional Aboriginal language. This also connects with the conceptual
framework for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures priority as it connects with culture
through language (ACARA, 2017a).

Aboriginal languages progressively stopped being spoken and were no longer being passed down from generation to
generation. This was as a result of the policy of assimilation where Aboriginal people were expected to change their
traditional way of living to follow in the footsteps of the white people. This included them having to stop speaking
their traditional languages (Harrison, 2011b). This was not Aboriginal people’s choice, rather it was because they
‘became victims of racism’ and had to conform to a different way of living. Aboriginal languages were at risk right
from the moment the British settlers stepped foot on Australia. (Troy, 2012, p.133). The Government did not want
Aboriginal people to speak their native languages or continue their cultural practices. In some extreme cases, if
Aboriginal people continued to speak in their own language they were publicly beaten, which has left a constant fear
that has been passed down through the generations, ultimately stopping them from passing on their languages
(Troy, 2012). Therefore, it is important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in particular, to have access
to studying their own languages in Australian education. Allowing students to study an Aboriginal language at school
could also help with their self-esteem and sense of social worth as this is what their languages in their culture reflect
(Buckskin, 2012). It allows students to study a language that is relevant to their life and to the history of Australia.

Teachers need to provide these opportunities to their students by incorporating Aboriginal languages into daily
classroom activities, as not only will it benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, but it also has benefits
for all students. It allows students to develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal histories and cultures (Price,
2012). Teachers can help these students bring back these traditional languages that were forbidden in the past and
help maintain them for children in future generations (Troy, 2012).

It is important for teachers to recognise that there are many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities, which all have different traditional languages and ways of communicating (ACARA, 2017a). ‘In
providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with languages education in and about their own languages,
teachers are giving their students their most basic rights’ (Troy, 2012, p.135). Providing students with the
opportunity to learn about their traditional Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultures can assist with capturing their
interest to help them become more engaged with the curriculum. It is also beneficial for all students to learn about
Australia’s diverse history and culture (Troy, 2012). Students can also become involved in local issues through study
of traditional local languages.

Some different ways that the class can incorporate Aboriginal language includes focussing on Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students’ native languages and also the local area of the schools’ traditional language. This can also
link with possible work the class may be doing in HASS subjects i.e. history and geography. This learning of their own
language can be incorporated into daily classroom life by each morning allowing students to greet each other in a
traditional Aboriginal way. The class can create a word wall with traditional Aboriginal language, showing how the
language can vary from the different areas. It can include their own traditional languages and also the language for
the local area where the school is located.
The use of primary sources helps make it possible to incorporate the local community by inviting Elders and parents
of Aboriginal students into the classroom to share their thoughts and experiences. This gives student’s opportunities
to see and hear stories through multiple perspectives (ACARA, 2017a). It is also possible to organise excursions to
local sites, to listen first-hand to the voices of Aboriginal Australians which can further assist non-Aboriginal students
by further developing their understanding of Aboriginal culture and history (Harrison, 2011b). This gives them the
opportunity get to know people in their local community and ask questions, instead of making assumptions. They
learn about diversity and shared histories which in turn can help bring a stop to racism directed towards Aboriginal
people and their cultures (Harrison, 2011b). On the other hand, students can also have access to a range of ICTs
while at school such as computers, tablets and interactive whiteboards. These technologies can be used to conduct
further research online about traditional languages (Radoll, 2012).

‘The framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages provides a direct way of learning about and
engaging with diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ as it highlights the connection to
Country/Place, People and culture which contribute to forming the identity of Aboriginal people and communities
(ACARA, 2017a). It allows students to gain particular knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of Australia
from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspective (ACARA, 2017a).

All children have the right to an education, however it is up to the educator to ensure that the right education is
given to each child. Therefore, consideration must be given to cultural identity, language and history. Connection to
the past and an understanding of language, allows for positive self-worth. Allowing Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students, as well as all other students, to have a deep understanding of the issues that have formed current
societal issues, will have a positive impact on the future understanding of Aboriginal cultures. It is ignorance that
forms racism, therefore it is a well-rounded education that will lead to its elimination.
 Reference List:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017, The Australian Curriculum v8.3, viewed 8
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Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] 2017a, F-10 Curriculum, Cross-curriculum
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Buckskin, P 2012, Engaging indigenous students: the important relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait
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Department of Families and Communities, Government of South Australia 2004, Aboriginal cultural sensitivity and
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Evans, C 2012, Your professional experience and becoming professional about working with Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students and communities, in K Price (ed.), chapter, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: an
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Gollan, S & Malin, M 2012, Teachers and families working together to build stronger futures for our children in
schools, in Q Beresford (ed.), chapter, Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education, UWA Publishing, Crawley,
W.A., pp. 149-173.

Harrison, N 2011a, Starting out as a teacher in Aboriginal education, in N Harrison (ed.), chapter, Teaching and
learning in Aboriginal education, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.

Harrison, N 2011b, Teaching and learning in Aboriginal Education, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, ebook, South
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Price, K 2012, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the classroom, in K Price (ed.), chapter, Aboriginal and
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Radoll, P 2012, Information and communication technologies in the classroom: implications and considerations, in K
Price (ed.), chapter, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: an introduction for the teaching profession,
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Troy, J 2012, Language and Literacy, in K Price (ed.), chapter, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: an
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