tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/aboriginal-students-38182/articlesAboriginal students – The Conversation2022-11-08T19:40:23Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1933942022-11-08T19:40:23Z2022-11-08T19:40:23Z‘Once students knew their identity, they excelled’: how to talk about excellence in Indigenous education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493977/original/file-20221107-12-mum30s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C83%2C5534%2C3542&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lukas Coch/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When we talk about Indigenous education in Australia, it almost always includes three words: “close the gap”. The federal government’s <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/reports/closing-the-gap-2019/education.html">Indigenous education priorities</a> highlight school attendance, literacy and numeracy and year 12 attainment. This frames students and their families as a “problem” to “fix”. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2016-0468">other areas</a> of education, the word “excellence” is frequently used to frame policy. But a simple Google search of “excellence” and “Indigenous education” comes up with very few meaningful results. Why aren’t starting from the same point in Indigenous education? </p>
<p>Our new research begins this process. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-is-promising-truth-telling-in-our-australian-education-system-heres-what-needs-to-happen-191420">Albanese is promising 'truth-telling' in our Australian education system. Here's what needs to happen</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>Our project started as a pilot study with three secondary schools from an urban, regional and remote setting in Queensland.</p>
<p>We yarned with 31 Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, principals and teachers about their perspectives on excellence in Indigenous education. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Colourful school cupboard with message, 'you belong here'." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492239/original/file-20221028-53112-5gbu7p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Educators spoke of the importance of building relationships with students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author supplied</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here we share the perspectives of 12 Indigenous educators. We do this deliberately because it is critical we elevate Indigenous voices in any re-imagining of policy that affects us. </p>
<p>We explored the question: “How is excellence in Indigenous education defined by Indigenous peoples?” </p>
<p>Three themes emerged: the young person, school culture and relationships.</p>
<h2>‘Build young people up’</h2>
<p>The most distinct theme to emerge was the need to nurture and affirm culture and identity in students and in doing so, “build young people up”. </p>
<p>Indigenous interviewees talked about identity as a protective factor in the face of navigating issues such as racism at school. As school community liaison officer Uncle Frank* explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In our school, once students knew their identity, they excelled. Nurturing identity and culture is very important – growing young people in an environment where being Indigenous was negative but turning that into a positive is re-imagining the story for all Indigenous students. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Aboriginal teacher, Brooke, also explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>our white kids know where they fit in society. Many of our kids don’t, sometimes they’re not accepted in different communities. Kids who are fair like me don’t fit with white or Black. Identity is important for all kids – we are social creatures".</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From a practical perspective, community education counsellor Aunty Millie said schools could provide dedicated physical spaces to enhance their identity work with students. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>culture and identity play an important role in students believing in themselves and striving to be the best version of themselves […] students have to know that they [are] included and recognised as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people […] space to call their own is important. They like to be there. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Building up young people is more than just affirming their identity. As Uncle Frank explained, it is also:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>letting our senior students take a lead role [and] encouraging Indigenous students to give feedback to teachers. Empower them to have a say.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>School culture and leadership</h2>
<p>Research already <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603110802504903?casa_token=_Wd1Lmd2d3UAAAAA%3AjE3Hu3ITxccJ-phy0UFtSmewvXev8Nok-8XylRXrjpB9plgqNhlSfmOZhXU57NDw2gidknc1QF0">tells us</a> the leadership of a school plays a critical role in its culture. </p>
<p>Our research also shows it is vital for excellence in Indigenous education. </p>
<p>Community liaison Katelyn told us how she was empowered by strong leadership at her school, who are open to new ideas and approaches based on Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have a very great leader here […] I’m able to look outside the box […] the restraints aren’t there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Brooke talked about the notion of “curriculum leadership” and the importance of “making sure everyone is reflected in curriculum and pedagogy [the way students are taught]”. </p>
<h2>Relationships with students</h2>
<p>Previous <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220671.2015.1129595">research</a> also recognises how positive relationships with students are connected to positive outcomes for students. </p>
