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Lennon’s poetry and wisdom had created a provocative anthem, for social justice from all corners of the world where millions of people turn to for inspiration and solace’ (Chilton, 2020), and, if I may add, HOPE. Not only does this song challenge the status quo of any structure or system as we know and experience it, but interrogate the fundamentals of our beliefs system. listening to this song sets the overall tone of my (un)learning journey towards studying the multifaceted and complex issues of social justice — setting the lens on education.

“... Imagine all the people / Sharing all the world / You may say I’m a dreamer / But I’m not the only one / I hope someday you’ll join us / And the world will live as one.” ✌🏼

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This encapsulates my understanding of what social justice is. It highlights the incredible capacity of individuals and communities to effect lasting changes in areas they find themselves in; areas whereby the social, judicial, geopolitical, economic and, yes, educational scales are tipped to favour a few has become the norm. They stir the status quo to create balance and equal opportunities for all. (Photo Credit: Social Justice Symposium, UC Berkeley)

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#1 Education for all : let's start with the early years, shall we?

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#1 Education for all : let's start with the early years, shall we?

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Early childhood programs create better opportunities for Indigenous Warlpiri kids

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#1 Creating access for Indigenous children from remote areas.

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#1 Creating access for Indigenous children from remote areas.

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Overcoming location challenges is key to successful childhood programs for Pilbara communities

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At a glance

The objective of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the National Agreement) is to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments to work together to overcome the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians.

For the first time, the National Agreement has been developed in genuine partnership between Australian governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (the Coalition of Peaks).

The expertise and experience of the Coalition of Peaks and its membership have been central to the commitments in this National Agreement. So too has the feedback from the extensive engagements in 2019 with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. A summary of what was heard from the engagements and how it was incorporated into the National Agreement is available.

The views and expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders, Traditional Owners and Native Title holders, communities and organisations will continue to provide central guidance to the Coalition of Peaks and Australian governments as the National Agreement is implemented.

The Partnership is grateful for the assistance of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in developing the National Agreement. The AIHW led a number of workshops to assist the Partnership Working Group to consider and develop the target framework, developed trajectories to inform decisions about the level of ambition for different target areas, and provided technical advice on the targets, indicators and data availability. The ABS provided data and technical advice for targets and indicators.

All parties to the National Agreement acknowledged the need for it to be a flexible, "living" document, working with the best evidence as it becomes available.

This is the current version of the National Agreement, as agreed by Joint Council. The original, signed National Agreement is available on the Resources page.

Any Joint Council agreed changes to the timeframes for delivery of commitments in the National Agreement are reflected in the comments in the Implementation Tracker.

Priority Reforms

At the centre of the National Agreement are four Priority Reforms that focus on changing the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Priority Reforms will:

Strengthen and establish formal partnerships and shared decision-making

Build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector

Transform government organisations so they work better for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Improve and share access to data and information to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities make informed decisions.

See the Priority Reforms here
Outcomes and targets

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the National Agreement) has 19 national socio-economic targets across 17 socio-economic outcome areas that have an impact on life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Outcomes are the desired result for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Targets are specific and measurable goals that will be monitored to show how progress is being made across each of the outcome areas. Under each of the targets there are indicators that help to provide an understanding of how progress will be tracked.

The National Agreement includes areas for data development actions. These are areas that are important for our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes but cannot be measured currently.
See the Targets here
Implementing the National Agreement

An Implementation Tracker has been developed to help track progress for each Party to the National Agreement on delivering against the commitments in the National Agreement. Any Joint Council agreed changes to the timeframes for delivery of commitments in the National Agreement are reflected in the comments in the Implementation Tracker.

Each party to the National Agreement developed their own Implementation Plan, and will report annually on their actions to achieve the outcomes of the Agreement.

Implementation plans have been developed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait partners.

Each implementation plan sets out how policies and programs are aligned to the National Agreement and what actions will be taken to achieve the Priority Reforms. They include information on funding and timeframes for actions.

The Joint Council will review implementation plans and may provide advice on how the parties can better work together to achieve shared outcomes. This includes where progress against the Priority reforms and targets is not on track.
See the Implementation Plans here See the Implementation Tracker here
Accountability and reporting

The Productivity Commission has published a dashboard comprising data and associated supporting materials on progress towards the targets. The dashboard will be updated on a regular basis (at a minimum, annually) and will be maintained for the full term of the National Agreement.

