Historically, ideas such as ‘culturally responsive services (CRS)’ or multicultural education and multicultural curricula was about improving the learning and participation outcomes of learners, from migrant and indigenous communities (Kostogriz, 2011).  As Australia’s population has become more multicultural so has the importance of CRS in schooling. CRS has been argued for initiatives such as ‘closing the gap’ between IA and non-IA (Perso, 2012). CRS responsive have been successful in the past, but because the responses have not always been sustained, the success has been short lived.

 

Using research to inform teaching practice, IA educational literature is not only beneficial for IA but also beneficial for learners from linguistically diverse and diverse backgrounds, together with sustained implementation of CRS and informed teaching practice. The 2006 Census, found that there were 155,738 IA students attending some sort of educational institution. IA students represented 3.3% of the overall student population in Australia. The 2006 Census, found secondary school attendance for IA population generally decreased with remoteness and that this statistic was similar to primary school attendance. This means IA learners are more likely to be excluded from education if they live remotely. See below graph from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

 

 

Most importantly the 2006 Census found education attainment correlated with numerous measures of wellbeing (Boughton, 2000). For instance, IA learners with higher levels of schooling were more likely to be working full-time than those with lower levels of schooling (Census, 2006). The Census statistics showed that IA full-time employment rates increased from 18% adults with below Year 10 attainment, to 51% for those with Year 12 or a skilled vocational qualification and increased to 63% for those with a Bachelor degree or higher (Census, 2006). Because of this finding the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) National Education Agreement and National Indigenous Reform Agreement have made a goal to improve the educational attainment, particularly at Year 12 or equivalent level for IA learners (Perso, 2012).

 

 

The finding from the 2006 Census is evidence for the use of CRS, multicultural education and/or multicultural curricula in teaching practice despite to move coming from an economic government agenda. This responsive pedagogy is about more than just dialogical enquiry, it is an invitation for teachers and learners to become responsible to hear different voices and answering the hard questions, transcending conventional truths about the social world. Inclusion of IA teaching practices and material goes’ to encompassing a relational ethics of respect and care teachers and learners constructing new meanings through active learning of others (Noddings’ 1999). CRS, multicultural education and multicultural curricula in teaching practice will support more than IA learners, but also learners from linguistically diverse and diverse backgrounds.

 

Boughton, B., 2000, What is the connection between Aboriginal education and Aboriginal Health?, Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, Occasional Papers Series No. 2, 2000, www.lowitja.org.au.

 

2006 Census of Population and Housing, Australia, 2006

 

Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG), 2009, National Indigenous Reform Agreement, COAG, Canberra, www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au.

KOSTOGRIZ, A., DOECKE, B., & LOCKE, T. (2011). Editorial: Culturally responsive research and pedagogy. English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University Of Waikato), 10(2), 1-6.

Noddings, N. (1999). Caring and Comeptence. In G.Griffer (Ed.), The education of teachers (pp. 205-220). Chicago. IL National Society of Education.

 

Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Australia, 2006 (cat. no. 4713.0).

Perso, T.F. (2012) Cultural Responsiveness and School Education: With particular focus on Australia’s First Peoples; A Review & Synthesis of the Literature. Menzies School of Health Research, Centre for Child Development and Education, Darwin Northern Territory. ISBN: 987-0-9871535-8-6 (on-line) 

Katie-Elouise White-Spier