Equality must be achieved

Equality of outcomes for Aboriginal children must be achieved, writes MAREE O'HALLORAN, ANGELO GAVRIELATOS, CHARLINE EMZIN-BOYD and PETER WILSON.

Federation has participated in the Department of Education and Training's Aboriginal Education Review in good faith.

The review's recommendations are currently with Education and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge, who is to make an announcement soon. Unfortunately, as reported at Annual Conference, Federation fears that the work of people involved in the review may be exploited and abused by those in the Department who see it as an opportunity to dismantle the statewide staffing system.

Broadly speaking, Federation has proposed that the following are need:

• more Aboriginal people in all positions in our schools and across the system;
• mandatory pre and in-service training to effect cultural and pedagogical change;
• significantly increased funding for, amongst other things, more Aboriginal Education Assistants (AEAs), professional development and the preparation of individual learning programs;
• schools at the heart of their local communities offering a range of interagency programs. Properly supporting Aboriginal education requires a significantly increased investment of funds from the State Government. Federation fears that the Government will not provide that investment and will instead abrogate responsibility by cutting schools with highly Aboriginal enrolments from the system.

Federation has worked with the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) and the Primary Principals Association (PPA) to prepare seven additional recommendations that are founded on the results of the consultative process of the Aboriginal Education Review. The AECG, the PPA and Federation believe these seven joint recommendations are crucial for affecting beneficial change for Aboriginal children. The joint recommendations are, in summary:

• Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement to Country to be mandatory in schools and TAFE colleges;
• children 0-5 to be supported with additional resources;
• 20 full service schools to be established;
• an increased number of pre schools ensuring a pre school is attached to all schools with significant Aboriginal student enrolments;
• genuine pre-service and in-service for new promoted, and classroom teachers appointed to identified schools to be developed and improved;
• individualised student plans to be provided through appropriate levels of resourcing and support;
• building community capacity and employing Aboriginal people in schools.

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November 2004 contents