In addition to the dashboard, the Productivity Commission will complete a comprehensive, independent review of progress every three years. This review will provide an analysis of progress towards the Priority Reforms, targets, indicators and trajectories. It will also examine the factors contributing to progress by drawing on evaluations and other evidence.

For the first time, there will be Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led reviews within twelve months of each independent review by the Productivity Commission. These reviews are an opportunity to better understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experiences of change as a result of this National Agreement.

The Joint Council will provide an annual update on progress toward achieving the National Agreement to the parties to the Agreement.

The Commonwealth, states and territories, local governments and the Coalition of Peaks share accountability for the implementation of the National Agreement and are jointly accountable for the outcomes and targets under the National Agreement.
See the Productivity Commission Dashboard

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National Agreement on Closing the Gap | Closing the Gap

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The objective of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the National Agreement) is to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments to work together to overcome the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians.

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Two university students were the target of a racist attack by two strangers in the Melbourne CBD on Wednesday.

Victoria Police say the two international students from China were walking along Elizabeth Street about 5.30pm when they were assaulted.
Watch the video above
A video, which was circulated online, shows the pair kicking and punching the students before a bystander steps in.

The victims sustained minor injuries and reported the incident to police, who are now investigating it as a racist attack.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said she was "appalled" by the "disgraceful attack".

"The violence displayed is completely unacceptable. It does not reflect the values that Melburnians stand for or the behaviour we expect in our city," she wrote in the tweet.

"Melbourne is a caring and inclusive city that welcomes people from all over the world to live and study here.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic it is more important than ever to stick together and lend a hand to those who need it."

'Disgusting'

University of Melbourne's Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell said the attack was "disgusting" and "unprovoked".

"There is no place for violence in a modern, future-facing society like Australia," he said in a statement.

"These senseless and vicious attacks on two young women must never be tolerated in our community.

"The people who did this are a disgrace."

Maskell said the university is providing assistance to the students.

Investigation

Investigators are now working to identify two women that may be able to assist with their inquiries.

Both women are described as Caucasian in appearance, about 20 years old with a skinny build.

One of the women was wearing a dark top with a light-coloured skirt while the other was wearing a pink jacket.

A man - who was not involved in the assault - also stole one of the victim's AirPods.
More on 7NEWS.com.au
He is described as Caucasian in appearance, with a solid build, and was wearing a black puffer jacket and a black backpack.

Any witnesses are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.

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Melbourne students assaulted in 'disgusting' racist attack

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Two university students were the target of a racist attack by two strangers in the Melbourne CBD on Wednesday. Victoria Police say the two international students from China were walking along Elizabeth Street about 5.30pm when they were assaulted.

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#2 More than four-in-five Asian-Australians.

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#2 More than four-in-five Asian-Australians.

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strategic communications & public affairs

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Asian-Australians hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic

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Discrimination fluctuates, but social cohesion improves More than four-in-five Asian-Australians say they have experienced instances of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, new analysis from The Australian National University (ANU) shows. In a survey of more than 3,000 people, 84.5 per cent of Asian-Australians reported at least one instance of discrimination between January and October 2020.

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A vigil in Sydney has heard calls for stronger government action to combat the growth in anti-Asian sentiment in Australia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisers said it is the first anti-Asian hate vigil to be held in Australia and follows reports of 520 COVID-related racism incidents over the past year.

The Asian Australian Alliance recorded the incidents over the past year since April 2, 2020.

Erin Wen Ai Chew, founder of the Asian Australian Alliance, said more must be done to stop the attacks.

"Currently, the non-acknowledgement has normalised the anti-Asian racism, and we are sick and tired of this and do not want the issue swept under the rug by the Australian Government."

Vigil organisers called on the Australian government to condemn racism, strengthen anti-racism laws and protections, and roll out compulsory anti-racism education in all public and private institutions.

NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong said, as a Chinese Australian, the lived experience of ongoing racism and the increased hostility aimed at Asians during the pandemic is harmful.

"There is racism in Australia and discrimination in Australia that impacts people here. And if you were standing where I'm standing, you would see the hurt that it causes people.

"And I can say the time for being silent on this stuff is done."

Korean-Australian writer Shona Yang said the Atlanta shootings in March, which resulted in the death of eight people, including six Asian women, was shocking and prompted her to organise the Sydney rally.

"It didn't really hit me until I started to see the faces of some of the victims; faces that could have been a friend's mum, an aunt, a lady at my church.

"That is when it started to be a lot more personal."

She said the rally is aimed at preventing events such as the Atlanta shootings from happening in the first place.

