Aboriginal Education - Coursework Example

Aboriginal Education The goal of the aboriginal education and training strategy for 2006 to 2008 are to deliver to aboriginal the kind ofeducation and training which inspires them to succeed, which fosters high expectations in them and ensures that they are adequately prepared to participate in a democratic and sustainable society (www.det.nsw.edu.au). In achieving these outcomes, the Aboriginal Training and Advisory group seeks to bring about a cultural shift and changes in practice to ensure that the needs of these students are met and they are able to develop into productive members of society. Specifically, Goal no: 1.1 states that action must be taken to “secure the commitment of all staff to achieve aboriginal student outcomes that match or better outcomes of the broader student population by 2012”, while Goal no: 1.2 states the requirement of enabling “staff to understand that all students need culturally appropriate education”. (www.det.nsw.edu.au, at pp 4). The curriculum requirements for aboriginal students in the K7 to 10 stage also includes a life skills assessment, which can be demonstrated through physical and/or verbal assistance from others.(www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au, at pp 7). Based upon his interviews with aboriginal students, Harrison (2008) has singled out four key points that most participants identified about their teaching and learning experiences, which influenced their receptivity to the learning process. First, they were motivated to learn when they respected their teacher. Second, their learning was adversely impacted when they felt that their teachers or their fellow students were judging them. Third, most aboriginal students also have significant levels of commitment at home, which hinders their effective performance at school. Lastly, they felt that the introduction of aboriginal English would be more conducive to helping them to feel included. In achieving the goals of the Aboriginal Advisory and Training Group, the first step will be to ensure staff commitment and the next step would be to ensure that teachers understand the need to tailor their teaching styles and materials so that they are culturally appropriate to these students. As Harrison (2008) points out, the aboriginal child’s learning outcomes will be largely influenced by the teacher’s style and manner of communicating with him or her, rather than being influenced by any theories of teaching and learning. When a teacher speaks to a student in a nice, calm way, the student is more likely to receive learning instruction favourably. The teachers need to adopt a strategy of building a one on one relationship with most of their students, and seeking to be their friend and counsellor rather than an authority figure who hands out instructions. Harrison(2005) has clearly shown the nature of the conflict this poses to the teacher’s style. On the one hand, the teacher needs to motivate the student by making him or her like the teacher in order to respond favourably and see the teacher as someone trustworthy and likeable. On the other hand, the teacher also needs to necessarily adopt a position of authority where he or she is imparting instruction to the students. Aboriginal students in general, tend to fear any display of authority because it heightens their feelings of inferiority and subjugation as members of a minority race within Australia, rather than being a part of the dominant majority. The strategy teaches can adopt is therefore to (a) avoid adopting a superior, authoritarian attitude with these students and to demonstrate patience and kindness in helping them with their learning. Since there is provision for assistance for these students to demonstrate lifeskills achievement outcomes with verbal assistance, teachers can make the students aware that this assistance is available from them. This would ease the student and aid in learning. Another strategy the teacher could adopt is a transformational and inspirational style of teaching, by getting the students to work together in teams and providing special assistance and praise to the aboriginal students. This could help eliminate any trepidation in the students about their perceived inferiority in comparison to other students. It makes the teacher a friend and this could motivate the student to perform better because he or she likes the teacher. The second objective is to ensure that the teachers understand students need culturally appropriate education. The aboriginals are culturally and ethnically different people; they are the “indigenous” peoples of Australia (www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au, at pp 8). Students would therefore need to understand and learn to appreciate the value and substance of their culture, practices, traditions and symbols in the overall context of Australian culture, including the rules which apply to that setting. This needs to be supplemented with an understanding of their footing on par with other Australians, so that they arrive at a clear understanding that their culture is not inferior, just different. This could be achieved if teachers teach aboriginal English, because it provides aboriginal students an effective means of communication with other students. As Harrison(2005) has pointed out, when aboriginal students are allowed to speak aboriginal English in the classroom, it allows them to relax and be humorous and communicate far more effectively than they could in standard English, This allows them to be relaxed in the classroom, so that the learning process is enhanced. The teacher could use a number of strategies to achieve this outcome. One way is to make it clear to other students that aboriginal English is permitted, encourage the students to come forward and tell the other students about their culture and traditions in aboriginal English. By making the use of aboriginal English acceptable in the classroom on specific occasions, it also becomes easier for other students to accept these indigenous students. The teacher could also devote one or two lessons just to illustrate the differences between the two English languages and encourage active interaction between all students through organizing games, quizzes and telling funny stories in aboriginal English. By permitting the use of aboriginal English in the classroom, the teacher can ensure that the specific cultural identity of the aboriginal student is not only preserved, but also accepted and appreciated. 