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Choose one contemporary social justice issue currently being focused upon in the
media and discuss how Australian schools are meeting the challenge of equity and
access for (impacted) minority groups.
The reality of Australian schooling system can be assessed in its shortcomings in catering to

the impending issues that the Indigenous population faces in contemporary society. Common

discourse in this matter would suggest that the Indigenous population are less likely to

complete year 11 and 12; fall behind on subjects like maths, technology, science and English,

as well as, being less likely to undertake tertiary education or employment once they

complete their schooling (ABS, 2013). Through the lens of Indigenous affairs in Australia, it

is imperative to recognise ethnicity as a social justice issue in primary and secondary

education (How Young People Are Faring, 2014).

In order to gain insight into the reasoning behind the disengagement of young Indigenous

people from mainstream schooling at high rates, it is necessary to consider the broader

context and contributory factors of disengagement. There are various reasons that lead to

disengagement, for instance: socioeconomic status, family situation, poor achievement,

language/cultural barriers, as well as, a various collection of school-based factors (Shay,

2015). As a result, young people who disengage from education, either primary or secondary,

experience significant short-term and long-term social and economic consequences, such as,

social dislocation and overall poorer health outcomes (Shay, 2015). This issue is only further

compounded for young Indigenous people who are already marginalized from mainstream

society.

Not only is it important to understand the broader context, it is also necessary to consider the

historical context and social context that has impacted the dominant discourse surrounding

Indigenous Australians. The central discourse that continues to surround indigenous

Australians, according to Sarra (2011), is that of hopelessness, cultural deficit and racial

inferiority. It is not uncommon that cruelty, social exclusion and racial genocide of

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Indigenous Australians is overlooked when discussing discourses surrounding Indigenous

Australians (Shay, 2015). In the 1930s, the ideology of assimilation was poured into policies

and legislation as a critical response to the issue of mixed race population, as the

government was adamant on having a White Australia. Accordingly, this led to horrific

consequences for the Indigenous population as they were forced to adopt a white cultural

identity and to abide by white cultural values and beliefs, making it excruciatingly obvious

that indigenous cultures, values and belief systems were viewed as simply inferior

(Townsend-Cross, 2011). The concept of colonisation with its affiliation to loss of identity

has contributed to the behaviours of students and teachers in Australian schools, which

inevitably leads ethnicity to become a social justice issue.

Common discourse of this social justice issue is highlighted in the newspaper article, Poor

education is letting Indigenous children down (2012) written by Professor Helen Hughes and

Mark Hughes. This article argues that a significant proportion of Indigenous Australians miss

out on the benefits of Australian life. It continues to emphasise the fact that there is a high

percentage of indigenous students failing literacy and numeracy, and therefore, cannot

progress to employment and tertiary education post-secondary schooling. The article provides

evidence of statistical figures that portray the disadvantages indigenous students face

(Hughes & Hughes, 2012,). According to the article, the highest failure rates are in

indigenous populated schools (schools that have over 75% indigenous demographic) (Hughes

& Hughes, 2012). These schools have 20,000 students situated in remote/rural areas where

there are no private sectors or proper jobs in which it is completely welfare dependent. Such

schools have failure rates of more than 90% (Hughes & Hughes, 2012). In addition, the other

40,000 Indigenous students attend the remaining mainstream schools that draw students from

low socio-economic status. Instead of offsetting social disadvantage, these schools are

entrenched within it, not only affecting the students but also leading to high staff turnover

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rates and poor teaching (Hughes & Hughes, 2012). It is evident that governments at all levels

are failing to combat the immediate needs of disengaged students within the schooling

system, which calls for urgent action in order to restructure the education system so that all

students can have equal opportunities, to maximise their potential for success later in life,

(Hughes, 2012)

In addition, newspaper article, Education fails indigenous kids (Hughes & Hughes, 2010)

illustrates a more direct form of discourse in where it states: that Australia has to improve its

Indigenous education as it is falling seriously behind those of a non-Indigenous background.

As suggested by Hughes and Hughes (2010), for the Indigenous students to catch up it will

take roughly 30 years which is quite alarming and thus, it is a social injustice issue in itself.