<p>Aboriginal school support worker Missy talked about the quality of relationships being a priority for schools.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It really does come down to building a relationship with the students [and] with the families and showing them [they are] not just another number. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Uncle Frank pointed out Indigenous people bring a wealth of knowledge in relationships with schools.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] we know what’s best for our kids – include us in the conversation. If you’ve got a degree that’s good but I’ve got a degree in life – being Aboriginal.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>We need new ways to talk about Indigenous education</h2>
<p>In all our conversations with educators and support staff in school, one other thing stood out. When asked to think about “excellence” in Indigenous education, many of these experts struggled to conceptualise what it is or should be. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-australia-support-more-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-teachers-178522">How can Australia support more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We believe this is due to the dominance of “closing the gap”. Those three words have been so influential in shaping the minds of educators and support staff in schools.</p>
<p>This highlights the power and importance of language. We need new ways to speak aspirationally about Indigenous education and move on from the old deficit vocabulary. </p>
<p>This is a small data set from a pilot study, but it already provides some important insights about how we work towards excellence in Indigenous education. </p>
<p>It shows how there must be opportunities for Indigenous peoples to shape all aspects of schooling and educational policy. It is vital we include the aspirations, experiences and stories of Indigenous people working in Indigenous education. </p>
<p><em>*names have been changed.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193394/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marnee Shay receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Edmund Rice Education Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle Armour receives funding from Edmund Rice Education Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jodie Miller receives funding from Edmund Rice Education Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Suraiya Abdul Hameed receives funding from Edmund Rice Education Australia</span></em></p>‘Closing the gap’ frames Indigenous education as a problem. In a new study, researchers talked to Indigenous educators about what excellence looks like in their schools.Marnee Shay, Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, The University of QueenslandDanielle Armour, Senior Lecturer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, The University of QueenslandJodie Miller, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education, The University of QueenslandSuraiya Abdul Hameed, Lecturer, Educational Leadership/Global Indigenous Education, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1785222022-03-13T19:16:18Z2022-03-13T19:16:18ZHow can Australia support more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers?<p>A major federal government review into how we train our teachers has just been <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/resources/next-steps-report-quality-initial-teacher-education-review">released</a>. </p>
<p>This is part of the government’s push to improve Australia’s standing in the international education rankings. </p>
<p>The first two recommendations focus on the important role of Indigenous teachers. Namely, specifically targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a national recruitment campaign.</p>
<p>The government has a history of trying to increase the numbers of Indigenous teachers. We must build on these earlier attempts and centre the voices of Indigenous peoples in implementing programs to support these recommendations if these are to lead to successful outcomes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/invisible-language-learners-what-educators-need-to-know-about-many-first-nations-children-175917">Invisible language learners: what educators need to know about many First Nations children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The role of Indigenous teachers</h2>
<p>There is no shortage of <a href="https://nit.com.au/closing-the-gap-12-years-on-little-progress-high-hopes/">media coverage</a> about Closing the Gap in education. Yet we hear little about the role Indigenous teachers have been playing in Indigenous education over decades. </p>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards">professional standards for teachers</a> highlight the importance of having a teacher workforce capable of teaching Indigenous students, and teaching about Australia’s full histories and the importance of reconciliation.</p>
<p>Research also shows Indigenous teachers and support workers in schools bring a wealth of <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/the-impact-of-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-educators">additional knowledges</a> and skills to Australian schools. These knowledges can include local knowledge of Country, kinship groups, Indigenous languages, community dynamics and politics and embodied knowledges acquired through lived experiences of being an Indigenous person.</p>
<p>Indigenous students and indeed all Australian students benefit from seeing strong <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/the-impact-of-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-educators">Indigenous role models in schools</a>.</p>
<p>However, we also know some Indigenous teachers are encountering racism, have all Indigenous-related issues diverted to them and <a href="https://indigenousx.com.au/blak-representation-in-schools-is-imperative/">feel isolated</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A classroom with young students, with their hands raised." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451151/original/file-20220309-21-cwvvoa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Indigenous education provides all students with a rich and well-rounded knowledge of Australia’s history.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/aboriginal-elementary-school-teacher-giving-a-royalty-free-image/909795536?adppopup=true">GettyImages</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What are the ‘gaps’?</h2>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/schools/latest-release#aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-students">last Australian Census</a> in 2016, Indigenous students accounted for 6.2% of all students.