"For me, one of the biggest purposes of this vigil is that sense of unity.

"When we gather together and we hear different stories within our community, it means we're stronger and we can band together to actually say we will not tolerate racism against Asian Australians, against the First Nations communities, and all the minority communities in this country."
READ MORE: Anti-Asian sentiment in Australia: 'A joke isn't funny when you're the punchline'
In an open letter addressed to Multicultural Affairs Minister Alex Hawke, rally organisers urged him to issue a statement with Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemning racism against Asian-Australian communities.

Ms Leong said it is concerning to see the number of racist attacks against Asian Australians during the pandemic.

"Whether it is racial violence or aggression, verbally or physically, it has an impact on our abilities as humans to enjoy full participation in our society."

She said she would like to see more effective anti-racism laws, taking inspiration from new legislation in the US.

A bill, which passed the US Senate this week, creates a new Justice Department role to accelerate the review of COVID-19-related hate crimes.

It also provides more support for local law enforcement agencies to tackle anti-Asian hate violence; and includes provisions to improve the collection of hate crime data and establish hate crime hotlines.

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Anti-Asian hate vigil in Australia hears calls for tougher laws and compulsory training

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A vigil in Sydney has heard calls for stronger government action to combat the growth in anti-Asian sentiment in Australia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers said it is the first anti-Asian hate vigil to be held in Australia and follows reports of 520 COVID-related racism incidents over the past year.

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#2 When kids are target of Racism: what can schools do?

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#2 When kids are target of Racism: what can schools do?

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Niki was sprinting onto the soccer field when a couple of racist taunts stopped her in her tracks.

Social media was one of the main ways fake news about coronavirus spread

Parents feared their children would be targeted because of their ethnicity

State schools said racism is not tolerated and encouraged students to report bullying

"When I got onto the field, I think the first thing they said was 'ching chong'. I just looked at them and I just ignored it," Niki, who asked to be known by her nickname, told the ABC.

"And then they started saying 'coronavirus'. They didn't even know who I was."

The 15-year-old from Melbourne, who has mixed Chinese and Indian heritage, confronted the girl on the opposing team.

"I got really angry. I said: 'You shouldn't really say that ... it's just not nice."

Read our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

She told her coach, who told her not to respond to the "immature" opponents, but Niki was also worried about her teammate, a girl with Filipino heritage.

"I was really scared for her. I don't want anyone else to experience that," she said.

Her mother, Lumin, who moved from China to Australia 20 years ago, said Niki's concern had also extended to her family members.

"She's worried about me now. She said: 'Mum, don't go to the supermarket alone'. Even [when] I go out for a walk, she actually calls me and she says: 'Are you OK?' ... She's never done that before," Lumin said.

Lumin, a virologist, was one of hundreds of people who wrote to the ABC about their experiences of racism during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sadly, some of the reported racist incidents occurred when a child or young person was present.

As children trickle back into classrooms in some states from this week, what can students, parents and teachers do to combat racism?

Overcoming fear and fake news

Lumin echoed many other responders, who told the ABC racism was not a symptom of the coronavirus pandemic, but it had intensified existing anxieties and prejudices.

"I can understand people's fear. If they don't know, they don't have this scientific background, they can be easily influenced by a lot of theories which don't have grounds," Lumin said.

"I think every crisis is an opportunity, help us to reflect, to look back. I think maybe it's a good opportunity to promote more science ... for young kids to be able to have the ability to differentiate what is the truth, what is fake news."

Some felt racist attitudes wereabsorbed in the home and that racism was spurred by misinformation on social media - like the ideas that the virus was "carried by Asians" or that "all Chinese people eat bats".

Miranda Rowlands in Queensland, who has a mix of Greek, Italian, Maltese and Turkish heritage, feared the racist bullying she had experienced in her youth - taunts like "wog" - had warped, with race hate now targeting her daughter, Mya, who is adopted and has Vietnamese heritage.

"When the coronavirus started happening, I was concerned because I could see on social media there was a lot of hostility towards Asians," she said.

"I know she's a very independent a strong person, but so was I, and it still affects me 40 years later."

Mya, 17, who has now finished school and is looking forward to starting university, said she has had people make racist comments to her and mimic Asian stereotypes in front of her.

She said racism has "definitely" become worse during COVID-19.

"When things turn really bad, people need someone to blame. Because the coronavirus began in China, many Asians have become the target of racism," she said.

"Most of us don't really respond to it anymore. It's become so normal that most of us laugh it off, rather than make it a big deal.

