Culture+-+The+current+situation

__The Current __ //"Aboriginal Australians are descendents of the first people to leave Africa up to 75,000 years ago... confirming they may have the oldest continuous culture on the planet" - Australian Geographic// Aboriginal culture has long been recognised as an intriguing and unique aspect of our nation, one which enriches our history and our present and offers itself as a huge asset to Australia commercially. However the considertion given specifically to it within each states sprimary school curriculum is often vague. Unlike its history and language counterparts, the area of culture is often only touched on, as was seen in the first draft of the new Australian Curriculum. Recently steps have been made in the new curriculum to formally recognise Aboriginal culture along with its influence and place in both historical and modern Australian society.

Even thoughh thiese recognitions have been made however, programs to move Australia and its curriculum forward are still larging lumping all aspects of Aboriginal life together, rather than adressing them separately as individual issues. You will find below that largely the current situation for Aboriginal history in Australian primary schools, is the same as that for Aboriginal culture. Whilst this does mean that all aspects are adressed, it perhaps also means that they are npt gaining the individual attention and respect they both deserve and need. Perhaps a whole world of learning and resources is going untouched.

__COAG__  **Closing the Gap – a National Challenge ** All state and territory governments are committed through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to targets established by the National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA). These targets are reflected in National Partnership Agreements on Improving Teacher Quality, Low Socio-economic School Communities, Literacy and Numeracy, Indigenous Early Childhood Development, Early Childhood Education and Youth Attainment and Transitions. The National Indigenous Reform Agreement aims to: The National Indigenous Reform Agreement also includes targets for improving employment, housing, community safety, child mortality, hospitalisation rates and life expectancy. Outcomes in all these areas can be directly influenced by educational success. The Closing the Gap Strategy is
 * increase the proportion of Indigenous children who are enrolled in and attending a preschool program in the year before formal schooling
 * halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy for Indigenous students within a decade (by 2018)
 * at least halve the gap for Indigenous students in year 12 attainment or equivalent attainment rates by 2020
 * halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians within a decade (by 2018).

**Our Challenge ** The Department of Education accepts the challenge to close the gap in Aboriginal students’ educational outcomes. This challenge will be met by teachers, principals, support staff and Learning Services staff working together with community to ensure that each Aboriginal student is supported to achieve their highest potential through quality teaching and inclusive, engaging curriculum.

__The Current Situation __ __Victoria__ __**View Point**__
 * The Victorian Government is committed to improving the outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people.
 * The broader school reform agenda is not reaching Koorie students
 * The Koorie student population is highly dispersed and growing
 * We’re investing but not achieving the results
 * Performance of Koorie students is behind that of non-Koorie students
 * Some Koorie students may not be participating
 * Koorie students entering Prep are under-prepared
 * Many Koorie students do not meet expected standards in reading and maths
 * Attendance declines at the secondary level
 * Koorie students are more likely to be early school leavers

__**What they're doing:**__
 * Providing a [|number of programs, reforms and resources] for a variety of issues, perspectives and practices
 * The creation of Wannik - The Wannik Education Strategy promises significant changes at all levels of the education system. These
 * changes are a necessary response to the disparity in educational outcomes between Koorie and non Koorie students.
 * Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated
 * Koorie Student Allocation
 * Regional Action Research projects
 * Commonwealth Whole Of School Intervention program
 * Commonwealth In-Class Tuition Assistance Scheme
 * [|//Dardee Boorai//] [|and the Victorian Aboriginal Children's Plan] - provides the framework of commitment, defining key actions and measures of progress required in improving the safety, health, development, learning and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people.
 * [|//Balert Boorron://] [|The Victorian Plan for Aboriginal Children and Young People (2010-2020)] - outlines the common aim of Victorian Aboriginal communities and the Victorian Government to ensure that Aboriginal children have the best start in life, are able to succeed in school, and grow into capable, active adults.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[|Aboriginal Early Years Support] - services and programs available for Aboriginal children and their families in those very important early years.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">[|Government Directions] - whole of Victorian government support for Victorian Aboriginal communities

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; color: #000000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">NSW __
 * __ View Point __**
 * “Many Australians, through their education and socialization, have been presented with a version of Australian history that has minimized or ignored events concerning Aboriginal people.” []
 * “Aboriginal history did not occur in isolation from Australian history. By teaching about Australia’s shared history, and being inclusive of Aboriginal perspectives, we begin to redress the racism of omission that has long characterised Australian history and contributed to the achievement of social justice and intercultural understanding among all Australians... The HSIE K-6 syllabus promotes the concept of shared history.”
 * “The outcomes and subject matter for all Stages in K-6 provide excellent opportunities for students to explore Australia's shared history... The focus is the present, but always, the foundation is Aboriginal Australia.”

