The key events in Aboriginal Australian history directly influenced educational policies that were instituted during the respective time periods. Some of the first far-reaching official education policies appeared targeting Aborigines appeared during the period of the so-called protection policies. At this time, the stated aim of the government was to protect the indigenous peoples through segregation (Parbury, 2011). Historically, this period stretched from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century (Lippmann, 1994). As part of the government’s efforts, Aboriginal communities were forced to relocate into reserves, and specific schools were opened to teach Aboriginal children.
Hence, education policies at the time mandated the segregation of Aboriginal children in education by setting up special schools and designing curriculum specifically for them (Parbury, 2011). When there were no Aboriginal schools available, public schools were allowed to admit Aboriginal children provided that white parents did not object (Parbury, 2011). These educational policies were met with resistance by the Aboriginal communities.
Nichol (2005) explains that Western schooling was perceived as an attack on Aboriginal culture and way of life because education in Aboriginal schools was focused on subservience to white authority and because students experienced discrimination because of race and lack of education. The curriculum did not support the integration of Aboriginal children into society; on the contrary, it “was a blueprint for economic and cultural colonialism, placing all of the Aboriginal children among the lowest orders of society” (Nichol, 2005, p. 265). Hence, the negative responses to protective educational policies from Aboriginal people were justified.
In the 20th century, the focus of the government shifted from segregation to assimilation, and educational policies mirrored this shift. Hollinsworth (1998) notes that assimilation policies were driven by increasing racial tensions, as well as by the acknowledgment of the role that segregation played in this process. Additionally, the share of mixed-race persons increased, thus creating difficulties for authorities in maintaining racial segregation policies (Hollinsworth, 1998). As a result, educational policies were designed to support the assimilation of Aboriginal children into white society.
Thus, more and more Aboriginal children were admitted into state schools, and teachers received special training to facilitate assimilation. Nichol (2005) and Parbury (2011) state that the curriculum focused on rejecting Aboriginal culture as a whole and teaching children the values and norms of white Australians. Aboriginal students were still perceived to be inferior to white students, and education was used as a mechanism to fix their deficiencies rather than provide meaningful support.
In response to assimilation policies, Aboriginal communities exhibited further resistance. Irregular attendance, sullenness, and even hostility towards teachers were exhibited by students during assimilation policies (Nichol, 2005). The attempts to erase Aboriginal culture also evoked cultural resistance, thus strengthening the Aboriginal community and indigenous peoples’ sense of identity (Keffe, 1992).
Contemporary education policies are focused on integration rather than assimilation, which means that they aim to provide educational support and opportunities to Aboriginal students without erasing their culture and identity. Hence, they help to address the disadvantages faced by Aboriginal communities by providing high-quality education. The Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (NSW Department of Education & Training, 2008) proposes to address inequalities through schooling in three ways.
First of all, it seeks to improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students to provide more opportunities for future growth and development (NSW DET, 2008). This goal is to be achieved by using effective teaching strategies and measuring academic outcomes of Aboriginal students regularly to monitor progress NSW DET, 2008).
Secondly, the policy supports students and staff in building cultural awareness regarding Aboriginal Australian cultures (NSW DET, 2008). This approach will help to prevent the neglect of Aboriginal cultures in mainstream education while also allowing teachers to integrate culture into learning. As a result of additional professional education, teachers are expected to increase their levels of cultural competency, which, in turn, would enable them to build closer relationships with Aboriginal students and their parents (NSW DET, 2008). Finally, the policy promotes the engagement of Aboriginal families and communities in education-related decision-making (NSW DET, 2008).
This is an important strategy for ensuring adequate support levels for Aboriginal students and preventing cultural segregation in education (Board of Studies NSW, 2008). All of these provisions will be helpful in redressing Aboriginal disadvantage by enabling students to achieve better grades, enjoy higher levels of support, and integrate cultural knowledge in their studies.