"I think being racist says something about that person's character. So the way I respond says something about mine. I'd rather not react to them and satisfy them by getting upset."
Have you have been the subject of a racist incident, or seen it take place? Tell us your story.
Racism should be 'nipped in the bud' in schools

Several respondents said better education was needed from a young age. They thought schools were an ideal arena in which to inform children about how harmful racism is, in an effort to stamp it out.

Kim, who has Vietnamese heritage and lives in WA, said she was shocked when a high-school boy hit her car, shouting: "You damned Chinese, [go] back to where you're from!"

She didn't report it - her children go to the same school, and she didn't want them to be attacked or harassed.

"I admit this incident made me a bit worried whenever I pick up my children. I'm not afraid of being attacked again, I just want my children [to be] safe," she said.

"It may be too late to educate older Australians, but it may help younger generations."

Jasmine, also from WA, agreed.

"We need to start educating our children whilst they are still young; to understand that belittling, ridiculing, being nasty and singling anybody out because of their skin colour is just wrong," she said.

Read our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

Her daughter, 16, had heard "coronavirus" muttered at her by a group of younger students. Her daughter was trying not to let it get to her, Jasmine said.

"It creates a little bit of psychological stress, I think," she said.

"When we start to see incidents popping up at school directed at kids, it creates a climate of fear. That's not the Australian society I was hoping to live in."

Miranda Rowlands in Queensland wanted to see a Government response to make society more harmonious, in a way that wasn't "false sincerity".

"We have race laws in this country that are weak as water - they very rarely get taken seriously," she said.

"While we don't call people out, people will continue to think it's socially acceptable to be a racist."

Social media needs to be a key focus

Parents - and young people themselves - had some solutions for how to tackle racism when it happens in the schoolyard.

"If it was brought up in a big assembly or a meeting with your class or something like that, I would probably feel really uncomfortable," Niki said.

"I'd rather see posters in schools - not just about coronavirus, but about overall racism, and maybe for the school sites to send it to parents ... or over social media.

"Because social media is one of the main platforms where negative energy about racism and different countries are spread."

That rang true for Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, which runs Click Against Hate - an educational program which has received $3 million in FederalGovernment funding to be expanded in schools beyond Victoria.

"I am deeply alarmed that extremists are using the spread of COVID-19 to stoke a tinderbox of online hate, elevating fear and proliferating conspiracy theories and stereotypes targeting Asian-Australians, Jews, Muslims and other minorities," he said.

"This pandemic has provided racists with a fertile ground to use this technological super-highway as a digital megaphone," he said, adding social media allowed people to spread toxic ideas instantly, anonymously and freely.

Dr Abramovich said bigoted attitudes were a learnt trait and his group has been working with schools to address intolerance and encouraged them to block and report online trolls.

"The program equips young adults with constructive and effective response strategies to combat hate experienced online and in the real world, urging them to take action when it happens to them or when they see it happening to others," he said.

Jasmine from WA had a list of suggestions, ranging from appointing a discrimination and harassment officer, setting up a reporting process, having clear consequences as a deterrent for racist behaviour, implementing workshops about equality and enforcing anti-racist monitoring by teachers to protect vulnerable students.

"When schools try to do something, it gives parents more confidence to send their kids back, because they trust they'll be in a constructive environment," she said.

She also found an online campaign that resonated with her - #UnityOverFear.

High-profile Asian Australians started a #UnityOverFear petition to denounce racist attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has more than 57,000 signatures.

A #UnityOverFear campaign, run by the group Colour Code, which was established by GetUp, encourages people across Australia to take a photo of themselves and post it to social media under the hashtag, in order to stand against racism being perpetuated against Asian communities.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak

What are governments and schools doing about it?

Sometimes students or parents didn't report the incident to a teacher or school, feeling that no action would be taken or fearing they might expose their children to further harassment.

But education departments in different states stressed racism was not tolerated and outlined a number of existing programs designed to quash racism in schools.

For racist attacks that take place online, the eSafety Commissioner has a reporting scheme for young people who have been targeted by cyberbullying.

In Victoria, there's a Report Racism hotline for anyone who is not comfortable reporting an incident of racism in their school, or if they're not happy with the school's response.

That's on top of new "Bully Stoppers" resources that specifically address racist bullying, as well as collaborations with multicultural groups, football clubs and creative groups; intercultural training for teachers, and workshops for students.

"We know that racism is a serious and persistent issue in society, and unfortunately our schools are not immune to this - that's why there is a range of programs addressing racism and promoting multiculturalism," a Victorian Department of Education spokesperson said in a statement.

