It is to be noted that only now are we as a nation starting to see some improvements in Indigenous Education. We as the citizens of this country are tasked in providing equitably in education for all people. It starts with taking the first step. Please read to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the issues Indigenous people face to this day in education.
The native Institution (Burridge & Chodkiewicz, 2012) in Blacktown, Sydney, and NSW in 1814 was established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie as the first school for Indigenous students (Parington, 1998). The basis of the school was educate the Indigenous students separate from their families in a boarding school. This initial attempt was to stain the lens of Indigenous education for the next 150 years (Parington, 1998) as segregated institutions and conversion to Christianity and the European values were believed to be the best solution for indigenous education (Beresford & Partington, 2003). This early foray into Indigenous education dissolved due to the assumption that cultural differences had a direct correlation to biological differences, hence believing the race to be doomed. This racial ideology held firm in some areas up until the 1950’s (Beresford & Partington, 2003).
At the commencement of Federation in January 1901 Indigenous Australians were discriminated against with their exclusion of their right to “vote ,pensions, employment in post offices, enlistment in armed forces and maternity allowance” (Korff, 2014) and the most appalling discrimination occurred with the exclusion from the constitution with the special laws for Indigenous people to be made by the states and the non-recognition of Aboriginal people in the constitution as “'In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted” (Dodson & Leibler, 2012). This discrimination had a direct impact on Indigenous education and with their exclusion from a main stream education with many students being excluded from public schools (Cadzow, 2010).
It was decided following the first commonwealth and States conference on Aboriginal matters that a new policy of assimilation would take effect with intent by some as an ends to a means of the elimination of Indigenous people (Parington, 1998). It was during this period that the NSW Public Service Board supported a change from segregation to assimilation policies in school education with the dissolution of the Aboriginal Protection Board with Indigenous education taken over by the NSW Department of Education Throughout the 1940’s to the early 1960’s Indigenous people continued to struggle against exclusion and segregation of Indigenous students in government schools with Indigenous students make noticeable educational achievements with the first Aboriginal person to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Sydney University(Burridge & Chodkiewicz, 2012).
The outcome of the 1967 referendum was that Aboriginal people were recognised for the first time as citizens of Australia. The Commonwealth was now able to make laws regarding Aboriginal people with the Federal Government influencing Indigenous Education, formerly a State responsibility, by directing funding and new policy approaches for Aboriginal Education (DEST, 2001). Also this meant the abolition “of the prohibition of counting Aboriginal people in the population statistics’ (Australia. Department of Education, Science and Training, 2002). This initial result did not have the perverse assumed effect as the administration of Indigenous Affairs was managed by the same people as before with change taking place after a change in government in the early 1970’s.
Some of the policy changes to come out eventually from the 1967 referendum was the introduction of the Aboriginal Study Grants Scheme. The scheme was aimed at improved retention and participation rates for Indigenous students (Zubrick, 2006). This policy was aimed at improving Indigenous attendance and participation rates beyond the legal leaving age and had some effect which in turn was seen as an important step in the creation of Aboriginal self-determination. This brought about the change in Indigenous educational attitudes in secondary education as being a beneficial pursuit. This in fact did not directly relate to employment opportunities as Indigenous students were often discriminated against and characterised as being suitable for low –skilled employment (Zubrick, 2006).
The important issue of Aboriginal Education only came to attention of the Commonwealth in the late 1960’s, having the ability to impact society substantial from a social and educational perspective. It was only then that the Commonwealth ordered an inquiry with academics producing research papers exploring the issues of poor engagement of Indigenous students in education (Beresford & Partington, 2003). The 1971 Census gave confirmation of the poor state of Indigenous education and attendance rates depicting that only one quarter of the Indigenous population had attended school compared with 1% of total population. Further research conducted by the university of Western Australia and Watts found that the schools inabilities to develop relationship with the Indigenous students and the wider community with appropriate curriculum and trained staff at the fore of poor policy decision which the schools policy makers blaming cultural and social differences (Beresford & Partington, 2003).
