Assignment

1: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

Image A: Peter Nichalson, May 5, 2008. Image taken from:

http://nicholsoncartoons.com.au/education-vacuum-remote-communities-550.html

Image B: Taken from Treaty Republic, (2011). http://treatyrepublic.net/content/invaders-and-

their-endless-indigenous-reports

2 Critical Essay: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

Essay Question:
Critically examine the issues that surround education for Indigenous
Students in rural communities. What role can a graduate teacher play in
Closing the Gap?

Studies show that there is a large and growing gap between the literacy and
numeracy skills of Indigenous Australians compared to Australian students who
do not identify as Indigenous. This inequality is evident across Australia both in
remote communities and as well as urban settings. Many factors, such as poor
health and resources, high turnover of teachers, lack of specialist training and
opportunities that have lead to this wide spread gap. This essay will critically
examine the disparity and explore the ways in which teachers can contribute to
the effort to end this inequality for Indigenous Australians.

Indigenous students consistently record test scores that are considerably lower
then non Indigenous students despite Government initiatives to reduce this
inequality. These statistics can be clearly seen in the 2009 document produced by
ACARA titled: National Report on Schooling in Australia: Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Education. For example, according to Figure 7.10, only 59.0
percent of Indigenous students in year 9 tested at or above the minimum
standard, by key NAPLAN domains in 2009 (ACARA, 2009) for writing skills.
Compared to 89.2 percent of year 9 students non Indigenous who preformed at
or above the minimum standard for writing skills in 2009. ACARA summarizes
these 2009 statistics relating to reading, writing and numeracy, claiming that
the gaps between the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students and non-Indigenous students attaining the national minimum standard
for all year levels and domains ranged from 16.7 percentage points to 30.2
percentage points. (2009). In all areas and across all year levels Indigenous
Students preformed significantly worse then students who did not identify as
Indigenous. It is clear from these national statistics that a gross problem exists
across our Australian education system. A report by The Smith Family claim that
while some improvements have been seen since 2009, 2014 NAPLAN results still
indicate a large inequality in results. For example The Smith Family Research

Assignment 1: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

Report: June 2014, states that nearly one quarter (24%) of Year 9 Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students did not meet the national minimum standard
for reading and around a third (32%) did not meet the numeracy standard. In
comparison, only 4 percent of other Australian Year 9 students did not meet the
standard for reading and 7 percent did not meet it for numeracy. (ACARA 2013,
as cited in The Smith Family Research Report, 2014).

The cartoons at the beginning of this essay offer some insight into the gross
disadvantages faced by Indigenous Students in rural communities. Cartoon 1
depicts a scene by where a Caucasian man is being consulted by a man whom
appears to be Indigenous, about job prospects for someone who cannot read,
write or do math. The answer to the job seekers question is given as Teacher
needed for remote Indigenous School. If one leaves aside the racist suggestion
that the job seeker cannot read, write or do math because of his heritage, the
cartoon is useful for examining one of the issues that contributes to the
inequality between Indigenous and non Indigenous students. This cartoon
suggests that the quality of teachers, apply and receiving jobs in rural
communities schools in need of high levels of expertise and passion are being
filled with teachers who are not trained to do the work. While the cartoon uses
exaggeration for humorous effect, one would hope that all teachers in rural
schools are able to read, write and do basic math, the point remains that these
schools are so desperate for staff that the standards and rigorous application
process for a teaching position in these communities does not exist. If
communities with struggling students are not employing teachers with
innovative and developed skill sets the cycle of disadvantage will continue. The
way in which the critical issue of the education disadvantaged faced by many
Indigenous students is raised is not always helpful to breaking down stereotypes
and improving public understanding of the severity of the problem. Image B, the
second of this essays two focus images, is a cartoon of a school aged Indigenous
child. The image shows the student holding a report with a picture of a graph on
the front. The caption of this cartoon reads, I hope he cant read. The so called
humor of the cartoon is in the knowledge that statistically the boy holding the
report has a much lower reading level than a non Indigenous student. Assuming

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that the report held by the boy contained statistical information about the vast
inequality and disparity in educational results between Indigenous and non
indigenous students, the cartoon alludes to the fact that these results are not
favorable to Indigenous Students. The caption I hope he cant read, challenges
the viewer to think about if it is better not to know about the inequality facing
Indigenous Australians. The cartoon is offensive in a number of ways, not least of
all because of the insensitive way a joke is made out of the disgusting situation
the Australian education systems finds itself in by failing to support the most
vulnerable of students. How could it be preferable that the student pictured is
not able to read? We should be empowering all Australians to be aware and
outraged about the way in which our government has let the traditional peoples
of this land down. The vast inequality in educational indicators of achievement
between Indigenous students and non Indigenous students is not a joke.

Closing The Gap is a campaign supported by the Australian government that
aims to reduce the inequality faced by Australian Indigenous people. According
to The National Indigenous Reform Agreement (2009) the aim of the Closing the
Gap Strategy is firstly, to halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy
achievements for children by 2018. Secondly, the strategy aims to halve the gap
for Indigenous students in year 12 attainments by 2020. (Council of Australian
Governments, 2009). By increasing the number of students completing year 12,
opportunities for higher education is made possible. Jeannie Herbert comments
it would seem however, that in general, education and equity policies, to date,
have had a limited effect in altering the status quo of Indigenous Australians
within Australian society. (Herbert, 2006. p.49). Clearly something needs to
change. Herbert goes on to suggests that education institutions have a
responsibility to engage in a process of cross-cultural interaction that will enable
them to effect the change that is needed to overcome racist attitudes and create
learning environments that are inclusive of all students, that will enable
Indigenous Australians to take advantage of educational opportunities that
would improve their chances of enhancing the quality of their lives (2006, 49).
Herbert is talking particularly about the university sector, but this comment is
also true for secondary schools. Schools can no longer deny that Indigenous

Assignment 1: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

students have different needs, both academically and to ensure a learning space
that is safe and inclusive.

