Action areas
February Council identified key areas for action to improve the outcomes for Aboriginal students. In summary these were:
1. Immediate commencement of the Review of the Department of Education and Training Aboriginal Education Policy.
There is widespread belief that the implementation of the policy has been poor. For the Department of Education and Training to improve it, it has to know what is the present state of play.
2. Mandatory pre-service teacher training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
The teaching profession must have the knowledge of Aboriginal history and culture to ensure it is able to impart this knowledge to the students of the future. At this time the profession as a whole does not have this knowledge.
3. In-service training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
All existing teachers must be in-serviced in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. This must occur irrespective of the number of indigenous students enrolled in a particular school. Federation demands additional resources be allocated by Department of Education and Training to significantly increase in-service training in this area.
4. Awareness raising strategies.
Federation will continue to support activities and events that raise membership and broader community awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture. Council endorses the Federation's support of the Easter Conference, and calls for the invitation of at least one guest speaker per year to address Council on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Council calls on all Associations of the Federation at the commencement of their meeting to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the country upon which the Association meeting is being held. Members are encouraged to introduce this acknowledgment of country to their school assemblies and parent meetings.
5. Different educational structures and models for the provision of public education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students.
Federation accepts that the provision of education to Aboriginal students in NSW cannot be "more of the same".
Council endorses the development of alternative structures/models by the Aboriginal Education Restricted Committee that acknowledge the community, cultural, and educational needs of Aboriginal students with a view to piloting endorsed alternative models in an agreed number of isolated communities.
The alternative structures/models may include the following characteristics:
- a pre-school as part of the education/service complex
- provision of "whole-of-government" services such as health, sport and recreation, welfare, police and other support services within the education/services complex
- that within the education services complex, the provision of education cater for pre-school, primary, secondary and TAFE
- that the complex be open for extended days, for example up to seven days per week and up to 48 weeks per year
- that new industrial instrument(s) be developed to protect the working conditions of employees in these complexes.
All proposals arising from the Aboriginal Education Restricted Committee will be referred to Executive for appropriate consideration and endorsement prior to implementation.
6. Courses for Aboriginal teachers.
Council supports Federation's involvement in the Department of Education and Training courses at district level to empower Aboriginal teachers in public schools and to support them in their work.
7. Additional staff.
Federation will pursue an increase in the number of Aboriginal Education Assistants, a more suitable staffing formula for their allocation, and a clearer statement of responsibilities and rights.
Furthermore, the Federation will pursue the appointment of:
- more teachers to teach Aboriginal literacy and numeracy programs;
- Aboriginal mentors to work with Aboriginal students and teachers and the realistic provision of Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers to districts.
Improvement in the outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in NSW is a Federation priority. This must go hand and hand with creating a teaching profession which has the knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.
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