Furthermore, the newspaper article exposes the locations of the schools with the worst failure

rate, which include: most of the Northern Territory, with others in Western Australia,

Queensland and South Australia, Hughes & Hughes, 2010). The article suggests that

unrefined curriculums correlate to lower expectations of indigenous students; therefore, they

will be subjected to constant underachieving. However, with a laborious implementation of

innovative curriculums and cultural responsive teaching practices, Indigenous students will

have an improved opportunity of attaining education (Hughes & Hughes, 2010). Therefore,

teachers should divert their focus from special literacy and numeracy programs and

emphasise on teaching pedagogies, attendance, behavioural management and longer school

days, as these factors are key in ending high failure rates across Indigenous schools (Hughes

& Hughes, 2010).

To delve deeper into the concept of inequality based on ethnicity, theories such as, Critical

Race Theory and Post Colonialism, will enable a complete comprehension of why the

indigenous population, more specifically, young Aboriginal Australians, are disengaged from

the education system.

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The central features of the Critical Race Theory are grounded in the belief that race and

racism mediate every aspect of our lives (Lopez, 2013). Critical Race Theory is imperative in

analysing how the dominant discourses surrounding Indigenous ethnicity have been

institutionalised systemically in Australian schools, which has affected the experience of

Indigenous students through their educators (Ladson-Billings, 1998). Furthermore, this

theoretical framework is pivotal because racialized discourse is entrenched in educational

policy, practice and ideology. This sociological framework can be used to explain the

inequality and inequity Indigenous Australian students face, in comparison to non-

Indigenous students when entering the education system. It is evident, that with sufficient

research, critical race theory in education has the power to define, expose and address

educational programs (Parker & Lynn, 2002, p. 7).

The manifestation of racialisation of white Australians and Indigenous Australians is linked

to colonialism (Harris, Nakata & Carlson, 2013 as cited in Shay, 2015). In addition, the

construction of race has inevitably lead to a black-white binary structure (Chong-Soon Lee,

1995). However, it is necessary to recognise that there is a problem with binary opposites as

one is seen as more superior than the other (Crenshaw, 1995 cited in Shay, 2015), and in

relation to white Australian and Indigenous Australian binary in the historical context, white

Australians were viewed as superior, whilst Indigenous Australians were viewed as inferior.

As a result, this notion of superiority, transferred over to the education system where the

majority of the educators are white Australians, (Shay. 2015).

In addition, the critical race theory provides an in-depth framework that thoroughly analyses

how race and ethnicity continue to oppress students from diverse and minority backgrounds

(Ladson-Billings, 2005). Various critical race theorists would suggest that concentrating on

finding what works for Indigenous students is indirectly considered a variation of racism.

This what works concept suggests cultural deficit, as it makes obvious that many

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differentiated forms of learning does not work, however, it does not acknowledge the

shortcomings present within the educator or education system itself (Ladson-Billings, 1998).

It is also important to consider how Post-Colonialism theory can be used to discuss the

inequalities Aboriginal Australians face in the education system. Post-colonialism is a

theoretical viewpoint which focuses on the effects of colonialism, as well as, reconfiguring

the coloniser/colonised axis in various ways (Moreton-Robinson, 2003). It discusses

discourses surrounding individual and national identity and the manifestation of colonial

thinking practices, as well as, the significance of white dominance in post-modern contexts

(Watkins, 2015, p. 151). Taking into account the educational context, Critical Race Theory

and Post-Colonialism look at the recognition of white dominance, and how it is has rained

down through educational policy, curriculum, pedagogy and various other school based

activities/practices (Burnett, Lampert & Morse, 2015, p. 80). Looking at the historical and

social context as mentioned above, post colonialism and its correlation to loss and dismissal

of identity has contributed to the behaviours of students and teachers in schools which has

manifested for decades. For instance, pre-service teachers, along with, practicing teachers;

make bias assumptions about Indigenous students and their behaviours and attendance issues

without really understanding their perspective. Consequently, ethnicity becomes a social

justice issue within Australian schools.