Aboriginal perspectives:
 * recognise and affirm Aboriginal identity and cultures
 * include Aboriginal viewpoints on events and issues
 * maintain curriculum and cultural integrity
 * Achieve a balance between contemporary and historical content

__**What they're doing**__ Shared history refers to //the fact that Australia has an Aboriginal history and Aboriginal viewpoints on social, cultural and historical matters.//(Recommendation 290, National Report Overview and Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody AGPS, 1991)
 * [|Implementing a Shared History approach]
 * Recognition of all view points of history. What people did, why they did it and what changes have occurred to people, government and society since. The changes are reflected in the //NSW HSIE K-6// syllabus with many opportunities to learn about those who have formed friendships and those who have been prejudice.
 * Aiming to conference with Indigenous people where need be and always respecting their traditions, beliefs and rights
 * Recognition that although it is a task that will never be complete, they are trying
 * Aboriginal Studies offered as a syllabus area for HSC as well as K-10
 * Achieve a balance between contemporary and historical content.
 * Racism No Way Anti-racism education for Australian schools. NSW Department of Education website
 * [|Aboriginal perspectives through integrated units] - developed to highlight the potential for innovative teaching practices using the primary curriculum. The Aboriginal perspective units demonstrate examples of a more holistic approach to teaching, which underpins the development of integrated curriculum.

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">South Australia __ Some mention throughout framework

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Western Australia ____**View Point**__
 * Working in partnership empowers all to make a significant difference
 * The Department of Education is committed to improving the educational achievements of Aboriginal students in schools and to enhancing the knowledge and understanding of all Western Australian students about the history, heritage and cultures of Aboriginal Australians.
 * Promoting a knowledge and understanding of the cultures and experiences of Aboriginal people in our schools forms a basis for relating and working more effectively as a whole community
 * Strong, proactive and informed leadership is fundamental to establishing and maintaining a culture of learning.
 * Strong leadership facilitates high expectations, high academic achievement and real engagement with students, parents and communities.
 * Strong leadership in our schools is an important element for ensuring success for all students and ensuring teaching and learning are most effective.

__**What they're doing:**__
 * [|APAC] is a project that aims to broaden and deepen students' and teachers' understanding of Aboriginal cultures and ways of being.
 * [|Dare to Lead initiative] - Dare to Lead is a national initiative designed to support principals to progress the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students.
 * [|Leading from the front] - forums for school leaders to share best practice in Aboriginal education
 * Aboriginal Education Directorate - The Aboriginal Education Directorate's key focus is on improving the education outcomes of Aboriginal students by providing strategic advice and support.
 * Deadly Ways to Learn Resources to support teachers of Aboriginal students whose first language is not Standard Australian English
 * National Aboriginal Early Childhood Project (DET Portal) includes 48 individual learning and teaching programs to support teachers to improve literacy and numeracy skills
 * Online Curriculum Services Delivers online tools and services for teachers

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Northern Territory __ __**View Point**__ __**What they're doing**__
 * Reconciling the truth of both ‘black’ and ‘white’ histories of this country are an inextricable part of the journey towards reconciliation between the wider Australian population and Indigenous Australians. Teachers of humanities subjects hold a pivotal role in this process. Incorporating Indigenous experiences into the teaching of Australian history balances the picture to include all Australians and, importantly now, provides the context for informed discussion of issues of land, justice and equity that must be resolved locally and nationally if reconciliation is to be achieved. (Sue Smith, Indigenous Education Adviser to schools in Victoria and Tasmania)
 * [|TARGET Education 1.5]: Improve understanding of Indigenous
 * CULTURE: by 2020 all Territory students demonstrate achievement in Indigenous Studies as part of the NT Curriculum Framework
 * ACTION: Implement a measurement system by 2010..
 * ACTION: Achieve 100% compliance by 2015.

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; color: #000000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">ACT __ Inclusion of Aboriginal recognition and perspectives throughout the curriculum framework

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Tasmania __ __**View Point**__ __**What they're doing:**__ Tasmania prescribes strongly to the outlined plans for closing the gap and meeting the challenges, set out by the Australian Government
 * The gap between the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students can range from as little as 3% in early years of schooling, to as large as 30% in post year 10. In too many cases, the gap in performance of Aboriginal compared to non-Aboriginal students widens the longer they are at school
 * An ongoing commtment to align their curriculum parctices, planning and development with the startegies, policies and programs developed by the Department of Education.
 * onoging recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their struggles and contributions
 * respectful and considerate approach to how the curriculum is furthered in relaiton to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and information

__<span style="background-color: #dbf736; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Queensland __ __**View Point**__
 * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is a deserving priority in Australian education.
 * The expectation that students will study literature by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers is supported.

__**What they're doing**__ Changes to the framework including:
 * History learning area, which includes a depth study in Year 10.
 * This priority can be closely linked to the Sustainability cross-curriculum priority. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have well-established practices for sustainability.
 * Ensure a more even representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures across the learning areas if it is to be a cross-curriculum priority.
 * Ensure the priority is evident in each phase of learning authentically.
 * Consider including the following:
 * An understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures underpins the capacity of Australian students to be active and informed citizens working to build harmonious local, regional and global communities, and build Australia’s social, intellectual and creative capital.
 * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is concerned with:
 * developing knowledge, skills and understanding about Australia’s history, cultures, arts, literature and languages
 * fostering social inclusion in the Australian community
 * developing communication skills that reflect cultural awareness and intercultural understanding.
 * Consider the terminology ―first Australians‖ or ―original custodians‖ when introducing this priority
 * Seek affirmation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that the diagram is appropriate
 * Strategies, resources, projects and initiatives that focus on increasing awareness of Indigenous perspectives and improving outcomes for Indigenous students in Queensland state schools.
 * [|Affirmation]
 * [|Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Committee]
 * services and materials that challenge inequities and contribute to Queensland students receiving a socially just education