Analysis Of The Lost Girl By Ambelin Kwaymullina

In this essay we will try to provide a brief overview of educational issues of Aboriginal communities in Australia and Victoria and the elements that influence the educational outcomes of young Aboriginal people, such as culture and contemporary challenges. In addition to this, the inclusion of Aboriginal content in the Victorian curriculum and classroom practices will be explored as well as contemporary government policies.

Embedding Indigenous perspectives are paramount for all students to advance as learners/active participants within society. Entrenching Indigenous perspectives via our mandated curriculum and three cross-curriculum framework concepts simultaneously helps learners develop a sense of identity. Students’ will build connections to ‘country/place’, ‘people’ via language and experiences, and ‘societies’ through the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Introduction Teachers in Australia have the responsibility of catering to the learning needs and abilities of the students in their classroom. Additionally they are also responsible for catering to the unique cultural backgrounds of each student, in particular the cultures of Indigenous Australians. The teacher can cater to the diverse and

Acknowledgment of country (Boodja) I respectfully acknowledge the past and present Nooongar Whadjuk people on which land Curtin University is based and of the Bindjareb Noongar people, the traditional custodians of Mandjoogoodrap (Mandurah) the land on which I live and work. Mandjoogoordap means meeting place of the heart and is

Introduction Improving academic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is mired in inherited and contemporary difficulties. Because of poor policies and pedagogy, generations fear and lack confidence in the education system (Harrison and Sellwood, 2013). It is, therefore, imperative that teachers have a range of resources and strategies for adapting the curriculum to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This should include fostering pride in identity, making connections to community and land, and respecting language variation and culture. In doing so, teachers meet expectations for Australian professional teaching standards and the community.

Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum has now become a high priority amoungst schools across the nation. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2013), recognises “that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage

Failure to Meet the Needs of Aboriginal Children The education system which has been operating in Australia and in New South Wales since the time of white settlement has failed to meet the minimal needs of Indigenous Australians. There is a long history of inadequacies in educational programs where Aboriginal Australians are concerned. Unfortunately, it has only been extremely recently (in approximately the last decade), that the importance of adapting the teaching styles in the classrooms to meet the needs of the Aboriginal children of New South Wales and Torres Straits Islanders has begun to be realised (Perry, 2006, 1-2). Part of this has been an acknowledgement that there are fundamental differences existing between the values of the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous Australian. To wit, Australian Aboriginal communities tend to make their focus the welfare of the group, while non-Indigenous Australians tend more to concern themselves with their own individual wellbeing (Harrison, 2004,

It is vital for teachers to recognise indigenous literacies and aboriginal English in all classrooms as it builds a sense of equality and a non-discriminating environment. As a future teacher I believe that it is my role to create a classroom that mirrors these key factors, as it will build the foundations for a nourishing learning environment. This type of learning environment will aid in linking the students parents and the surrounding community together that encourages an equal society.

The discourse of whiteness has severely impacted on the educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (herein referred to as Indigenous Peoples). The discourse is based on an ontology founded on overt racism, discrimination, prejudice, exclusion and dispossession and towards all Indigenous Peoples. Subsequently, the history of Indigenous Peoples experiences in relation to education is extremely negative. They have been denied the right to the same education as non-Indigenous students, frequently expelled and continually forced to deny their cultural identity. The discourse of whiteness has resulted in pedagogies and pedagogical practices that are overly racist and not inclusive of Indigenous Peoples culture. To improve future educational outcomes it is necessary to decolonise Australia and rewrite the curriculum so that it is inclusive for all students.

Throughout the last fifty years two diametrically opposed views have played out. H.C. Coombs argued that the priority was to use the curriculum and teaching methods to rebuild and sustain traditional Aboriginal culture destroyed by colonisation, racism and oppression. He supported Moira Kingston’s view that all Aborigines had a “world view derived from the Dreaming and irreconcilable with the demands of a modern industrialised market economy.” Sir Paul Hasluck represented the opposing assimiliationist view that schools should give priority to literacy, numeracy and technical and scientific knowledge to asssist integration in the workforce.Many theorists and practitioners have focused on the one third of students in Aboriginal schools with a specifically Aboriginal education rather than the majority attending the same schools as non-Indigenous children. In either case major problems were indentified with Aboriginal education by 2000.

INTRODUCTION This essay will analyse the contested concepts of social inclusion and exclusion in education. While there are numerous social groups whom experience the impact of educational inclusion and exclusion the essay will particularly focus on what these concepts entail for indigenous students within the Australian schooling system. The essay will examine the multifaceted nature of social inclusion and exclusion in education by utilising the contested grounds, which substantiate debate surrounding these concepts. Relying on a number of academic literature and evidence to explore discourse surrounding how policy which governs institutions, pedagogy and curriculum, has constituted social inclusion and exclusion within Indigenous contexts. As well as how intergenerational experiences and issues have disadvantaged the outcomes of Indigenous students in engaging in a ‘Eurocentric’ education environment. Concluding the essay will discuss practical suggestions, which would in theory enhance the effectiveness of the current education policy and teacher practice towards including indigenous cultures and learners within the classroom. Considering mechanisms to increase the potential to include and engage a broader scope of indigenous learners across the board.

Heidi Norman is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney who teaches the Social and Political major and Aboriginal Studies elective in the Bachelor of Communication program. She is also a descendent from the Gomeroi nation in North West NSW. As a researcher, she published the first work on Aboriginal Land Rights after extensive research, consultation and collaboration with NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) members and local families and communities. Her passion for integrating Aboriginal education within the university has led to the development of an Indigenous graduate attribute which involves actively teaching Aboriginal content within all classroom settings, no matter what degree in order to facilitate conversation

Interwoven throughout the learning areas and general capabilities are Cross Curriculum Priorities which encompass Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Sustainability (ACARA, 2010c). All three priorities are significant in the current social and economic climate. The integration of these into the curriculum provides young Australians the opportunity to understand and engage in meaningful discussion of these contemporary issues.

It is imperative, in the classroom, to consider Aboriginal culture and identity to foster students formally recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people as the first Australians and to promote awareness of the history, culture and ongoing connection of Aboriginal people to the Land. Considering the AITSL standards, 1.4, I will create practical ways to enhance the educational experiences of Aboriginal students. Using Aboriginal terms of reference, I will teach non-Indigenous students to respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal people and their connection between things, places and their language, and knowledge of the land (Yunkaporta, 2009). Building a bridge between Indigenous students and the western education system, I will involve significant

We are taught about the general history of Australia, in terms of the colonisation by the British and the treatment of the Aboriginal’s, etc., however, we are not taught about the Indigenous culture specifically. Therefore, many Australians, I am sure, are not aware of numerous aspects of the Indigenous culture, such as their languages and their connection to the land. For this reason, it may be beneficial for school’s to introduce programs that teach the children all about the Indigenous culture, and encourage them to acknowledge the importance of it to their people, in hopes of changing the fact that we, as Australian’s, don’t know the complete history of our people and our