At the <a href="https://www.acde.edu.au/acde-analysis-of-2016-census-statistics-of-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-teachers-and-students/">same time</a>, 2% of Australian teachers identified as Indigenous. The data clearly show there is a gap in equality between Indigenous student numbers and Indigenous teacher numbers. </p>
<p>Currently, there is no national database on teacher retention. The recent <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/atwdreports">Australian Teacher Workforce Data report</a> provides an insight into the difference in retention rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers. Indigenous teachers were considerably more likely to intend to leave the profession before they retired (36%), in comparison to the overall teacher workforce (25%).</p>
<p>These are gaps we should be focusing on in Indigenous education policy.</p>
<h2>Past programs</h2>
<p>The severe shortage of Indigenous teachers has been on government radars for some time. In 2011-2015 the federal government spent A$7.5 million to increase Indigenous teachers in Australian schools.</p>
<p>This was a large investment and the only program of its kind. It was led by three of Australia’s leading Indigenous education scholars. The number of Indigenous teachers increased by <a href="https://www.edutech.com.au/matsiti/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MATSITI-2016-Final-Report-1.0.pdf">16.5%</a> during this initiative. This improvement demonstrates what can be achieved under Indigenous leadership.</p>
<p>An <a href="https://www.edutech.com.au/matsiti/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MATSITI-2016-Final-Report-1.0.pdf">evaluation</a> of the funding later found we need program reform and more policy on how to increase and retain Indigenous teachers. This includes a focus on improving graduation rates and leadership and workplace opportunities for current Indigenous teachers.</p>
<p>It also needs to include Indigenous teachers’ voices in understanding how to increase and retain Indigenous teachers. </p>
<p>But there has been limited action since this program ended in 2016 until now.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-the-first-time-closing-the-gap-has-a-higher-education-target-heres-how-to-achieve-it-147984">For the first time, Closing the Gap has a higher education target – here's how to achieve it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Indigenous-led research</h2>
<p>Much of the existing research has been on Indigenous teachers leaving the profession. But a critical resource is <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=4767">those who have remained</a> despite the challenges. Ren Perkins’ PhD research is looking at this group and what we can learn from them.</p>
<p>Through listening to Indigenous teachers, this research explores why this cohort is staying in the profession beyond the average of <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/school-leadership/school-leader-guide-(online).pdf?sfvrsn=d113f63c_1">six years</a>. </p>
<p>While the study is not yet complete, one of the key themes emerging from this research has been the strength of identity and culture. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/preschool-benefits-indigenous-children-more-than-other-types-of-early-care-149724">Preschool benefits Indigenous children more than other types of early care</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Jemimah* shared her perspective on how identity is connected to her role as a teacher:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think it’s important for me to enter the field of education, to become part of the community that is Indigenous educators, in the hopes that one day, too, I can help a student find their own place in the schooling system […]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another Indigenous teacher, Sarah, shared how her identity informs how she teaches the curriculum, enriching learning experiences for all students: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Quality teachers should know who all of your students are, but, in particular, why this subject is so important is because of where we are, whose land we’re on and what Country we’re teaching on. It’s a really important part of knowing our history and why we’ve come to this position.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>The recommendations from this latest report are timely. However, more support through specific programs and funding is needed to transform these recommendations into action.</p>
<p>There is expertise among Indigenous peoples about how to grow the Indigenous teacher workforce – we need to listen and use it. </p>
<p>*Names have been changed</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178522/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marnee Shay receives funding from the Australian Government and Edmund Rice Education Australia. She is a member of QATSIETAC Department of Education Queensland and a board member of the Xavier Flexi School Network.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ren Perkins does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Indigenous education provides all students with a rich and well-rounded knowledge of Australia’s history. However research shows Indigenous teachers are scarce and poorly supported.Ren Perkins, PhD Candidate, School of Education, The University of QueenslandMarnee Shay, ARC Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, Affiliate Senior Lecturer, Centre for Policy Futures, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1755212022-02-04T03:21:14Z2022-02-04T03:21:14ZFirst Nations students need culturally safe spaces at their universities<p>Since the <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/4137">Closing the Gap</a> targets were first introduced in 2008, the number of Indigenous university enrolments have more than doubled. The numbers grew from 9,490 students in 2008 to 19,935 students in 2018. During this period, bachelor award course completion grew by 110.6%, from <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Indigenous-strategy-second-annual-report.pdf">860 degrees to 1,811</a>.</p>
<p>Indigenous support centres embedded within universities around the country have played a vital role in supporting this growth of Indigenous students.</p>
<p>Students can feel supported on their learning journey and gain support from other students experiencing similar challenges, while being in an environment that understands the obligations of culture, family and community.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tutors-are-key-to-reducing-indigenous-student-drop-out-rates-86130">Tutors are key to reducing Indigenous student drop out rates</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Challenges for Indigenous students</h2>