Stephen Baxter, the deputy director-general for schools at the WA Department of Education, said intercultural understanding and acceptance is part of the state's curriculum.

"Making sure that every student feels they belong to the school community, and are acknowledged for their contribution, is a priority for all public schools," he said, adding students can access additional support, like school psychology services.

The NSW Department of Education said it was committed to eliminating racism and said all schools are required to have a trained Anti-Racism Contact Officer, who assists the principal and can provide advice on how to make a complaint about racism.

"In the context of COVID-19, we are aware that there have been reports of racist abuse and discrimination directed at some members of our community, in particular people from Chinese and other Asian backgrounds," they said.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said teachers and principals set a model for the whole school community to follow, and the state's Anti-Racism Policy helps them tackle the issue.

"Schools are a microcosm of our society and should reflect the values of our multicultural community, which is diverse and inclusive," she said.

The Queensland Department of Education, meanwhile, said, "supporting students' mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic and as students transition back to school-based learning is a priority", and they have developed COVID-19 advice for parents and carers.

They added there were guidance officers and online resources to assist victims of cyber-bullying.

"Any parent who is concerned their child has witnessed or been subject to bullying or discrimination is encouraged to immediately contact their child's school," they said.

'No excuse for racism'

Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan said there was "no excuse for racism".

"Racism is never OK. Our Government is focused on keeping Australians safe and keeping our children safe," he said.

"Bullying and cyberbullying affect more and more of our kids and everyone has a role to play to stop racism."

The Federal Department of Education pointed to a number of programs and resources schools could use to address bullying and racism to make schools safe, such as the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, the Student Wellbeing Hub, and the Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group (which runs the Bullying. No Way! website).

That website encourages parents of bullied children to listen calmly, reassure their child they are not to blame, and ask them what they want to do, including contacting the school.

The Department highlighted that cyber safety is built into the schools curriculum up to year 10 and that $247 million was being provided over four years (between 2019 and 2022) to run the national school chaplaincy program, as well as investing in the Click Against Hate program to reduce religious, racial and cultural intolerance.
Additional reporting by Christina Zhou
What you need to know about coronavirus:

Share your racism story with us

We know that incidents of racism have elevated anxiety in Asian communities across Australia and an increasing number of people are now looking for solutions.

So, we want your help to get a better picture of what's happening across Australia; to hear from people who have been subjected to racism or seen it take place.

Your identity will be treated as strictly confidential by the ABC, unless otherwise agreed with you, and any sensitive information you provide to us will not be published without your express permission.

For details about how the information we collect during crowdsourced investigations is handled, see the ABC Crowdsourcing Collection Statement.

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Niki was called 'coronavirus' at a school soccer match. This is how she responded

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Niki was sprinting onto the soccer field when a couple of racist taunts stopped her in her tracks. As children trickle back into classrooms in some states from this week, what can students, parents and teachers do to combat racism?

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Linda J. Graham, Queensland University of Technology; Helen Proctor, University of Sydney, and Roselyn Dixon, University of Wollongong

Children with disabilities are frequently discriminated against in Australian schools. It's an issue that has been ongoing for years, with reports showing that little has improved since 2002.

Exclusion practices - dubbed as "gatekeeping" - include advising parents to send their child to another school that could better support them; only allowing a child to attend a school on the days that funding is available; and asking parents to pay extra money so the school can employ support staff or purchase equipment.

Although this happens across all school types, it tends to be more prominent in, and easier for, non-government or private schools. As these schools compete for enrolments and top exam results, there is a disincentive for them to take any risk that might dilute those results.

Unlike public schools, private schools are not required to run open enrolment processes. Their charter is to provide schooling of "choice", not to provide for everyone. Because of this, the exact size of the gatekeeping problem is unknown.

While government schools receive some extra funding from the state to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities, private schools aren't entitled to this. This has led to the over-representation of students with a disability in government schools, particularly those in disadvantaged areas where parents have fewer options.

Over time this leads to a significant burden within some schools, adding to teacher stress and negatively affecting their wellbeing.

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How schools avoid enrolling children with disabilities.

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Linda J. Graham, Queensland University of Technology ; Helen Proctor, University of Sydney , and Roselyn Dixon, University of Wollongong Children with disabilities are frequently discriminated against in Australian schools. It's an issue that has been ongoing for years, with reports showing that little has improved since 2002.

