Teaching for cultural diversity:Australian Indigenous perspectives in

curriculum and workforce quality

Professor Peter Buckskin PSM, FACE Dean: Indigenous Scholarship, Engagement and Research

University of South Australia

Presentation to the 17th UNESCO-APEID International Conference29-31 October, Bangkok, Thailand

Teachers for the Future we Want

Teaching for cultural diversity• Australian Indigenous peoples• Australian schooling reforms• Indigenous education policy• Two practical innovations:

- More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative- Respect, Relationships, Reconciliation (RRR)

• Sustainable cultural change

Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information.Article 15:1

Indigenous people today• 700,000 Indigenous people• 2.5% of the total population• 75% live in urban, rural areas• 5% of school students are

Indigenous• 1.3% of teachers are

Indigenous

Pre-colonisation• 700 language groups• 750,000 people (est)

The majority of Australian Indigenous peoplelive in urban areas and regional centres

Governments across Australia have agreed to take urgent action to close the gap between the life outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.

MATSITI Project Aims

- Increase the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in

classrooms

- Increase the professional and leadership capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander teachers

Evidence-based workforce policy

www.matsiti.edu.au/tag/research

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people studying teaching degree

Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander school students

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults

Year 12 completionAustralian Tertiary Admissions Rank

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeople teaching in school

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in

post-graduate study

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers

not employed in schools

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in school leadership positions

Completed teaching degreeApplication for employment (teaching) in schools

Changed course

Exited from

study or teaching

Credit transferNegotiated entry

Post-graduateentry

VET pathways /Foundation studies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studyand Career Pathways into Teaching

Australian Indigenous teachers at MATSITI forums

Title

#OurMobTeach: Promoting teaching as a career of choice

Facebook.com/OurMobTeach

3Rs of Teaching (RRR):Respect, Relationships, Reconciliation

Development of a unit outline and content to support the provision of initial teacher education to improve teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.

RRR project brief, AITSL, 2013

www.rrr.edu.au

www.aitsl.edu.au/initial-teacher-education/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-education

Evidence-based Policy

3Rs of Teaching (RRR):Respect, Relationships, Reconciliation

Focus Area 1.4Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Focus Area 2.4Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous andnon-Indigenous Australians

www.rrr.edu.au

RRR Website RRR Unit Outline

www.rrr.edu.au

3 RRR Modules

Know yourself – know your world(Underpinning module)

Know your students (Focus Area 1.4)

Know what you teach (Focus Area 2.4)

www.rrr.edu.au

www.matsiti.edu.au/apeidwww.facebook.com/ourmobteachwww.twitter.com/matsiti