The situation 10 years ago

At that time:

• Most of the staff had little or no experience with and knowledge about Indigenous cultures. This in turn meant that there was little or no knowledge about and experience with appropriate teaching/learning methodologies. The most we understood was that if we employed primary school teachers to work with the Indigenous students who were not deemed 'ready' for secondary education we could, perhaps, be more successful. All staff were dedicated and committed to supporting Indigenous students and their educational development but most had no idea how or what to teach our students. The College as a whole was struggling with how to work effectively with our students. We were all finding our way.

• The College used the specialist knowledge and expertise of the few staff who were knowledgeable and experienced in Indigenous cultures to develop programs specifically for the College's Indigenous students.

• There was limited curriculum material available that was appropriate for secondary-aged Indigenous students, learning English as a Second or Foreign Language. The primary school teachers were using secondary curriculum and struggling to adapt it to develop meaningful educational programs for their individual classes. Individual teachers were attempting to be curriculum designers and methodological researchers as well as teachers.

Struggling with texts...

• Funding received by the College prioritised educational outcomes. As teachers and educators we also focussed on educational outcomes. We did not understand that we were not prioritising our work or developing our understandings about the range of cultural, social, emotional, physical and intellectual realities presented by the student population within a residential educational context. Many of the issues we faced at the College actually revolved around the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs - food, love, safety. And yet, most of our energy was directed towards the top - teaching and learning. We didn't understand why everyone, including the students became so worn out.

• Racism across the College was not overt, but divisions based on different world-views, limited understandings and levels of experience were obvious. Most of the non-Indigenous students 'hung out' with other non-Indigenous students. Non-Indigenous students' perceptions were that staff favoured the Indigenous students and gave them an undue level of attention. Indigenous students tended to 'hang out' with students from their own language group. There were staff who worked with and appeared to understand Indigenous students and other staff who felt excluded from learning and working with Indigenous students.

There were different understandings and beliefs across the school community about what the school or individuals could or should be doing. The College began its current life with the mission of offering secondary Christian education to a multi-cultural student community with a priority of providing residential educational opportunities for secondary aged Indigenous students. Values about what we were trying to do as a priority, ranged from 'private secondary education', to Christian education for all, to basic literacy and numeracy for Indigenous students, to educational opportunities for Indigenous students to become leaders back in their communities, to vocational education, to pathways to university. This complex mix of priorities created an environment of trying to be all things to all people.

'Unloving' teachers...