Teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture has existed in this country for over 50,000 years. The uniqueness of these cultures and the wisdom and knowledge embedded in them are highly valued by all Australians. And in many regions, teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools or care services is a distinct and important part of the learning curriculum.

Relevant courses can help educators navigate culturally appropriate interactions, experiences, behaviours and physical environments in their daily practice with children. They can also give insights into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island historical issues and culture and how to embed culture into learning experiences, facilitate children’s experiences in appropriate ways, and adapt their educational practices to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ way of learning.

(AIATSIS) Education Strategy

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. Its Education Strategy 2021-25 aims to influence what children learn at school about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia and support educators to teach confidently. If you are interested in teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools, it is a document well worth reading.

AIATSIS vision

The AIATSIS are custodians of the largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander materials in the world. Its vision is of a world where “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultures are recognised, respected, celebrated and valued”. Its role is significant as a place for culturally important Indigenous knowledge and a resource for improving individual understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

It is in a unique position to “develop authoritative resources from an Indigenous viewpoint, support teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, and provide teachers with professional learning to teach in a culturally safe way”.

AIATSIS Education Strategy background

Families and communities have long lobbied governments (including education ministers) and national curriculum bodies and education standards to demand schools teach about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and improve pedagogical practices for teaching Indigenous students when teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools and secondary schools. AIATSIS joins this important call to action and will support education systems, schools and teachers by enacting the AIATSIS Education Strategy.

Its strategy complements the Education Council’s Mparntwe Education Declaration. Prepared by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment in agreement with Australian education ministers in 2019, it has two distinct but interconnected goals.

1. The Australian education system promotes equity and excellence and aims to provide all young Australians with access to high-quality education that is inclusive and free from any form of discrimination. It ensures that learning is built on and includes local, regional and national cultural knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and works in partnership with local communities.
2. All young Australians should have the freedom to become successful lifelong learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed community members. They should understand, acknowledge and celebrate the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. They should possess the skills, knowledge and understanding to contribute to and benefit from reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

AIATSIS Education Strategy goals

The goals of the AIATSIS Education Strategy are to:

1. Develop and implement cutting edge schools programs by:

• Establishing a place-based learning collective that delivers engaging, interactive school programs and culturally responsive curriculum resources for those teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools and secondary schools.
• Develop and deliver transformative learning opportunities for students and educators visiting Canberra and those accessing content online.
• Bring the stories from the AIATSIS Collection to life and make them accessible to all Australian students and educators.

2. Generate world-leading education resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum by:

• Creating a comprehensive bank of resources to support educators in confidently teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and strengthening their pedagogical agility to improve learning and engagement for Indigenous students.
• Develop education resources linking the AIATSIS Collection to the Australian Curriculum.
• Create a digital platform to house world-leading, authoritative curriculum resources.
• Publish and vend high-quality education resources and tools for both students and educators teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools and in secondary schools.

3. Develop and deliver culturally responsive professional learning for educators, including:

• Provide in-person and online professional learning, including culturally responsive pedagogy, about how to confidently embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures into the curriculum.
• Develop Core learning modules for

Source:

2022, AIATSIS Education Strategy 2021-25, AITSIS

Queensland Government initiatives

The Australian Curriculum sets consistent national standards to improve learning outcomes for all young Australians. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) acknowledges the gap in learning outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their non-Indigenous peers. It also recognises the need for the Australian Curriculum to provide every opportunity possible to “close the gap”.

The Queensland Government Department of Education is committed to building the capacity of all educators teaching aboriginal culture in primary schools in Queensland to confidently embed the cross-curriculum priority and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in teaching and learning. It allows them to provide opportunities for all students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest continuous living cultures and understanding that contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, rich, resilient, and diverse.

All state schools are required to teach a language from at least years 5 to 8 aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Principals should consult with parents and local community members to choose which language(s) to teach in their school.

For many schools across Queensland, the most appropriate language to teach will be the local Aboriginal language or Torres Strait Islander language. This is because many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students speak a traditional language as their first or home language or creole (a variety of Aboriginal English). There are many benefits to all students when Australia’s first languages are respected and kept strong. Most importantly, Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages are essential to ensuring the sustainability, vitality and identity of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.

However, to access the curriculum for Standard Australian English, these students may need to be actively and explicitly taught Standard Australian English as an additional language or dialect. This is known as EAL/D.