2. The Department of education in New South Wales has an anti racism and anti discrimination policy. The primary objective is laid out under section 1.1 of its policy statement, which states that NSW DET “rejects all forms of racism. It is committed to the elimination of racial discrimination - including direct and indirect racism, racial validation and harassment” (www.det.nsw.edu.au). This policy statement also specifically requires all the teaching as well as non teaching staff to ensure that racism is reduced and eradicated by “promoting acceptance of Australia’s cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, challenging prejudiced attitudes and ensuring that sanctions are applied against racist and discriminatory behaviours”. (www.det.nsw.edu.au at Objective 1.4). Thus, it may be noted that the policy statement not only strongly supports the elimination of racism, it also allows measures to be instituted which would contribute to the achievement of this end. In the context of racism shown to the indigenous people of Australia, the low achievement scores of aboriginal children has been attributed to their cultural differences and that their grades are likely to improve by catering to their special learning styles and teaching them separately. But Keefe(1992) has questioned the underlying presumption that aboriginals and non aboriginals are separate cultures that must be separated from each other, because this in itself, amounts to a form of racism. He offers the view instead that the aboriginal culture has two separate aspects, one group is persistence, where culture is a fixed body of ideas while the other aspect of aboriginal culture is a dynamic interaction with others in Australian society. He states: “They are not at all total opposites, but are variations on the same subject. Their interaction is shown by the fact that the persistence of Aboriginal people, as an identifiable social and cultural group, is in large part due to their successful and continuing resistance. The two themes are in tension, and at times compete for attention or contradict each other.” (Keefe 1992:47). Keefe (1992) is therefore suggesting that the hitherto low achievement scores of aboriginal children may not necessarily be solved by separating the aboriginal children out into separate classrooms. Rather, there is enough flexibility in the Aboriginal culture to retain its identity and special features, even as it changes, adapts and modifies itself to fit within the parameters of the broader, Australian culture. Hence, in tailoring education to suit aboriginal children, it may be necessary to draw upon the flexible element of Aboriginal culture rather than focusing on its fixed aspects and using it as a basis for separating these children into separate classrooms. The new racism policy is likely to be beneficial for aboriginal students because it provides a legal framework within which incidents of racism can be tackled. At the outset, it clarifies that racism in any shape or form would be unacceptable; as a result, separating aboriginals into separate classrooms could itself amount to racism. Secondly, any attempt by the dominant Australian population to look down upon the aboriginals or treat them with contempt is also likely to be punishable. There are specific measures which have been spelt out under the anti racism policy, which establish clear guidelines for teachers and staff who may be faced with such incidents. They will be able to justify their position in supporting the rights of the aboriginal students by applying the law and educational policies. The anti racism policy statements also specifically suggests pro active measures that teachers can take up in order to ensure that racism is eliminated. For instance, the policy statements require that all cultures should be promoted and prejudices should be directly challenged. This measure would be very useful for teachers in classrooms, because they would be able to actively challenge students who show prejudiced attitudes. Moreover, they also have legal backing now to take action against students and other sin educational institutions who are found guilty of engaging in racist incidents; they can impose sanctions and take punitive action. These measures are likely to be extremely useful because in earlier years, racism has been an underlying part of the environment and has not been openly acknowledged. Aboriginal students need to cope with not only the adapting to the dominant culture and catching up with the others, they also have had to ensure snide, racist incidents along the way with no recourse at all to deal with them. There has been no avenue for them to approach anyone for relief. But with the passage of the new anti-racism policy, it would be possible for these students who are being treated badly to directly approach teachers and staff members, all of whom are now authorized to act upon such complaints and ensure that such activities are effectively squashed. The earlier contention that the learning styles of the aboriginal students was in some way inferior because of their culture may now no longer hold good. The anti racism policy in effect has equalized the status of all students in schools, so that they are all to be treated on an equal basis with respect being accorded to all the different cultures, including the aboriginal culture. These measures are likely to bring about an understanding and appreciation for aboriginal culture over a period of time and it is likely to gain acceptance as a part of the mainstream. With the fear of racist incidents removed from their educational environment, or with effective scope being available to tackle such incidents, the aboriginal students are likely to benefit by the elimination of a burden that impeded their learning. In effect, the anti racism policy is a very good start in achieving the goals of improved educational outcomes for aboriginal students; it is likely to bring about an increase in their achievement scores, as they are able to move and mingle more freely within the school environment. The fear of racism can be a significant limitation in the achieving of good educational outcomes because it makes students uneasy and apprehensive when they are attending school. Within the classroom atmosphere, children who are subject to racist incidents may be unable to concentrate on their studies or may feel tense and nervous about being attacked, verbally or physically. When teachers have the facility to pay attention to aboriginal students and ensure that they are provided equal opportunities in the classroom, this ensures that all students can progress equitably because they would all have equal access to all resources. References: *Aboriginal Education and Training Strategy 2006-2008. Retrieved October 27, 2010 from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/strat_direction/strat_plans/yr2007/aetlongstrategy.pdf *Anti racism policy. Retrieved October 27, 2010 from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/equity/antiracism/PD20050235.shtml *Harrison, Neil, 2005. “Incorporating aboriginal English in the classroom”, Retrieved October 27, 2010 from: http://www.une.edu.au/education/resources/pdfs/research_series/Research_Series_1.pdf *Keeffe, K. 1992, From the Centre to the City: Aboriginal Education, Culture and Power, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra Read More