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Not all models of education are inclusive

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When Gibb was ready to start school, his mum, Caitlin, took him on a school tour. She had picked this school because of its "small village feel", thinking they would embrace her son, who has Down syndrome, and provide him with the right support to thrive.

School tours are when prospective students visit classrooms and see what the "big kids" are doing; they see the art room, they play in the playground. But Gibb never made it that far.

As soon as he saw the long school corridor, he took off into a series of forward rolls, just like he'd been doing in therapy. The principal frowned, looked at Caitlin, and said: "Oh, we don't tolerate that sort of behaviour here," and handed her back their enrolment forms.

Just like that, Caitlin learnt that her son and his disability were not welcome there.

At the next school Caitlin approached, the principal was more welcoming.

Gibb and school friend Sarah. Photo: Supplied

While it hadn't previously enrolled a child with Down syndrome, she said: "We will find a way to make it work."

And they did.

Although it hasn't been a perfect journey through primary school, Gibb is now about to take his place in the Grade 6 graduation ceremony alongside his friends from his local community.

A tale of two schools

The first school's response to Gibb is a practice known as "gatekeeping". It occurs when a limitation is placed on the access of a student with a disability to general educational environments, or participation in the broader activities within the school. It can take many forms including:

refusal or discouragement of enrolment

offers of part-time enrolment

encouragement to enrol or transfer a child in to a segregated setting (such as a special school or special education unit)

preventing children from participating at school (for example, excursions).

Gatekeeping is illegal under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), but it remains a persistent issue in Australia.

A Senate report in 2016 highlighted that it was a widespread issue nationally, with research indicating it's particularly problematic in some states.

But not a great deal has changed since the Senate report three years ago, according a 2019 report from Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA).

CYDA, a national organisation that represents young people with disability aged up to 25, conducted a National Education Survey in August and September 2019.

Some of the key findings from the nationwide survey included:

24.2 per cent of students with disability were enrolled in segregated education

15.5 per cent who attended a mainstream school were separated from their peers

12.5 per cent of students with a disability were refused enrolment

40.2 per cent of students with a disability were excluded from events or activities at school in the past year

47.9 per cent of students with a disability experienced bullying at school in the past year

30.9 per cent experienced restraint or seclusion in the past year.

The Royal Commission into the Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disabilities has just begun, with the first hearing focusing on education. Already, witnesses have begun sharing their stories of violence, abuse, neglect and gatekeeping. For those of us in the field, these stories will anger and sadden us, but they won't surprise us.

But they are important. The royal commission has extraordinary powers to compel states and sectors to hand over their data. Up to now, the only mechanisms for monitoring gatekeeping have been the repeated reports by non-government organisations such as CYDA. As important as they are in drawing attention to the problem of gatekeeping and abuse, and valuable for maintaining pressure around these issues, they're often dismissed as partisan.

The royal commission can potentially be a game-changer, as it can provide clear recommendations for the future in order that this information be made available and ongoing.

What can parents do when they face school gatekeeping?

When schools discourage, refuse or limit the enrolment or engagement in learning of students with disabilities, they break the law. However, they also place a heavy burden on parents who must advocate for their child's rights in the face of such an unwelcome or even hostile reception, or concede defeat and turn to segregated schooling options.

Every child has the right to seek enrolment in their local school, but parents aren't always familiar with their own rights or the responsibilities of schools. There's a wealth of online guides for parents, including factsheets on the Disability Standards for Education (2005) from the Commonwealth government, and a guide for parents from All Means All: The Australian Alliance for Inclusive Education.

What's urgently needed is a clear policy framework that makes an inclusive school enrolment the default for all students.

One parent, Emma, describes how clear knowledge of policy and legislation was empowering.

Her son is on the autism spectrum and was ineligible for targeted disability funding when he began school. Exhausted by years of battling to access appropriate support for her child, she became galvanised to be better-informed after her son had a limb amputated.

When she met with his school to plan his return after surgery, having missed a term, she raised the possibility of reapplying for funding. She also brought a plan to access interim support through a hospital outreach tutoring program that would come at no cost to the school.

Despite this, she was faced with refusal as well as gatekeeping from the school, which suggested he could only attend for a limited number of hours per day, and rejected the proposed supports.

Principal: "We don't do that here at Silver Wattle Primary School*."
Emma: " I'm sorry - could you explain what you mean when you say, 'We don't do this here'?"
Principal: "We don't allow tutoring and support in this way within the classroom, and we don't do this here at Silver Wattle Primary School. What would the other parents think if we started doing this for your child?"
Emma: "Actually, I couldn't find the 'We don't do this here' policy on the school website; however, I did find the education department's policies and appropriate guidelines relating to children with complex disabilities, particularly children who have neurological, physical and medical conditions. I've printed some copies for your information ..."

