I ACKNOWLEDGE AND PAY MY RESPECTS TO THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF

THIS LAND

WHO LONG BEFORE US LIVED, LOVED, EXPLORED, PROTECTED, RAISED AND EDUCATED THEIR CHILDREN ON THIS

LAND

WE COME TOGETHER TODAY TO CREATE, TO LEARN, TO LAUGH , TO SHARE

WHO AM I ?

THIS IS YOUR LIFE

DOES HE KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT ?

I have over 20 years experience at the coalface in Aboriginal Education and employment as ?.

Aboriginal Employment Officer

Aboriginal Youth Access OfficerAboriginal Cultural Awareness TrainerAboriginal Education Field Officer

Developer and manager of Commonwealth Employment service ( CES ) best practice vocational training unit

State Coordinator of Aboriginal Education

My credentials I value far more than any little bits of paper ?

Father of 3

Grandfather of 9 1/2

+Uncle to many

Unofficial Uncle to 100’sColleague to many and aSlave to 1

WHY DO A THESIS ABOUT ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

WORKERS ( AEWs) ?

The research question ?

“Do Aboriginal Education Workers

(AEWs) contribute to improving Aboriginal

educational outcomes?

The researcher’s 3 biggest issues

The focus of the research for this thesis is in the main on the Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs) who are employed in NSW Systemic Catholic schools.

In 2010 there were 140 AEWs working across 575 NSW Catholic Systemic schools.

Survey Form Type

No. of responden

ts% of

respondentsAEW 38 11%Other Stakeholder 44 13%Parent 21 6%Parent Caregiver 1 0%Principal 42 12%Student 79 23%Teacher 114 33%Unknown 5 1%Total Respondents 344 100%

10 LIKERT QUESTIONS

Q1: In a school with Aboriginal students I would prefer to have an Aboriginal Education Worker.Q2: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in Aboriginal students’ enjoyment of learning.

Q3: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping Aboriginal students achieve the schools expected outcomes.

Q4: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to develop the motivation, self esteem and aspirations of Aboriginal students.

Q5: I believe that having an Aboriginal Education Worker on staff demonstrates my school respects and values Aboriginal culture.

Q6: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to reinforce the identity of Aboriginal students.Q7: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to get Aboriginal students to attend school.

Q8: I believe that having an Aboriginal Education Worker assist me in class plays a role in Aboriginal students performing better in class.Q9: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in Aboriginal students completing school.

Q10: I believe that if Aboriginal Education Workers were removed from schools the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students would decline

THE RESULTS

Q1: In a school with Aboriginal students I would prefer to have an Aboriginal Education Worker.

 97% Agree- 3% Undecided 0% Disagree

Q2: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in Aboriginal student’s enjoyment of learning

  93% Agree- 6% Undecided 1% Disagree

 Q3: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping Aboriginal students achieve the schools expected outcomes.

 92% Agree- 6% Undecided 2% Disagree

 

 

Q4: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to develop the motivation, self-esteem and aspirations of Aboriginal students

  94% Agree- 5% Undecided 1% Disagree

Q5: I believe that having an Aboriginal Education Worker on staff   demonstrates my school respects and values Aboriginal culture.

  91% Agree- 6% Undecided 3% Disagree

Q6: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to reinforce the identity of Aboriginal student’s.

 94% Agree- 5% Undecided 1% Disagree

 

 

OUTSTANDING RESULTS

 BUT?

Q7: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping to get Aboriginal students to attend school.

78% Agree-15%Undecided-7% Disagree

8. I believe Aboriginal students work better in the classroom when an Aboriginal Education Worker is assisting them.

80% Agree-17% Undecided-3% Disagree

Q9: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in Aboriginal students completing school.

75% Agree-20% Undecided-5% Disagree

Q10: I believe that if Aboriginal Education Workers were removed from schools the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students would decline.

77% Agree-17% Undecided-6% Disagree

Doesn’t fit the pattern

 Q3: I believe that Aboriginal Education Workers play a role in helping Aboriginal students achieve the schools expected outcomes.

 92% Agree- 6% Undecided 2% Disagree

5 QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS

1. What role do Aboriginal Education Workers play in assisting Aboriginal

students with their learning?

2. What could Aboriginal Education Workers do better to assist individual

Aboriginal students with their learning?

 3. How do Aboriginal Education Workers involve the Aboriginal community in

the schools where they assist students?

 4. How can Aboriginal Education Workers best assist you with the learning of

Aboriginal students?

