Aboriginal Education and Ways to Improve It Report (Assessment)

Introduction

As a result of the widespread interest and the need to support the alignment of agencies, there is need to teach the Aboriginal students how to read and write (SW DET, 2008 p. 73).

Such interventions can help in outlining and solving the challenges faced by parents, principles, community members, teachers and educational support members in addressing the numerous inequalities among the Aboriginal students (SW DET, 2008 p. 73).

To achieve equitable outcomes in addressing the inequalities the Aboriginal face, the following aspects are considered necessary;

1. The practice of classroom teaching
2. Relationship nature between the school and home
3. The teachers’ knowledge in understanding their respective Aboriginal students
4. The significance of dealing with the Aboriginal people

Classroom teaching practices

The classroom teaching practices determines the attainment of the basic skills for the Aboriginal students (SW DET, 2008: p. 73).

Therefore, improving the literacy as well as numeracy results among the Aboriginal students is the main and urgent aspect that needs to be resolved. The parents’ involvement, early assessment and relevant interventions are the initial steps in supporting the Aboriginal students (SW DET, 2008 p. 74).

In order to develop and achieve the implementation of an explicit literacy as well as numeracy programs for the identified Aboriginal students, there is need to apply the data vs. evidence-based research approach (SW DET, 2008 p. 74). Careful identification of what is already known to be working in the classroom is the integral attempt. There is need to identify and understand whatever happens within the classrooms in meeting the Aboriginal learners’ needs, prior to embarking on any intervention programs (SW DET, 2008 p. 74). Among the literacy programs that designed to enable the students at lower primary as additional support include;

Reading recovery

Early Literacy Initiative (ELI)

The Early Literacy Initiative provides an intensive and professional development support required by the teachers as from Kindergarten to the final year of study (SW DET, 2008: p. 74). It implements the beginning with an assessment program in gathering the data that enables teachers in making some informed judgments concerning the literacy achievements of their students, hence them to identify such students who are in need of any further support (SW DET, 2008 p. 74).

The following are some of relevant strategies that improve the Aboriginal students’ skills;

1. Talking as well as listening programs, particularly in Kindergarten facilitating the home language of the Aboriginal students
2. Training and providing support to teachers to understand how the Aboriginal English language improvement and the media greatly impact learning of Aboriginal students
3. Creation of literacy as well as numeracy workshops particularly for parents and the Aboriginal communities for quality outcomes from the Aboriginal students.
4. Mainstream programs involving the needs understandability for Aboriginal students
5. Establishment of programs with supported strategies that enable Aboriginal students in hearing, understanding and engaging in the classrooms to effectively switch between home language and school language.

The teachers’ knowledge in understanding their respective Aboriginal students

The relationship of a teacher with their respective Aboriginal students is very important and it has to be based on the understandability and acknowledgement of teachers about Aboriginal students’ life experience and language (SW DET, 2008 p. 78). Effective curriculum for the Aboriginal students greatly relies on the deep knowledge of teachers and experience in syllabus outcomes as well as syllabus requirements (SW DET, 2008 p. 78).

The significance of dealing with the Aboriginal people

Most of the Aboriginal students relate and supported very well by people who value their families and the communities as their main educators (SW DET, 2008 p. 78). Therefore, the Aboriginal education involves having the role models of Aboriginal students within the school, working effectively with most of the Aboriginal communities and provision of training opportunities for the Aboriginal communities in support of ongoing school activities (SW DET, 2008 p. 79).

Relationship nature between the school and home

The roles of parents in their respective children’s development at home and school, requires the full support and participation of parents in the education matters of their children. This improves home-classroom link that facilitate the achievement of equitable results among the Aboriginal students in their entire early years (SW DET, 2008 p. 79).

The value of literacy in Aboriginal students

Literacy seems to be the greatest challenge faced by teachers of the Aboriginal children. Generally, the average literacy levels among the Aboriginal students is considered to be very low compared to the majority of the normal students (Rose, 2008, p.56). In remote community related schools, the level of literacy has been consistent for three to approximately eight years below the national averages as per the majority of national assessments (Rose, 2008, p.56).

English literacy is main attempt to enhancing literacy among the Aboriginal students since English is considered as the world outside community’s language. Since Aboriginal teachers, lawyers, doctors, managers are needed in every aspect of life; it means that Aboriginal people are valued especially when they do own jobs most of which require the English language (Rose, 2008, p.58).

Reading and writing tasks

Successful students in any given learning situation are required to read and write with the aim of understanding (Rose, 2008, p.59). Therefore, several language patterns need to be recognized simultaneously at text levels, sentences and words, this indicates that much of the cognitive efforts are required to identify and understand that little is available in understanding any text (Rose, 2008, p.59).The following teaching techniques are very important in enhancing the writing and reading skills of Aboriginal students;

1. Recognition of every word in each sentence by point at the words and saying through reading
2. Sentence making through enabling the students to re-read the sentence and teaching them on how to check word meaning
3. Cutting up of word groups, this should be done after the students are able to say and identify every word in a sentence
4. The in and out sentence words recognition, which can be achieved by allowing the Aboriginal students to reconstruct the sentence and recognize each word on their own within and outside the sentence.

Conclusion

Enhancing English literacy through the writing and reading techniques is the main attempt in achieving literacy among the Aboriginal students. It is therefore imperative that the issue is looked into keenly by the people concerned and measures put in place to ensure that the objectives are attained.

Reference List

NSW, DET & AECG, (2008), NSW Aboriginal Education and Training Policy Pages 73-80.

Rose, D. (2008). Teaching reading and writing to Aboriginal children, in N Harrison (ed.), Teaching and Learning in Indigenous Education, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 55–83.