Aboriginal education
60% Percentage of Aboriginal children significantly behind non-Aboriginal children by the time they start Year One [1].
40% Percentage by which an Aboriginal student's chance of employment rises if they complete year 10 or 11. Completing Year 12 increases employment prospects by a further 13% [7].
40% Percentage of Aboriginal children who stay at school until year 12, compared to 76% among non-Indigenous children [4].
24% of people in remote communities have a school that goes up only to year 12. 29% have a school up to year 10 [14].
10% Percentage of Aboriginal children who graduate from year 12 [9].
3% Percentage of Aboriginal students who complete a university degree [9].
36% of people in remote communities have access to a library [14].
Education is the greatest single weapon to overcome disadvantage and the impact of this denial of education affects me and other Indigenous people to this day.—Yvonne Butler, Aboriginal woman [5]
Indigenous teachers
Education has always been central to Indigenous economic, social and cultural development. A good education determines Indigenous children's health, literacy, employment, social status and productivity.
Aboriginal children learn best and most efficiently when taught by a culturally-aware teacher, preferably an Indigenous teacher [6]. Aboriginal teachers bring a wider range of cultural perspectives into schools and develop networks with the Indigenous communities around the school, a valuable asset when addressing school children's needs or problems.
In 2004, only 0.7 per cent of all teachers in Australia were Indigenous. —Dr Lester-Irabinna Rigney, Associate Professor of Education, Flinders University, Victoria [6]
Educating white children
While the Australian education system struggles to bring education to Aboriginal children, it also has to take the fear out of non-Indigenous children and adults to learn about Aboriginal and Indigenous culture. Many think if they don't know enough they don't have the right to contribute to the conversation, an attitude which hampers the dialogue true reconciliation requires [12].
Educating Aboriginal children
In most schools across Queensland (and probably across other states) the proportion of Aboriginal children is about five percent or less [15]. Many white teachers do not have a lot of experience teaching and dealing with Indigenous kids or communities.
As a consequence white teachers can misinterpret certain behaviour by Aboriginal students, for example when student avoid eye contact. According to Aboriginal culture direct eye contact to an adult is considered rude.
For many Indigenous children English is also their second, third or fourth language. White teachers should explain things in more than one way and more than once to allow Aboriginal students understand and learn. In Aboriginal culture knowledge was passed on through repetitive story-telling.
Literacy
Many Aboriginal students struggle to do their homework in a quiet environment.
Many houses occupied by Aboriginal families are overcrowded and basically not suitable for homework.
Photo: scol22, www.sxc.hu
Literacy rates among Aboriginal people generally are very low and lowest in remote communities. Across Australia in 2004, 83% of Aboriginal students and 93% of students overall achieved the literacy benchmark for year 3. But in the Northern Territory, only 20% of Aboriginal students achieved the benchmark. [3] Less than 30% of children tested for literacy in Years 3, 5 and 7 were able to read or write properly [10] leaving them with numeracy and literacy skills of five-year olds when they leave school [11].
One reason for these low levels is that the students' parents often left the school system without basic literacy and numeracy skills, providing the children with a low-literate home environment [3].
Another reason is that in 2008 about 20% of compulsory school-age Indigenous kids (NT figures) were not enrolled in school, and many of those enrolled do not attend school regularly. [10]
"People hated me for that"
Low literacy rates do not stem from Aboriginal people being unable to learn. The opposite is the case, as the following memory from Professor and Nyoongar Elder Joan Winch tells us [13]:
"One advantage for Aboriginal people is that we didn't have a written language so many of us didn't learn to read and write, but we all have wonderful memories and that allowed me to sit in class, not do any homework, and still come out at the top of the class. People hated me for that..."
The Accelerated Literacy Program
Professors at the Charles Darwin University have developed the Accelerated Literacy Program which has been introduced into schools in the NT, WA, SA and QLD. The program aims to accelerate the literacy development of students so that they have a similar level to that of their peers of the same age. Students are presented with tasks beyond their ability but are supported by a skillful teacher who knows how to teach the skills they need to solve the task.
In a school of around 400 students 41% were more than 18 months behind their age level in reading. After just 12 months of Accelerated Literacy, their individual reading levels increased by a minimum of 1.6 years. The largest gain was 2.8 years. [2]
Successful education of Aboriginal students
While many Aboriginal students' education is a far cry from their non-Indigenous peers' education, a success story from the East Kenwick Primary School in Perth tells us that good literacy is achievable - if the teaching conditions are right [8].
The school took the following approach:
- Participation of Aboriginal parents and elders: Parents are encouraged to participate in day-to-day aspects of their children's education.
- Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers: They act as role models for the students and take small groups under directions.
- Involve all senses: The school uses a tactile, visual and auditory learning program called Jolly Phonics from pre-primary to Year 2. It aids students to hear, touch and see what they learn, covering individual learning styles.
- Small groups: Teaching small groups with Indigenous tutors allows to home in on specific students and their needs.
Schools also have a greater chance to succeed when they engage mobile teachers to take into account that Aboriginal parents might have to leave for extended periods for sorry business (when a relative has died) or ceremony [11].
Factors which hamper Aboriginal students' education are
- English teaching materials because many Aboriginal students' first language is not English.
- Inappropriate context: If the stories told in teaching materials do not relate to Indigenous lives they are of little use for Aboriginal students.
- No 'black faces': If teaching material (books, films) is entirely based on white models Indigenous students cannot identify with their characters.
Education: Are you an Aboriginal person? Get involved!
I'd like to involve Aboriginal people as much as possible in this project. It should also become a platform for your voice and your story.
If you think you can contribute to any of these areas on the left-hand side, I am happy to listen to your advice. If necessary I can help you to put it into words, an audio file or an image for this site.
Contact me and we can find a way to make your story help towards true reconciliation.
Out of respect for Aboriginal culture I use Indigenous sources as much as possible.
[1] Koori Mail 390 p.47
[2] Antar newsletter 8/2006
[3] Koori Mail 385, p.60
[4] National Indigenous Times 135 p.13
[5] Stolen Wages committee submissions, http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/Committee/legcon_ctte/stolen_wages/submissions/sublist.htm, submission #21
[6] 'Our teacher crisis', Koori Mail 417, p.24
[7] The Report of the Review of Aboriginal Education, NSW Department of Education and Training, August 2004, p.13
[8] 'Perth school gets it right', Koori Mail 422, p.44
[9] 'Boarding scholarships are needed, says expert', Koori Mail 425, p.29
[10] 'NT data paints a grim picture', Koori Mail 430 p.7
[11] 'Mobile pre-schools seen as NT solution', Koori Mail 430 p.55
[12] 'Reconciliation rocks musos', Koori Mail 427 p.38
[13] 'Women talk leadership', Koori Mail 431 p.17
[14] 'Aborigines waiting up to three months to see doctor', Koori Mail 431 p.51
[15] 'Educator gives bad grade to teachers', NIT 30/10/2008 p.9
The author of this site acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land in which we live and work.