Aboriginal Education and Training Policy - Literature review Example

bоriginаl еduсаtiоn An Essay Submitted By: NAME: INSTITUTION: COURSE: INSTRUCTOR: DATE: © 2014 INTRODUCTION Aboriginal education simply refers to the education offered to Indigenous people in Australia. It can be offered in mainstream schools or in special settings as demonstrated in research findings (Cabello and Pond, 2004; Harrison, 2011). In whichever situation the education is offered, it must be in line with the existing government policies and practices on education and training. In view of this, the current report addresses the strategies that can be used in schools to meet the main goal of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) as well as the extent to which the NSW DET Anti-racism policy statement (2005) and NSW DET Racism – No way! Guide (2000) can assist in meeting the main goal of the said policy. Finally, the report concludes by summing up the main issues. Strategies of meeting the main goal of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) According to reports by Vale (2008, p34), the main goal of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) is to “educate Aboriginal students and their communities using culturally appropriate teaching strategies”. The goal further aims at closing the gap between educational outcomes of Aboriginal students and non Aboriginal students. In order to achieve this, the strategies enumerated hereunder can be attempted. Aboriginal Parents and the Community In order to make meaningful strides in improving the education of Aboriginal students, it is proposed that parents and communities of these children get actively involved in their education as early as possible. In fact, Carbines et al (2007, p61) underscore the importance of parental involvement in their children’s schooling during the formative years. In this view, parents are encouraged to act as “teachers” both at home and in school in order to promote their children’s ‘cognitive, language, social and motor development’. This is strongly supported by Harrison (2008, p112) who believes that “parents’ involvement leaves a much longer lasting impact on their children’s behaviour compared to the school environment”. In line with this realisation therefore, parents and communities from which Aboriginal students hail should participate in numerous literacy and numeracy support services organised for them to hone their skills in becoming better tutors and mentors for their children. Language of Instruction It is in my view that most individuals use their Native language to identify themselves. This makes them very proud and gives them a sense of belonging. It thus becomes unreasonable to disconnect an individual from this ‘comfort zone’ after enrolling in school. In the arguments of Henderson and Nash (2003, p108), education systems offer the best opportunities for individuals to continue learning their own languages. This argument particularly applies to Aboriginal people in NSW who boast of a rich range of languages unique only to them. The uniqueness of these languages resides in the fact that they are not spoken anywhere else in the world as explained by Henderson and Nash (2003, p34). Thus allowing Aboriginal children to bring on board their Native languages to school develops in them a very strong sense of identity and self-esteem. The foregoing can be made possible by insisting on the use of Aboriginal English which is considered to be ‘the home language of many school-going Aboriginal children’ (Henderson and Nash). The starting point will be to engage the learners more in talking and listening activities using their Aboriginal ‘home language’ to improve on it. Similarly, it will be prudent to train teachers and other stakeholders on the use of Aboriginal English to make them better suited in their tasks. In the arguments of Nakata (2007, p11), a revision of the ‘restrictive’ government policies and practices on Aboriginal education and training will go a long way in enhancing the use of Aboriginal English as a medium of instruction. In line with this, parents and teachers will need to work tirelessly on writing and language skills of those children beginning to attend school in order to make any meaningful academic progress a reality. School Retention Rates It is in agreement that students who remain in school and have maximum contact hours with their teachers benefit the most compared to those with chronic lateness and absenteeism culminating to expulsions. Data on school attendance, lateness, absenteeism, and suspension rates for Aboriginal students paint a grim picture as illustrated by Green (2010, p453). Carbines et al (2007, p67) for instance report that absenteeism for Aboriginal students doubles that of their counterparts across all years of schooling. Similarly, Nakata (2007, p15) reports that attendance for Aboriginal students attending junior secondary school is pathetically low as compared to that of non-Aboriginal students. The same is true for suspension and expulsion rates involving Aboriginal students. Many Aboriginal students especially in their senior years of schooling are sent on suspension more often than their non-Aboriginal counterparts (Harrison, 2011, p109). If this trend is left to persist, it is feared that the little gains made in Aboriginal education will be reversed. This preceding scenario need to be mitigated in order to make Aboriginal student outcomes match or even become better than that of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Firstly, Deane (2010, p7) suggests that Aboriginal students should be appreciated and respected for who they are in school to foster their sense of identity and belonging. This can be by sensitising teachers and other students to shun from using discriminating statements and actions. Similarly, parents and the community at large need awareness workshops to deliberate on the importance of students remaining in school for as long as it is practically possible. On the one hand, this group will help in shaping the behaviour of students and hence reduce lateness, absenteeism and suspensions. Teacher Proficiency Research by Green (2010, p456) has variously indicated that Aboriginal children usually learn best when they are involved in hands-on activities that are performed in groups. This is attributed to the fact that these children make rapport with their peers faster than with their teachers. This is a practice borrowed back from home where children learn from each other through ‘group play’. Building on this premise, school administration can allow the creation of “multi-aged groups” where Aboriginal students can retain their ‘home groupings’ of siblings assisting each other to learn more easily and comfortably (Connell, 2009, p26). According to claims by Harrison (2008, p45), Aboriginal students are known to be more adventurous and inquisitive when they work in a group than individually because of a perceived sense of security in numbers. For this reason, it is advisable for teachers to take note of how Aboriginal students form natural groups based on interest, family or age and hence support them to strengthen these formations (Connell, 2009, p126). Additionally, Carbines et al (2007, p148) suggest that teachers need to identify activities that can be conducted as group work and then allow students the autonomy of discovering solutions on their own. There should be no restrictions on students’ movements and interactions as they seek for answers from others in the classroom. Assessment and Feedback Assessment of learners and delivery of feedback on their performance is a very critical exercise in the learning process. Henderson and Nash (2003, p119) underline this by stating that students’ learning should be assessed continuously throughout their learning process, and the feedback provided immediately. This is critical in determining the students’ entry behaviour as well as their progression. To do this effectively, it will be imperative for the teachers to first of all gather information about students’ proficiency in Aboriginal languages and culture (Connell, 2009, p135). If not up to date, then mitigating measures should be initiated and well planned as observed by Harrison (2011, p123). Additionally, teachers are advised to work collaboratively to achieve viable results. The extent to which the NSW DET Anti-racism policy statement (2005) and NSW DET Racism – No way guide (2000) can assist in meeting the main goal of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) As indicated throughout this report, discrimination based on race or otherwise is very retrogressive and an enemy of development. Government agencies the world over are in conceited efforts to fight off racism at all costs. The same has borne considerable fruits in NSW by applying her Anti-racism policy statement (2005) and Racism – No way guide (2000) as illustrated in the present discourse. According to Deane (2010, p19), the Anti-racism policy statement strives to get rid of all forms of racial discrimination in every school and workplace in order to actualise the main goal of the NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008). This has been successful to some extent. Firstly, Australian schools have been in the forefront to eliminate racial discrimination among students and staff in the school community. This has been through creating awareness of individual rights and responsibilities pertaining to racism and facilitation of easy access to complaint mechanisms (Deane, 2010, p21). Schools are also fostering freedom of expression and association to all regardless of race, gender and religion affiliation. This creates an inclusive learning and working environment which fosters mutual partnering between students, staff, parents and the community at large. Cabello and Pond (2004, p7) note that there is full equal participation of everyone at all levels. At the individual level, each stakeholder is mandated to play his role while the school implements all the policies and practices formulated by the education system. Thirdly, it is clear that schools and education systems are actively being involved in the careful planning, implementing, and evaluation of the Anti-racism policy statement and the guide ensure actualisation of the main goal of the said policy. This is in line with advice by Vale (2008, p32) who maintains that this process must be continuous for the purposes of improving any gaps. Any envisioned improvement must be informed by present government policies and the needs of school communities as they arise. The evaluation aspect of this process is guided by the ensuing outcomes of the implemented strategies that may need further revision. At the implementation stage of the policy statement and guide as informed by Vale (2008, p54), it is in order to have the various school activities conducted in manner as to address key action areas of the education system. As informed by Connell (2009, p357), the school and education system have substantially acted on the areas of “policies and guidelines, curriculum and pedagogy, training and development, student support and development, parent and community involvement as well as monitoring and reporting”. These action areas have been critical in assisting the actualisation of the main goal under discussion as noted by Harrison (2011, p134). CONCLUSION The NSW DET Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) aims to improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students to match or supersede those of their non-Aboriginal counterparts in NSW. Several strategies to achieve this have been identified to include: “parents, community, language, retention rates, teacher proficiency, and assessment and feedback” (Connell, 2009, p213). Moreover, the NSW DET Anti-racism policy statement (2005) and Racism – No way guide (2000) have been very instrumental in actualising the said goal. REFERENCES Cabello, V & Pond, K. (2004). The Report of the Review of Aboriginal Education. Freeing the Spirit: Dreaming an Equal Future. New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) Incorporated and New South Wales Department of Education and Training Carbines, R., Wyatt, T., & Robb, L. (2007). Evaluation of the Mathematics in Indigenous Contexts Project. A report prepared for the Office of the NSW Board of Studies, Erebus International Connell, R. (2009). Good teachers on dangerous ground: Towards a new view of teacher quality and professionalism. Critical Studies in Education, 50(13), 13-229. Deane, W. (2010). Racism. No way! A guide for Australian schools. NSW Department of Education and Training Green, B. (2010). Rethinking the representation problem in curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 42 (4), 451–469. Harrison, N. (2008). Teaching and learning in Indigenous education. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Harrison, N. (2011). Teaching and learning in Aboriginal education. (2nd ed.) Oxford University Press Henderson, J & Nash, D. (2003). Aboriginal Languages K–10 Syllabus. Board of Studies NSW Nakata, M. (2007). Disciplining the savages: savaging the disciplines. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. Vale, C. (2008). Aboriginal Education and Training Policy. An introductory Guide. NSW Department of Education & Training Read More