Emma's story shows the clear benefits to parents arming themselves with policy knowledge. However, this requires parents to have the means, time, and language proficiency to search for, read and digest policy documents.

It also requires them to, potentially, navigate a complaints or appeals process, which the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law report found to be a genuine challenge, particularly within Victoria's devolved education system.

In families where such advocacy is more difficult, there are numerous organisations that can assist. A detailed list of these by state can be accessed through the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations.

Where to from here?

There have been clear and repeated calls for the collection and publication of data about gatekeeping in schools, but this is yet to occur. If we're to address these issues, we need public reporting of the data, and public scrutiny of the progress.

We also need to review and strengthen our legislation. Australia has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, affirming that inclusive education is a right for all children, but it hasn't yet complied with its binding obligations under that treaty.

What's urgently needed is a clear policy framework that makes an inclusive school enrolment the default for all students.

My research shows that when countries have this strong and clear mandate within their laws, the impact on students is profound.

The royal commission has the power to make the clearest recommendation for this reform and to influence the next review of the Disability Standards for Education that's due in 2020.

It's time that Australia enacts these reforms to ensure all students are able to access the inclusive education to which they're entitled.
*Not the school's real name

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By denying disabled students, schools are breaking the law

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As highlighted in the new royal commission, illegal "gatekeeping" - when schools place limitations on the access of a student with a disability to general educational environments - continues, and remains a barrier to an inclusive education. But resources are available for parents to combat the practice. Read more at Monash Lens.

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Michelle Nicola is a Spanish teacher and instructional specialist in the Portland public schools in Oregon and a Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching recipient.
This year, I've become particularly captivated with the idea of telling empowering stories as one way to infuse culturally responsive teaching into my classroom. Last fall, I conducted Fulbright research in Veracruz, Mexico, with the goal of collecting Afro-Mexican stories that would empower students to reconsider their assumptions about identity.

What Is an Empowering Story?

The idea of telling empowering stories first came to me through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story, and has been reinforced by leading educators such as Zaretta Hammond and Elena Aguilar. After I returned from Mexico, I attended one of Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching training sessions. She explained that enabling or empowering texts challenge dominant narratives about diverse populations and invite students to think beyond heroes and holidays. Aguilar, in her incredible book Onward, dedicates a whole chapter to the importance of telling empowering stories and includes practical activities to help school communities cultivate optimism.

To me, an empowering story is one that challenges students to rethink assumptions, stereotypes, and the way things are or "should" be; describes resilience but not necessarily winning; and acknowledges the complexities of being human. Empowering stories include many voices and perspectives, challenge notions of identity, complicate the good-versus-evil narrative that we are used to, and offer students blueprints for navigating life's problems.

Below are examples of how I'm integrating empowering stories into my Spanish classes, using two stories that I learned while living in Mexico.

A Story of Crossing Borders and Cultures

In November 2018, I traveled to the small town of El Nacimiento in the state of Coahuila, Mexico. There, I learned a fascinating and powerful story, the story of Los Negros Mascogos. The story of the Mascogo people is one of crossing borders and cultures, of resistance and freedom. The inhabitants of El Nacimiento are descendants of enslaved peoples who escaped slavery in the United States and settled in Mexico, where slavery has been abolished by law since 1810. There is more to this story, but what is important to understand is that at this point in history, enslaved people, Native Americans, and abolitionists all looked toward Mexico as the land of freedom. The Seminoles, Black Mascogos, and Kickapoo people united to travel south and seek refuge there. In October 1850, the Mexican government recognized them as Mexican.
Classroom Connections
Los Negros Mascogos are not what my students immediately think of when they think of Mexico, so these stories are an opportunity for me to complicate students' ideas of what it means to be Mexican. In the documentary Gertrudis Blues, Patricia Carrillo Carrera interviews Doña Gertrudis, one of the town's former matriarchs. Doña Gertrudis was a mix of cultures; her parents escaped slavery in the United States along with the Seminole and Kickapoo peoples. They passed down their songs, songs reminiscent of spirituals, songs that Doña Gertrudis sang in English.

