Mural, Darlington Public School, Sydney
Respect for and understanding of Indigenous cultures are fundamental prerequisites for improving the levels of achievement of Indigenous students. Success will not be achieved without recognition of the cultural factors which may impact on that success; nor will it occur without the consent, approval and willing participation of those involved.
Making institutions more ‘culturally-friendly’ in genuine terms is not just a matter of flying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags although, who knows, that might be a starting point. It is a lived experience that will produce ‘strong’ forms of cultural inclusion if it has at least the three central elements.
Racial harmony is hardly universal in this country, and relationships operate against a larger background of cultural misunderstandings, unmet promises and dispossession.
It must not be forgotten what a personal process education is for all concerned. Good communication, genuine negotiation and predictability and consistency are based on the quality of personal relationships. The significance to success of good personal relationships between the institution and people in the local Indigenous community cannot be over-emphasised.
Where cultural values differ in significant ways, all parties involved need to be flexible.
One of the major impediments to the educational success of Indigenous students is an unwillingness by school personnel to modify any arrangements — pedagogical, structural, organisational — on the basis that success must be achieved in precisely the same way, and by precisely the same means, as other students. There must be some room to move at the edges of this process. Minor modifications can make major differences.
The problems of delivering Western-style formal education in remote communities have been widely discussed, and sometimes as though they represent the realities across the board.
The vast majority of Australia’s Indigenous people do not live in remote communities. They live in the towns and cities of the eastern seaboard and the south-west. More than half live in New South Wales and Queensland, most in urban settings. They come from different family groups and may or may not have strong traditional links with the area in which they live. They may be deeply urbanised with life styles which are very similar to those of non-Indigenous Australians.
Educators must be clear about the wishes of local communities and must solicit advice and support which will be effective in context. There are many different routes to the same goals; and contextual factors (personnel, place and history among them) count for a great deal. Don't make assumptions. Find out!
Have you tried …
Have you tried …
Have you tried…
Have you tried…
Indigenous cultures in the school
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Indigenous workers in the school
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