It Start Here:

Supporting Tasmanian

Aboriginal children to 

engage with early schooling 

It Starts Here: Ready for It Starts Here: Ready for SchoolSchoolIn 2004 – 2005 the Tasmanian In 2004 – 2005 the Tasmanian Aboriginal Education Association Aboriginal Education Association (TAEA) commissioned a report that (TAEA) commissioned a report that encompassed:encompassed: a a literature searchliterature search data collection data collection interviews with community interviews with community membersmembers

to research to what extent Aboriginal to research to what extent Aboriginal children in Tasmania were ready to children in Tasmania were ready to make a strong start with their formal make a strong start with their formal schooling.schooling.

It Starts Here: It Starts Here: RecommendationsRecommendations

The range of experiences that young The range of experiences that young children have with their families, their children have with their families, their extended family and their community be extended family and their community be acknowledged, valued and supported. acknowledged, valued and supported.

Every effort be made to inform Aboriginal Every effort be made to inform Aboriginal families in an appropriate manner about families in an appropriate manner about school-based early years and parent school-based early years and parent support programs at their local school. support programs at their local school.

A model of support be adopted that A model of support be adopted that supports Aboriginal families with supports Aboriginal families with transition to school through the early transition to school through the early years, until good patterns of attendance years, until good patterns of attendance are in place.are in place.

It Starts Here: It Starts Here: RecommendationsRecommendations

Research be undertaken to determine Research be undertaken to determine whether existing school-based early whether existing school-based early years programs do provide a positive years programs do provide a positive and welcoming environment for and welcoming environment for Aboriginal children and members of their Aboriginal children and members of their families.families.

The Aboriginal Education Unit develop a The Aboriginal Education Unit develop a model of providing personalized support model of providing personalized support to Aboriginal families aimed at to Aboriginal families aimed at encouraging participation in school-encouraging participation in school-based early years programs.based early years programs.

A book was written for

parents called Jump into

School

It has been very well

received by the Aboriginal Community and other

stakeholders

Early Childhood Education Early Childhood Education Domain 1Domain 1

Early childhood is acknowledged as a Early childhood is acknowledged as a period of critical physical, emotional period of critical physical, emotional intellectual and social growth.intellectual and social growth.

Recent evidence from the Recent evidence from the neurological sciences suggest that neurological sciences suggest that 75% of brain development occurs 75% of brain development occurs during the first five years of life.during the first five years of life.

Early childhood education is critical to Early childhood education is critical to overcome disadvantage.overcome disadvantage.

Aboriginal students are put in jeopardy Aboriginal students are put in jeopardy not just by the circumstances of birth or not just by the circumstances of birth or environment, but by the school itself.environment, but by the school itself.

They are at risk of failing not because They are at risk of failing not because they can’t learn but because the school they can’t learn but because the school has not adequately engaged them…has not adequately engaged them…

Australian Directions in Indigenous Education 2005-2008Australian Directions in Indigenous Education 2005-2008

Early Childhood EducationEarly Childhood Education

Universal Access to Early Childhood Education

Universal Access is an Australian Government initiative to ensure that by 2013, every Australian child will have access to a quality, affordable early childhood learning program.

This initiative is the centrepiece of the Government’s comprehensive early childhood reform agenda, which recognises the critical role of early learning to a child’s present and future well being.

Universal Access to Early Childhood Education

In Tasmania Aboriginal Education has received funding to identify and structure the entry of four‑year‑old Aboriginal children to kindergarten and improve the attendance of Aboriginal families attending pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs.

Launch into Learning ProjectLaunch into Learning Project

Launching into Learning is a Tasmanian Launching into Learning is a Tasmanian Education Department initiative and Education Department initiative and commitment to the years prior to formal school commitment to the years prior to formal school with over 100 schools involved at this time. with over 100 schools involved at this time.

These schools are taking on a greater role in These schools are taking on a greater role in engaging and forming relationships with engaging and forming relationships with families before children come to school.families before children come to school.

All schools are implementing strategies and All schools are implementing strategies and programs to support early literacy and school programs to support early literacy and school readiness as a priority.readiness as a priority.

Schools are deliberately focussing on the needs Schools are deliberately focussing on the needs of their community and making connections and of their community and making connections and forming partnerships with other groups, forming partnerships with other groups, services and agencies in the area.services and agencies in the area.