In connection with this policy, the NSW Department of Education and Communities (2011) issued the Connected Communities Strategy, which pursues similar goals. This policy will also assist in addressing the disadvantaged position of Aboriginal students by engaging Aboriginal communities in education and meeting the needs of students from the target backgrounds. For instance, the policy involves improving teachers’ knowledge of students’ learning needs, enhancing connections between teachers and Aboriginal families, and promoting continuity and achievement in education among Aboriginal people (DWS DEC, 2011). The policy also establishes mechanisms for good governance in education, thus helping to increase the quality of education delivered to Aboriginal students.
There are certain factors that may promote or inhibit the implementation of initiatives under the Aboriginal Education and Training Policy. The barriers include poor cultural competency of teachers, low levels of students’ engagement, and educators’ unrealistic expectations. Firstly, limited knowledge and appreciation of Aboriginal culture may inhibit teachers’ relationships with Aboriginal students and their families. For example, Harrison and Sellwood (2016) note that inadequate cultural knowledge may cause teachers to appear rude or ignorant, thus hindering parent-teacher communication.
It also limits the effectiveness of educational strategies since Aboriginal students differ in terms of preferred learning approaches (Harrison & Selwood, 2016). Secondly, low levels of students’ engagement in classroom learning also pose a barrier to implementing NSW DET’s (2008) initiatives. Sarra (2003) explains that Aboriginal students often have reduced attendance and participation rates, which impact the effectiveness of teachers’ approaches. Thirdly, unrealistic expectations set for Aboriginal students may also influence the realization of NSW DET’s (2008) initiatives. According to Harrison and Sellwood (2016), there are many differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in terms of learning and behavior, and failure to account for these differences hinders meaningful learning.
Factors that may support the said initiatives in Aboriginal education are professional education, assessments, and effective governance. Professional education for teachers in Australia is comprehensive and integrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge (Harrison & Sellwood, 2018). This approach to teachers’ education creates a foundation for increasing teachers’ cultural competence since most teachers already have some knowledge of Aboriginal culture and learning needs. In addition, assessments used to evaluate students’ academic performance, engagement, and learning needs are already in place in most educational institutions.
This will help educators to understand better the gaps in Aboriginal education that need to be fulfilled as part of related initiatives (NSW DET, 2008). For example, comparing the attendance rates of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students may indicate if the former group expresses culture-based resistance to educational approaches used (Keffe, 1992). Finally, effective governance of Aboriginal education by the Department of Education is also important since it ensures that educators and institutions have the resources necessary to realize the policy successfully. It also means that there will be sufficient oversight over teachers’ professional education and other programs designed to improve cultural competence.
References
Harrison, N. & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (3rd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Hollinsworth, D. (1998). Aborigines, racism and assimilation before the referendum: 1926-1967. In D. Hollinsworth (Ed.), Race and racism in Australia (2nd ed., pp. 120-166). Katoomba, Australia: Social Science Press.
Keeffe, K. (1992). From the centre to the city: Aboriginal education, culture and power. Canberra, Australia: Aboriginal Studies Press.
Lippmann, L. (1994). The history of oppression begins. In L. Lipmann (Ed.), Generations of resistance: Mabo and justice (3rd ed., pp. 1-19). Melbourne, Australia: Longman.
Nichol, R. M. (2005). Aboriginal education in New South Wales: Nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In R. M. Nichol (Ed.), Socialization, land, and citizenship among Aboriginal Australians: Reconciling Indigenous and Western forms of education (pp. 253-276). Lampeter, UK: Edwin Mellen Press.
NSW Board of Studies (2008). Working with Aboriginal communities: A guide to community consultation and protocols. Web.
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2008). Aboriginal education policy: An introductory guide. Web.
NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2011). Connected communities strategy. Web.
Parbury, N. (2011). Aboriginal education: A history. In R. Craven (Ed.), Teaching Aboriginal studies (2nd ed., pp. 132-152). St. Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Sarra, C. (2003). Young and black and deadly: Strategies for improving outcomes for Indigenous students. Canberra, Australia: Australian College of Educators.