It is essential that Australian schools are meeting the needs of Indigenous students, in order

for them to take advantage of their schooling opportunities. The Australian Government has

implemented programs within schools to help close the gap between Indigenous students and

non-Indigenous students. Emphasis is placed on intercultural development where students-

indigenous and non-indigenous develop an understanding of cultures as they learn to value

their own cultures, languages, values and the beliefs of others (Australian Curriculum,

Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014). Students begin to get involved in learning about

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and engaging with various cultures in ways that they begin to acknowledge similarities and

differences, as well as, creating significant connections and develop a mutual respect for one

another.

The Australian Government has implemented the Close the Gap initiative, which is aimed

at improving the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Close the

Gap has three key targets in education:

The attendance rates of Indigenous kids by 2018.

Halve the gap for Indigenous children for reading, writing and numeracy within a

decade.

Halve the gap for indigenous Australians aged 20-24 in year 12 attainment of

equivalent attainment by 2020 (Prime Ministers Report, 2017).

In order for these targets to be met, Australian schools must create strategies in response to

the social justice issues at hand. To increase the attendance of indigenous students in

Australian schools, the Australian Government introduced the Remote School Attendance

Strategy (Prime Ministers Report, 2017). An example of this is the local community of

Fregon, South Australia, since the scheme was implemented, local Remote School

Attendance Strategy staff have been working together with the South Australian Department

of Education and Child Development at the Fregon Early Learning Centre to ensure positive

gearing is applied and that families feel engaged and a part of their childrens education

(Prime Ministers Report, 2017). The relationships between the Centre Remote School

Attendance Strategy and the local schools have seen positive outcomes, and a significant

improvement of literacy and numeracy in both the children and their families because of their

programs in place (Prime Ministers Report, 2017). This is prime example of the

implementation of Cultural Responsive Teaching.

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Cultural Responsive Teaching refers to adjusting the approach teachers pedagogy is

practiced to suit the needs of students through using the students own cultural knowledge,

prior experiences and performance styles to make their learning experiences more effective to

reach their full potential. In doing so, it is important not to confuse this practice with that of

Essentialism, as sometimes the line can be blurred between both concepts. Essentialism is the

practice of stereotyping an individuals behaviour based on their culture. As such, teachers

must refrain on undertaking stereotypical multicultural activities such as, painting dots and

carving boomerangs, but redirect the focus towards establishing a positive environment that

is culturally inclusive, therefore meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds

(ACARA, 2014). It suggested, that cultural responsive teaching practice is fundamental for

young Indigenous people to be in an environment that nurtures, reinforces and supports their

cultural identity as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals (Shay, 2015).

To improve the educational standard for indigenous students, it is essential that teachers are

highly skilled, trained and well-informed, in order to provide a top-quality education system

that helps raise student outcomes. For instance, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Education Strategy and the Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander

Languages are committed to ensuring that teachers, schools and local communities establish a

culturally inclusive school environment for Indigenous students (Prime Ministers Report,

2017). This can be achieved through Flexi schools.

Flexi schools are another example of how Australian schools are meeting the needs of

Indigenous students and providing access and equal opportunity. Flexi schools are

significantly smaller in comparison to mainstream schools, which are co-ordinated by

highly competent educators practicing, such as: qualified teachers, social workers, youth

workers, counsellors, arts/music teachers and outdoor education specialists (Morgan et al.,

2014 as cited in Shay, 2015,). Although flexi schools differentiate in different community

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circumstances and the demographic of students, they are generally described as having an

influence on relationships, sense of community and belonging and empowerment of young

people (Shay, 2015).

According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2014), it is

imperative that teachers within Australian schools, should insert Indigenous perspectives in

all key learning areas, as well as, understanding and respecting Indigenous cultures and

histories and know how to actively and effectively teach students in line with the national

teacher standards (AITSL, 2014). Through this type of Reflexivity, educators will learn to

avoid Essentialism, so it will not impact their understanding of Indigenous identity.

Additionally, educators should make an effort to get to know their Indigenous students and

their families, as individuals with separate goals and strengths, because if teachers do not,

they are subjected to making assumptions based off misinformation about students of

Indigenous background, and there is no room ignorance in the Australian education system.

