Indigenous issues in education

Presented by: Kim, Josh, Jess, Amanda and Laura

Source: aliceonline.com.au

Overview

$50 Quiz: Get the Facts!

1. An Indigenous Australian is anyone who wants to be?

2. 9.5% of the Australian population is Indigenous?

3. The quality of life for Indigenous Australians is relatively the same as the rest of the

population?

4. What does Terra Nullius mean?

5. What is Mabo?

6. Most Indigenous Australians live in rural areas?

7. Between 10-40% of Indigenous children were removed from families during the 20th

Century?

8. Who is the Indigenous Australian on the $50 note?

9. The Freedom Ride for Indigenous rights happened in 1992?

10.Who was the first Indigenous Australian to be an elected member of the Federal

parliament?

$50 Quiz Answers: how much did you know!

1.False – Indigenous Australians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

2.False – Approximately 2.3% of the population identify as Indigenous

3.False – It’s much lower

4.Land belonging to no one

5.A high court decision, land

rights.

6.False- Mostly live in Urban areas such as Western Sydney

7.True

8.David Unaipon

9.False – 1965

10.Neville Bonner

Indigenous History and Policies Issues

Presented by Amanda

History and Policies

•1880 – Public Instruction Act•1884 – Clean, Clad and Courteous policy•1902 – Exclusion on Demand Policy•1976 - NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Incorporated was established •1989 - National Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Education Policy

daownunder.wordpress.com

Video

Indigenous Racism and Discrimination Issues

Presented by Laura

Racism and Discrimination

• Direct and indirect discrimination

• Affects of education policies

• Assumptions of systemic racism and stereotypes

• Intergenerational impacts on education

• Educational disadvantages as a consequence of racism(Beresford and Gray 2008) (Heitmeyer 2004 ) (de Plevitz 2007)

Source: www.environment.gov.au

• Anthropologist A. P. Elkin wrote in 1937:

‘..aborigines (full and mixed blood) should not, and cannot, be assimilated by the white community. They must live apart…They cannot become equals of the white race.’

Racism and Discrimination

http://25.media.tumblr.com

(Quoted in Beseford and Gray p.205, 2008)

Indigenous Cultural differences Issues

Presented by Jess

Cultural differences

• Cultural differences- in Australian schools, standard English is taught - Plevitz - aboriginals use aboriginal English - Plevitz - direct question is the most common form of interrogation in schools, questioning someone is impolite and overbearing in indigenous cultures if a indigenous child was to be asked a direct question they would feel embarrassed, and the teacher would interpret them as having poor social skills- Plevitz gray&beresford heitmeyer - teachers - conversational interaction for indigenous people is based on the exchange between people who know each other well - Plevitz - direct eye contact is considered to be rude and threatening - Plevitz gray&beresford heitmeyer - schools reward the children who are able to answer the question quickly, a student who looks the teacher in the eye is believed to be honest and trustworthy, teachers should allow longer times for answering - Plevitz heitmeyer - in aboriginal culture, learning was done by observing and listening without interrupting- heitmeyer- aboriginal children will enter kindergarten classes have never been separated from their family or have only associated with people in their community- heitmeyer - low educational achievement is linked to students housing- gray&beresford - aboriginal English changes from community to community, words in aboriginal English do not have the same meaning as standard English heitmeyer - It is important that teachers do not denigrate a children's first language as it also denigrates their identity.  They say it is bad English. teachers should allow students to learn in their first language and try and introduce standard english as their second language heitmeyer -when a child's aboriginal English is accepted and respected by the teacher, they see the classroom as a place where their culture is valued. Heitmeyer - the absent of please and thank you as indigenous people are expected to do things for others teachers see it as the child having bad manners and being disrespectful heitmeyer - a way for aboriginal children to develop confidence is to allow students to solve problems in a group, they feel heitmeyer

nacchocommunique.com

Indigenous Health Issues

Presented by Josh

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Key Issues:

• Living in poverty

• Loss of identity and culture

• Chronic disease

• Low self esteem and self worth

• Premature death

• Poor Education

• Hearing Issues

Indigenous Health Concerns

• Life expectancy rates for Indigenous Australian is an alarming 17.2years less. (Gray 2008)