The Aboriginal Early Years The Aboriginal Early Years Liaison Officers: Birth to PrepLiaison Officers: Birth to Prep

This role was developed as a result of the This role was developed as a result of the recommendation in the TAEA Report recommendation in the TAEA Report It It Starts Here. Starts Here. There is an Early Years There is an Early Years Liaison Officer in each Learning ServiceLiaison Officer in each Learning Service

The role includes:The role includes:work and liaise with Aboriginal parents, work and liaise with Aboriginal parents,

the Aboriginal community and schools to the Aboriginal community and schools to ensure Aboriginal kindergarten and prep ensure Aboriginal kindergarten and prep aged children are enrolled, attend and aged children are enrolled, attend and engage with learning;engage with learning;

The Aboriginal Early Years The Aboriginal Early Years Liaison Officers: Birth to PrepLiaison Officers: Birth to Prep

support Aboriginal parents to support Aboriginal parents to participate in the participate in the Birth to Four Birth to Four Launch into Learning ProgramLaunch into Learning Program; ;

support Aboriginal students at times support Aboriginal students at times of transition;of transition;

work with Aboriginal Community work with Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers to support parents Liaison Officers to support parents and children pastorally and culturally.and children pastorally and culturally.

The AEYLO Program seeks to The AEYLO Program seeks to enable:enable:

all eligible Aboriginal children to be all eligible Aboriginal children to be enrolled and attend kindergarten;enrolled and attend kindergarten;

all Aboriginal children to have pre-all Aboriginal children to have pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills literacy and pre-numeracy skills including appropriate oral language including appropriate oral language patterns, well developed vocabulary patterns, well developed vocabulary and conceptual understandings;and conceptual understandings;

The AEYLO Program seeks to The AEYLO Program seeks to enable:enable:

Aboriginal parents/guardians to be Aboriginal parents/guardians to be engaged in their children’s learning;engaged in their children’s learning;

schools to develop culturally schools to develop culturally appropriate provisions for Aboriginal appropriate provisions for Aboriginal children;children;

teachers to teach explicitly, teachers to teach explicitly, developmentally - based on efficacy developmentally - based on efficacy research.research.

Aboriginal Community Liaison Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers Kindergarten to Grade Officers Kindergarten to Grade

TwoTwoAboriginal Community Liaison Workers Aboriginal Community Liaison Workers

are in schools with a high number of are in schools with a high number of Aboriginal students in the early years. Aboriginal students in the early years.

Their role is both cultural and pastoral. Their role is both cultural and pastoral. They support Aboriginal parents and They support Aboriginal parents and

their children to engage with school.their children to engage with school. They support Aboriginal students to They support Aboriginal students to

develop an understanding of their develop an understanding of their identity, culture and history.identity, culture and history.

Strong, proactive and informed leadership:Strong, proactive and informed leadership: creates a school and community culture creates a school and community culture

of high expectations for Aboriginal of high expectations for Aboriginal students;students;

meaningful engages with Aboriginal meaningful engages with Aboriginal parents/guardians and community parents/guardians and community agencies for educational change;agencies for educational change;

supports their staff to shape and respond supports their staff to shape and respond professionally to the social and cultural professionally to the social and cultural context of Aboriginal learners, rather context of Aboriginal learners, rather than blaming it;than blaming it;

establishes and pursues a sense of establishes and pursues a sense of accountability for comparable outcomes accountability for comparable outcomes for Aboriginal students.for Aboriginal students.

Other Important Factors Other Important Factors School LeadershipSchool Leadership

Other Important Factors Other Important Factors School and Community School and Community

Educational PartnershipsEducational Partnerships The development of genuine The development of genuine

partnership, … remains the primary partnership, … remains the primary platform to productive, stimulating and platform to productive, stimulating and responsive highly effective schools responsive highly effective schools servicing Aboriginal students. servicing Aboriginal students.

Aboriginal communities are complex Aboriginal communities are complex and diverse. Determining the and diverse. Determining the educational provision that will educational provision that will maximise educational outcomes for maximise educational outcomes for Aboriginal students requires careful Aboriginal students requires careful consideration.consideration.

Other Important Factors Other Important Factors Quality TeachingQuality Teaching

Quality teaching is recognised as the Quality teaching is recognised as the hallmark for success. Quality teaching hallmark for success. Quality teaching is particularly responsive to Aboriginal is particularly responsive to Aboriginal students’ needs.students’ needs.

Of particular importance is the Of particular importance is the dimension of significancedimension of significance – pedagogy – pedagogy that makes learning more meaningful that makes learning more meaningful and important to Aboriginal students, and important to Aboriginal students, drawing clear connections with drawing clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and students’ prior knowledge and identities with contexts outside the identities with contexts outside the classroom, and with multiple ways of classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing or cultural perspectives.knowing or cultural perspectives.

Australian Directions in Indigenous Education 2005-2008Australian Directions in Indigenous Education 2005-2008

Quality teaching means:Quality teaching means: engaging with data and evidence engaging with data and evidence

based research to inform the teaching based research to inform the teaching and learning;and learning;

positively engaging with students;positively engaging with students; extending the dimension of extending the dimension of

‘intellectual quality’ into ‘problematic ‘intellectual quality’ into ‘problematic knowledge’ and ‘metalanguage’;knowledge’ and ‘metalanguage’;

ensuring a quality learning ensuring a quality learning environment that includes environment that includes engagement, social support, high engagement, social support, high expectations, student self regulation expectations, student self regulation and student self direction.and student self direction.