An Australian-first program at Beaconhills College will introduce an Indigenous curriculum for all levels following ongoing discussions with Indigenous leaders and teachers. The Victorian non-government school aims to encourage a greater understanding and appreciation of history and culture through implementing the program for all students from pre-school through to Year 12.
The recognition of Indigenous culture has previously occurred in schools on an ad-hoc basis, while the new Beaconhills program represents a more formalised and structured approach. This will encompass staff training on cultural competency and will help to tailor relevant subjects to the appropriate year level. Younger years may focus on Dreamtime stories, while older years can look at complex issues such as racism towards prominent figures such as Adam Goodes.
As the school becomes more diverse, Beaconhills’ principal Tony Sheumack believes that this diversity should be celebrated as the new norm. The school has aimed to work collaboratively with Indigenous members of staff and local elders in order to create a respectful and effective program. The school initially focused on issues relevant to their local area as an outer suburb of Melbourne, but is seeking to shift the program to include areas of national concern.
Whilst Indigenous history is taught as part of the school curriculum, the Beaconhills program takes a broader approach to Indigenous studies. Elements of Aboriginal culture are incorporated into history, drama, art, music and humanities, as well as the outdoor education program. This goes beyond the compulsory requirements, and can lead to detailed discussions on difficult subjects such as the Stolen Generations. Founder of Australia’s first Indigenous education provider Indigicate Shawn Andrews says that the program recognises that there are ‘two streams of education – one is about educating kids and the other is about educating a generation about Australia’. The school worked closely with Indigenous leaders over several years to ensure the program was not tokenistic, but rather addressed the complexity of the issues in an informed and appropriate manner.
Many schools are also introducing measures that recognise Indigenous culture outside of the classroom. Cultural awareness weeks and visits from Elders were some of the activities run by schools to promote awareness and understanding outside of the classroom. Cultural exchange programs have helped to foster ongoing links between the schools and remote communities, with schools reporting that students approach these programs in a respectful manner and find the experience rewarding.
Improving cultural awareness may also mean confronting historical reminders on school premises of people or events which may no longer be culturally appropriate. For example, The Age reports that there are calls at the University of Melbourne to rename buildings which are named after people who were proponents of eugenics or were known for their racist beliefs. Buildings around campus still carry the names of old professors who wanted Aboriginal people killed, sterilised or their children removed. One even experimented on their stolen corpses and collected hundreds of skulls.
When designing the program, Vicki Reid, head of Beaconhills’ early years centre, visited preschools in New Zealand. There has been a strong tradition of cultural recognition in New Zealand, which celebrates Maori culture. The ways in which New Zealand has integrated Maori culture into the curriculum informed the approach taken by Beaconhills. Although New Zealand’s approach is more advanced than Australia’s, it can serve as a model for schools wishing to increase their students’ awareness of Indigenous culture.
Cultural recognition must be respectful and considerate. As the example of Beaconhills College demonstrates, programs which increase awareness are often complicated to create and implement and require years of collaboration and consultation. As the protection of the cultural safety of students becomes a responsibility of schools in specific States and Territories, these programs should grow more common.
In Victoria, recent legislative amendments have introduced a set of seven child safe standards who all organisations who provide services to children, including schools, must comply with. See our earlier article on the Standards. The Standards have been finalised and published on the Victorian Department of Human Services website and require schools to include the following key principles as part of their compliance with each Standard:
Compliance with the Standards will become a registration requirement for Victorian schools in the second half of 2016.
Although it remains at a school’s discretion as to how they will adopt the principle of ‘promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal children’, it is clear that their safety must now be a priority for Victorian schools.
In the ACT, non-government schools are required to consider their Indigenous students when creating safety and welfare policies.
The Beaconhills program provides a model of education and cultural awareness which other schools can learn from.
The Age has reported on seven prominent schools from Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula that have introduced Indigenous awareness programs. Initiatives included ‘welcome to country’ ceremonies and annual visits to the Northern Territory to visit Aboriginal communities, followed by return visits that can involve inter-school sports matches or trips to Melbourne landmarks.
How does your school recognise Indigenous culture?