 5. Are there any suggestions you would make that may assist all Aboriginal

Education Workers to better support Aboriginal students in completing school?

How the five qualitative Likert survey

questions were analysed ?

Main qualitative

responses from all

respondents were:

MY FAVOURITE SURVEY REPLY

 Thank you for sending me this servay I aplesheate it. I’do all I can to help yous out . 8 Year old primary student

HOW AEWS SEE THEIR ROLE

How other stakeholders see the AEW

role

How Parents see AEW role

How Principals view AEW role

‘They must also be prepared to wear two

hats and juggle the responsibility of being

a school employee and a community

member and that is not always easy”

 

How students view

AEWs 

Teacher

responses

related to

On the negative side comments

made more than three times relate

to

“It is not good role modelling for an AEW to tell students how

important attendance and punctuality is and

then not following their own advice”

“My AEW is often absent from class due to outside school commitments. When in class she sometimes does the work I set, however she likes to choose what or who she will work with”

FINAL RESULTS

Further research is needed into ?

A FEW SHORT REFLECTIONS

Aboriginal Advisor 2010I have AEWs, In Class Tutors and , PSPI In Class

Tutors all ringing me wanting to know what is

happening with their jobs next year. I hate this

Frank!!!! It is so unfair that we have wonderful

people, with kids, not knowing if they need to

look for another job or not. What do we tell

them??? I am so frustrated!!! I know you must

be copping the same thing!!!! SORRY

WHO YOU GONNA CALL ?

A teacher upsets Aboriginal students by saying Aboriginal parents don't insist that their kids go to school.

An Aboriginal student is painfully self-conscious about not knowing her Cultural story.

An Aboriginal boy does not want to be the one always asked by a teacher to explain what it means "to be Indigenous" and to give the school's Acknowledgment of Country.

An Aboriginal student stays home for weeks on 'Sorry Business’.

An Aboriginal student is embarrassed because his parents are too poor to send him on a paid sporting trip or excursion.

The new Principal has never worked in an Aboriginal school and needs to meet community leaders.

A teacher thinks an Aboriginal student is sullen and inattentive, but the truth is he has major hearing loss from otitis media.

The Aboriginal students want to do something special to celebrate their Culture and show the school who they are.

The school librarian wants advice on the purchase of Indigenous themed readers.

Sorry Day is approaching and no appropriate school assembly has been arranged.

An Aboriginal child has a sudden drop in school attendance.

The behavioural issues of another Aboriginal child need investigation, with possible links to a negative change in the home environment.

The school has to report on what it is doing to improve Aboriginal outcomes .

An Aboriginal funding submission has to be filled out.

A student from another disadvantaged group is very distressed and just needs a friend to confide in

Teachers and parents are interested in learning about the story of the local Aboriginal community.

A teacher wishes to engage with the local Aboriginal community.

What's the difference between a Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country and who should do which?

A teacher wishes to broaden their knowledge of appropriate and inappropriate language in relation to Aboriginal students and community.

Your school is being asked to explain why the Yr. 5 Aboriginal students NAPLAN results have dropped since they sat the test in Yr. 3.

You have an Aboriginal parent who wishes to enrol their child but is unable to pay the fees.

A young Aboriginal boy has an altercation with another student but refuses to explain why.

Your schools retention of Aboriginal students is low.

Some of your Aboriginal students need some additional classroom assistance.

A teacher needs direction in adding an Aboriginal perspective to their lessons.

An Aboriginal student becomes ill and you can’t locate the parents.

An Aboriginal student because of financial circumstance has no lunch.

You need someone to negotiate with local Aboriginal organisations.

You need someone to help you advocate to government agencies on Aboriginal issues. A young Aboriginal boy who is normally well behaved is starting to act out and refuses to talk about it.

“Who you

gonna call ?”

To use a catchphrase from a popular 1980s movie –

In many schools the answer to each question is the

Aboriginal Education

Worker ( AEW, AEO, AEA, KE, KEDO, ASLO, ACLO, AEIO, AEYSO etc. ).

Their reward for all this?

• Under paid

• Under appreciated

• Little recognition

• Many additional duties that are not in the role

description,

• Job insecurity,

• Low expectations of school staff,

• Racism,

• Stereotyped by staff

• In some cases considered a tall poppy by their

own community.

SO WHY DO THEY DO IT ?

For The Kids,

their families and their

Communities

EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU CAN HELP TO MAKE AUSTRALIA

THE LUCKY COUNTRY FOR ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND

COMMUNITIES TOO

WILL YOU ?