Doña Gertrudis' identity cannot be summarized into a neat, one-sentence description. She was Mexican, part African, and part African-American. She spoke Spanish, sang in English, and cooked food influenced by soul food and indigenous recipes. Doña Gertrudis' story adds layers of complexity to my students' ideas of Mexico as the white sandy beaches and mariachi bands they see on postcards or during family vacations. Doña Gertrudis' story is a Mexican story, and as such, deserves a place in our Spanish classroom.

In order to use this documentary in my novice-level Spanish class, I had to make adjustments to how I presented the material because the actual Spanish in the documentary is too complex for my students at that level to understand. First, students spent two minutes drawing what they think of when they think of Mexico. Then, they watched a 1-2 minute segment of the documentary and used sentence frames such as, "In my drawing, there is __________, and in the documentary, I saw ____________," to compare what they saw in the documentary to their drawings of "Mexico."

Casa Coyolillo, A New Generation of Activists

Though I traveled to several Mexican states, the state of Veracruz was home base. Twice a week, I traveled from the capital (Xalapa) to the town of Coyolillo, a town recognized for its Afro-Mexican ancestry.

There, a new generation of activists welcomed me to participate in their collective, Casa Coyolillo, a group of about 15 community leaders dedicated to promoting nonprofit and multidisciplinary alternative activities in Coyolillo, Veracruz, that contribute to solving socio-cultural problems and encourage participation, integration, and exchange of knowledge between different age groups, in a responsible and empathic manner. Casa Coyolillo creates initiatives of community interest that strengthen the collective identity of African descent and works at the national level to gain recognition and defense of the rights of Afro-Mexicans. To date, Casa Coyolillo has succeeded in forming an African dance troupe, a theater troupe, and African drumming classes. They have organized community events that preserve traditions such as Day of the Dead and Carnaval.

Daniela López Carreto, one of Casa Coyolillo's leaders, told me that in order to awaken the interest of the people in their own heritage, she showed a series of video documentaries about the history of their town and the African presence there.

This is just one example of the creativity of the new generation of Casa Coyolillo activists. There are already plans for an anti-racism forum, a town mural depicting its African history, collecting oral testimonies, historical research projects, and school presentations that promote justice and anti-racism.

Classroom Connections

With the help of Casa Coyolillo, I was able to make connections with the local middle and high schools. I set up a letter exchange between my students in Portland and the students in Coyolillo. (For advice on how to set this up and avoid pitfalls, check out my blog post.) While letter exchanges are generally seen as an activity that is appropriate for world-language classrooms, I invite teachers of other subjects to seek out this type of cultural exchange, too. There is no better way to better understand a place, historical event, or group of people than through the collective stories of those who experience it.

In addition to the letter exchange, I again used images from Coyolillo's most important celebration, Carnaval, to challenge students' ideas about Mexican identity. I explained that in Mexico, a person's phenotype was not always the best indicator of African ancestry because genetic mixing has been happening for the past 500 years. For this reason, anthropologists look to other clues, such as specific rhythms in music, versions of "traditional" Mexican food with a distinctly African twist, and cultural celebrations. After we looked at the images and watched a few videos posted to Casa Coyolillo's Facebook page, we wrote, "I Am From," poems in Spanish, using Coyolillo students' poems as examples.
From Research and Reflection to Action
This summer, I will spend some time reflecting:

Where do my lessons tell empowering stories?

Where do they disempower students by confirming stereotypes?

How else can I include the stories of los Negros Mascogos, Doña Gertrudis, and Casa Coyolillo into the Spanish World Language Curriculum?

What other stories do my students need to hear?

The importance of educators making room for diverse, empowering stories cannot be underrated. While working with the high school students in Coyolillo, I printed five different images of José María Morelos, a Mexican war hero whose African ancestry was hidden for some time. I asked, "If you had to choose, which image do you think is closest to what the real Morelos looked like?" The majority of the class chose an incorrect image, one in which Morelos looks the whitest, saying, "That's what most resembles our history books." The stories we tell in our classrooms guide students' understanding of the truth about the world, and when we make room for stories that complicate ideas of identity, we open the door for students to see themselves in the people and places of the past and envision their lives in powerful ways in the future.
Connect with Michelle, Heather, and the Center for Global Education on Twitter. Quote image created on Pablo. Photo image of students from Casa Coyolillo practicing African dance, taken by and used with permission of the author.

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Identity, Storytelling, and Culturally Responsive Teaching (Opinion)

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Michelle Nicola is a Spanish teacher and instructional specialist in the Portland public schools in Oregon and a Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching recipient. This year, I've become particularly captivated with the idea of telling empowering stories as one way to infuse culturally responsive teaching into my classroom.