These confronting statistics and should be a challenge to graduate teachers and
university curriculums to be informed/inform of the ways in which change can
be made. Rural and remote schools are not an attractive option for many
teachers looking for work. These schools have a reputation of providing low level
support and minimal resource for staff and students. In many cases this
reputation appears to be factual. According to Korff s article Can Remote
Aborignal Schools Compete?, remote Aboriginal school populations are unable
to access the same level of schooling facilities and service as their white
counterparts because they are classified as Homeland Learning Centres. (2014).
If universities arm pre service teachers with the techniques, skills and attitude to
take up a rural placement or graduate position this reputation could begin to
change. Indigenous studies are a relatively new compulsory area of study for
universities and Philips and Lampert call for a approach to Indigenous
education [should] include more then just a summarising of Indigenous history
and traditional culture (). If as Lambert and Philips suggest, many education
degrees merely teach Indigenous history it is hardly surprising that two of the
top three trends amongst teachers in Northern Territory schools exhibit are
(1) Lack of experience, particularly in terms of teaching Indigenous students;
and (2) lack of specialist skills and training, particularly ESL (Abu-Duhou, I.,
McKenna, R., & Howley, T., 2006)

A number of graduate scholarships and incentives for first year out teachers to
take up rural jobs can be found on state Government education websites. These
scholarships are designed to attract high achieving graduates to long term
positions in the school most desperate for talented and informed staff. The key to
success in this school/government partnership is the stability a long term
contract assures the community. As Lisa Hall, an Educational Consultant and
Researcher, from Alice Springs writes High turnover of teachers in remote
Indigenous community schools in the Northern Territory has long been
considered a significant contributing factor to low academic outcomes for

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students in those communities (187). According to the literature review in
Halls essay, high turnover of teachers is due to a number of factors including a
lack of training in EAL at University level, a mismatch between the teachers
culture and that of the community (Hall, p.189). Hall suggests that to improve
teacher retention we must improve the way graduate teachers are prepared for a
rural teaching placement. This must include the promotion of a positive
attitude towards rural and remote communities. (Jarzabkoski, 2003.) Hall
(2013) quotes an American study that identifies a number of areas that would
improve recruitment and retention of teachers in rural and remote locations,
including: more effective partnerships between universities, departments of
education and community members and organisations; the development of
internships and mentoring programs; and the specific targeting of members of
the rural and remote communities to undertake the training as they are more
likely to take up and remain in rural and remote teaching positions (Yarrow et
al., cited in Hall, 2013). If then, as the cartoon suggests rural Indigenous
communities are struggling to attract passionate and quality teachers to long-
term positions, it follows that with the implementation of a greater training and
study of EAL strategies and deeper understanding of Indigenous traditions in
education degrees there is great potential for teacher to contribute to closing the
gap.

Victor Hart summarizes the challenge for all classroom teachers in his essay
Teaching Black and Teaching Back. Hart (2003) says without this ongoing and
cyclical self reflection, it could be argued that non Aboriginal academics are
merely teaching history where the linear progression of cause and effect provide
the rationale for all instruction and teaching (16). The challenge, according to
Hart is to keep the diverse epistemological tradition [of Aboriginal and Torres
straight islander people] ways of knowing, learning and being at the forefront
of all education processes in this country (2003, p.16). If education nationally,
both in the training of our teachers and in the classroom, reflects this pedagogy,
we could expect to engage more fully all Australian students.

Assignment 1: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

Works Cited:
Abu-Duhou, I., McKenna, R., & Howley, T. (2006). Evaluating literacy approaches
for ESL Indigenous students (Paper 2). Darwin, Australia: Department
of Employment, Education and Training, Northern Territory

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2009). NAPLAN
National Report on Schooling in Australia 2009: Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Education. Retrieved from http://www.naplan.edu.au/

Council of Australian Governments. (2009). National Indigenous Reform
Agreement (Closing the Gap). Canberra: Council of Australian
Governments. Accessed from
http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/closing-the-gap/key-
facts/what-are-the-targets

Hall, L. (2013)The Come and Go Syndrome of Teachers in Remote Indigenous
Schools: Listening to the Perspective of Indigenous Teachers about
What Helps Teachers to Stay and What Makes Them Go. The
Australian Journal of Indigenous Education. 41(2). Pp 187 -195. doi
10.1017/jie.2012.13

Hart, V. (2003). Teaching Black and Teaching Back. Social Alternatives. 22(3). Pp
12 -16.

Herbert, J. (2006) Partnerships, Pathways and Policies: Improving Indigenous
Education Outcomes. Ngoonjook: A Journal of Australian Indigenous
Issues, no. 31, 2007

Jarzabkowski, L. (2003). Teacher Collegiality in a Remote Australian School.
Journal of Research in Rural Education, 18(3), 139144.

8 Critical Essay: Jasmine Santamaria S00128842

Korff, J. (2014) Creative Spirits. Aboriginal culture: Education. Can Remote
Aboriginal Schools Compete?
http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/can-remote-
aboriginal-schools-compete

The Smith Family. (2014). Improving Educational Outcomes of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Girl: The Smith Family Research Report.
Retrieved from https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au

Phillips, Jean & Lampert, Jo (Eds.) (2012) Introductory Indigenous Studies in
Education : Reflection and the Importance of Knowing. Pearson
Education Australia, Frenchs Forest