In summary, to address the inequalities of Indigenous education, it is crucial that we look at

Critical Race Theory and Essentialism as contributing factors. Once we recognise them, it is

only at that moment we can start to look at innovative ways in which Australian schools can

look to respond and counteract the damage that has been done. With the help of flexi schools,

cultural responsive teaching and the Closing the Gap initiative, education should become

more readily available and improve attendance rates across the board. Teachers need to move

past general stereotypes and assumptions about Indigenous people and emphasise on making

an effort collectively if the changes are going to be made.

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Reference List:

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2013). Reflecting a nation: Stories from the 2011

census, 2012-2013. Retrieved March 2017, from

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@nsf/Latestproducts/2071.0Main%Features5520

2%E2%80%932013?opendocument&tabname=summaryandprodno=2071.0&issue=

012%962013&num=&view

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2014). Australian

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved from
http://www.acara.edu.au/

Australian Institute for Learning and School Leadership (AITSL) (2013). Australian
Professional Standards for teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Chong-Soon Lee, J. (1995). Navigating the typology of race. In K. Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, G.

Peller & K. Thomas (Eds.), Critical race theory: The key writings that formed the
movement (pp. 441-8). New York: The New York Press.

Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet. (2017). Education (Publication No. 978-1
925238-14-5 (PDF)). Retrieved from http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/education

Hughes, H., Hughes, M. (2010, April 29). Education fails Indigenous kids. The Australian.
Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/education-fails-indigenous
kids/news-story/05c4f6710d06d38eeca779fdcc7bb5a8

Hughes, H., Hughes, M. (2012, July 6). Poor education is letting Indigenous children down.
The Drum. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-06/hughes-and
hughes-indigenous-learning/4112432

Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and whats it doing in a nice field
like education? International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7-24.
doi: 10.1080/1361332052000341024

Lampert, J. Burnett, B. & Morse, K. (2015). Destabilising privilege: Disrupting deficit

thinking in white pre-service teachers on field experience in culturally diverse, high

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poverty schools. In Ferfolja, T., Jones-Diaz, C. & Ullman, J (Ed), Understanding

Sociological Theory For Educational Practices (pp. 76-92). Port Melbourne, Victoria:
Cambridge University Press.

Lopez, I. (2013). The social construction of race. In R. Delgado & J. Stefancic (Eds.),
Critical race theory: The cutting edge (Vol. 3, pp. 238-48). Philadelphia, PA: Temple
University Press.

Moreton-Robinson, A. (2003). I still call Australia home: Indigenous belonging and place in
a white postcolonizing society. Uprootings/regroundings: Questions of home and
migration, 23-40.

Parker, L. & Lynn, M. (2002). Whats race got to do with it? Critical race theorys conflicts
with connections to qualitative research methodology and epistemology. Qualitative
Inquiry, 8(1), 7-22. doi: 10.1177/107780040200800102

Sarra, C. (2007). Stronger, Smarter, Sarra. Teacher: The National Education Magazine, 32-4.

Shay, M. (2015). The perceptions that shape us. In Ferfolja, T., Jones-Diaz, C. & Ullman, J
(Ed), Understanding Sociological Theory For Educational Practices (pp. 93-109).
Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press.

The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) (2014). How Young People Are Faring In The

Transition From School to Work. Retrieved March 2017, from

https://www.fya.org.au/report/how-young-people-are-faring-2014/

Townsend-Cross, M. (2011). Indigenous education and Indigenous studies in the Australian

academy: Assimilation, critical pedagogy, dominant culture learners and indigenous
knowledges. In G. Dei (Ed.), Indigenous philosophies and critical education (pp. 68
79), New York: Peter Lang.

Watkins, M. (2015). Culture, hybridity and globalisation: Rethinking multicultural education

in schools. In Ferfolja, T., Jones-Diaz, C. & Ullman, J (Ed), Understanding
Sociological Theory For Educational Practices (pp. 146-162). Port Melbourne,
Victoria: Cambridge University Press.

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