• Suicide rates are much higher in Indigenous Communities (12 to 36 Deaths per 100000 compared to 11 to 16 deaths per 100000) – (Gray 2008)

• Indigenous Students are less likely to finish high school, this has been linked to poverty and health issues (Plevitz 2007)

• The mental health of our Indigenous Population is not in a good condition. Many live in un healthy environments. (Plevitx 2007)

• Indigenous Students more likely to suffer a chronic illness such as:• Rheumatic fever• Trachoma• Endemic skin infections• Kidney disease

http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sites/default/files/images/indigenous/publications-articles/2011_ctg_pm_report/fig1.gif

Australia’s Non Indigenous and Indigenous population pyramid

http://www.indexmundi.com/graphs/population-pyramids/zimbabwe-population-pyramid-2012.gif

Comparison to Zimbabwe

Otitis Media

• In a 1999 Northern Territory study almost 80% of Indigenous students were found to having a hearing disability.

• Impact of on Schooling• Early school development• Development of ‘literacy and numeracy skills’• Ability to follow instructions, vocabulary development and hearing contextual clues

for meaning (Plevitz 2007)

• Further Health Impacts• Can lead to temporary and permanent hearing loss, Conductive Hearing Loss• Contributes to ‘Shyness and behavoural issues’• On Average non-Indigenouschildren have ear infections for two to three months while

Indigenous children have the same infections for 3 years.

What can teachers do? What Works. The Work Program: CORE ISSUES 8

• Ensure that CHL has not been mis-diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Syndrome

(ADHD)

• If student is using a hearing aid, check that they are working correctly

• Provide a classroom with a amplification sound system

• Implement a BBC (‘Breathe, Blow, Cough’) Program

• Talk clearly

• Create and enforce routine

• Prepare students in advance for the routines

• Use visual learning styles

• Try to reduce background noise in the classroom

• Involvement of Indigenous adults to provide in-class support

Traditional Health Beliefs

Aboriginal Health Beliefs

• Vast difference between Western Health beliefs

• Health beliefs are interconnected with many aspects of Aboriginal life i.e.

the land, kinship obligations and religion

• Emphasis on social and spiritual dysfunction causing illness

• Idea that a person’s social responsibility and obligations take precedence

over their own health issues

• Bush medicine

• Traditional healers(Maher 1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yzrx84QWqI

Hearing Test Activity

Indigenous Attendance & Parental/Community Involvement Issues

Presented by Kim

Attendance & Parental/Community Involvement

www.mackillopfoundation.org.au

Indigenous Socio-economic conditions

Presented by Jess

Socio-economic conditions

• Socioeconomic disadvantages-In 2001 nearly 13%of the total indigenous population of NSW over the age of 10 appeared in court charged with a criminal offence- Plevitz-Many indigenous children must be emotionally and financially affected by their families conflict with the police, court appearances, absent parents and the struggle to find employment and housing with a criminal record - Plevitz-the unemployment rate for indigenous people is three times more than non indigenous people- Plevitz gray&beresford - Unskilled workers move around, following seasonal work of fruit picking, which requires children to move a lot- Plevitz - families move as of the overcrowding or families cannot pay the rent- Plevitz - 22% of the indigenous population live in overcrowded conditions with only 3.5% of non indigenous- Plevitz - 35% of the indigenous households have structural problems or in need of repairs - Plevitz - low socioeconomic disadvantages affect a large number of the indigenous population of high rates of unemployment, mortability and morbidity, overcrowding and imprisonment - gray&beresford-aboriginal families because of low socioeconomic status can not afford rent of large dwelling due to extended families. This leads to overcrowding, with children having to share rooms. There are no quiet places for study, no computers and books lacking resources. Heitmeyer partington- if extended family visit the children have to give up their beds which leads to lack of sleep and being unable to concentrate in class- heitmeyer 

www.smh.com.au

Indigenous Issues Role of the teacher and possible solutions

Presented by Kim

Role of the teacher and possible solutions

www.theaustralian.com.au

www.nswreconciliation.org.au

Summary

http://www.uws.edu.au