The new labour Government under Gough Whitlam shifted focus from an assimilation policy to self – determination policy which some saw as “one of the most revolutionary policy changes ever enacted in Australian government policy’ (Altman & Sanders, 2011). The government created new governmental departments and bodies to oversee and implement new policies, these were the Commonwealth Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Schools Commission and Aboriginal Consultative Group (Beresford & Partington, 2003). The new governmental departments and boards were the catalyst for many changes to be implemented throughout state Education policies and practices with one change detailed by Padbury (1999) with the Director General removing school principals abilities to refuse entry to Indigenous students due to home conditions or non-indigenous community opposition (as cited in Cadzow, 2010, p. 27) The creation of ABSTUDY combined with the new Department of Aboriginal Affairs combined to improve Indigenous participation, retention rates and the prospect of self-determination (Zubrick, 2006).
Bilingual education was first implemented in the Northern territory by the Whitlam Government preceding the Education Ministers (Kim Beasley Snr) proposal that Indigenous schools should teach in their own language(Delvin, 2011 as cited in Purdie, Milgate & Bell, 2011). Over a three year period twenty-two languages would be taught with Watts, McGrath & Tandy (1973) proposing two bilingual models for schools to use in the delivery of the program, one being Model I (Step) with the second Model II. Model I was based on reading and writing in own language with linking to English literacy taking place in the four year of schooling. Model II was based on the use of Aboriginal language to assist with English literacy competency (Delvin, 2011 as cited in Purdie, Milgate & Bell, 2011)
1980 saw the first Indigenous Education policy created which was developed by the National Aboriginal Education Committee (Parington, 1998). With a key policy change of including Indigenous people in the decisions making processes posed some real issues with expectation of self-management after centuries of persecution and working alongside people who had previously been the oppressors. These issues of impartiality continued on for over twenty years as alluded to by Commissioner Elliot Johnston in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (Parington, 1998). The policy aims were to recognise Aboriginal people’s right to connect/share with culture and heritage with their people, building and development of their culture to share with all Australians, cross cultural understanding, development of academic and technical skills and the duty in delivering Indigenous Education(Parington, 1998).
The next Indigenous Education policy came in 1988 a task force led by Paul Hughes was directed by J S Dawkins Minister for Employment, Education and Training, and Gerard L Hand Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to advise on aspects of Aboriginal education in Australia utilizing current policy reports and table recommendations which was outlined in Report of the Aboriginal Education Policy Task Force (Hughes, 1988). In 1989 the report was the foundation for the Aboriginal Education Policy (AEP) supposing 21 long term goals under the four themes, involvement, access, participation and outcomes (Yunupingu, 1995 as cited in Schwab, 1995). This was of crucial importance as the States had national goals with the policy creating national attention on Indigenous Education. With this came long-term governmental funding model and the Aboriginal Education Strategic Initiatives Scheme which provided the states and territories with addition funding to bolster programs (Schwab, 1995).
The closing the gap policy was develop off of the Social Justice Report 2005 were Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma pleaded with Australian Governments to agree on equality for Indigenous health life expectancy within twenty five years. The Closing the gap campaign was signed off by COAG in December in 2007 and approved in July 2008 with the National Indigenous Reform Agreement which set out six Closing the Gap targets (Gardiner-Garden, 2012) The goal set by COAG was to reduce the gap by 50% in literacy and numeracy achievement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students within a decade, and to halve the gap in Year 12 attainment or vocational equivalent by 2020 (ACARA 2009) and ensure access to early childhood education for all Indigenous four year olds in remote communities within five years(Gardiner-Garden, 2012).
In December 2008 the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians was released by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs outlining the course Australian schooling would follow for the next 10 years (Hodgkinson, 2014). The two major goals of the agreement are: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence and all Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens. A commitment of the declaration is to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous youth, valuing Australia’s Indigenous culture as a vital part of the nation’s history, admission to the failure in address Indigenous education outcomes, surety to develop and utilize local Indigenous communities in education and promote high expectations for Indigenous learning, deliver learning outcomes where Indigenous match other students, all student to be able to access Indigenous content access the curricula .
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan was “developed by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) as part of the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG's) reform agenda to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians”(Jacobson, 2014). The plan purpose is to help educators to develop Indigenous student’s educational outcomes in a timely manner. The six main priorities of the plan are readiness for school, engagement and connection, attendance, literacy and numeracy, leadership, quality teaching and workforce training and pathways to real post school options. These priorities are the blueprint for the next five years (MCEECDYA, 2010-2014). 2011 will see ‘focus schools’ used to monitor the implementation of priorities and actions detailed in this plan with surety that resource are being effectively used in achieving the closing the gap targets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (MCEECDYA, 2010-2014)
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