<p>Indigenous students who come to study at university already face a number of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/australian-journal-of-indigenous-education/article/red-dirt-thinking-on-educational-disadvantage/23A3721E7125F68009F7A181E133E82B">disadvantages</a> in education. </p>
<p>For many they are first person in their family to attend university, which can bring a sense of pressure and responsibility from community. </p>
<p>This journey for students can be quite isolating and stressful. Particularly when a lack of understanding by family and community leads to forms of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01419870.2019.1626015">lateral violence</a> - violence towards one’s peers. </p>
<p>This is an experience <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/being-the-first-in-your-family-to-go-to-university/11924802">commonly shared</a> among Indigenous students at university and is one of the reasons it’s important to have culturally safe spaces that support them while studying. </p>
<p>In addition to cultural and family obligations, other <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/australian-journal-of-indigenous-education/article/understanding-the-challenges-yet-focusing-on-the-successes-an-investigation-into-indigenous-university-students-academic-success/09488FAC4EB5E994E077802969B74EFC">challenges</a> include financial struggles of full-time study, lack of requisite academic skills and unfamiliarity of place while being disconnected from country.</p>
<h2>How culturally safe spaces can help</h2>
<p>Indigenous centres are culturally safe places instrumental in student success. They often provide a range of supports to students from scholarships, workplace learning, tutoring, counselling and accommodation. It’s an environment reserved for Indigenous students that helps build confidence and academic ability.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339916465_Supporting_Success_Aboriginal_Students_in_Higher_Education">International research </a> has indicated creating a supportive institutional space for Aboriginal students can build confidence and self belief in their study abilities, which is a strong motivator for ongoing engagement and active learning.</p>
<p>Embeddedd within some Indigenous centres are educational programs and outreach opportunities that encourage high school students to pursue university as an option and provide alternative entry pathways for future students. One <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339916465_Supporting_Success_Aboriginal_Students_in_Higher_Education">study</a> found a number of Aboriginal students sought out a particular post secondary institution because of the Aboriginal education program on offer. Participants said the small class sizes, peer support networks and positive support from authority figures were some of the reasons behind their choice.</p>
<p>Indigenous centres have the capability of working in alignment with other schools across the university to further support students. </p>
<p>In another <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/australian-journal-of-indigenous-education/article/wings-to-fly-a-case-study-of-supporting-indigenous-student-success-through-a-wholeofuniversity-approach/2B169A125124E36B6A10B24BF39DF513">case study</a>, the Kulbardi centre at Murdoch University aimed to increased its visibility across the university with the intent of schools reaching out to the centre to support students in need. This was a success and resulted in schools reaching out to the centre to support them in designing culturally appropriate curriculum, cultural competency training and reaching out to student success coordinators about how they could best support their Individual Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Though Indigenous centres provide a wealth of knowledge and experience in ensuring the success of Indigenous students. It is important to note a “<a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215558/1/NATSIHEC_%2BAIHE_FinaL_%2BReport%2BJan%2B2018_updated_031218.pdf">whole-of-university</a>” approach is important in achieving this. This can be done through utilising university resources to further assist First Nations students in their success at university. It needs to be acknowledged Indigenous student success is everyone’s responsibility, not just the Indigenous Centre’s. This is vital for significant change to occur, in not only increasing the number of First Nations students at university, but to support their successes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bridging-programs-transform-students-lives-they-even-go-on-to-outperform-others-at-uni-171721">Bridging programs transform students' lives – they even go on to outperform others at uni</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The UWA example</h2>
<p>In late 2020 following the COVID outbreak, the University of Western Australia welcomed the new School of Indigenous Studies which would be the new home to Indigenous students on campus. </p>
<p>Bilya Marlee (meaning river of the swan in local Noongar language, as it’s built on the swan river) is <a href="https://ipoint.uwa.edu.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2708/%7E/location-of-indigenous-studies">currently home</a> to over 250 Indigenous students who come from all over the country, including rural and regional Western Australia.</p>
<p>The building was culturally designed by Indigenous Elder Dr Richard Walley, with input from staff and students. Upon consultation, Dr Walley used a cultural blueprint to inform the design process which included connection to place and its surroundings. This includes the connection to plants and animals of the area and their significance to that place. </p>
<p>By creating a physical environment that connects to culture, the building hopes to enhance the feeling of support and safety for students while studying. The building aims to make students feel like they are studying on country and in a place that supports their cultural identity while navigating a foreign education system.</p>
<p>Consultation with cultural experts such as Dr Walley is a way universities can explore opportunities to address challenges faced by Indigenous students at university.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175521/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Culturally safe spaces are pivotal in the academic success of First Nations students.Kevin Taylor, Lecturer Indigenous health, cultural studies and Indigenous Education Development Specialist, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/861302017-11-05T19:17:36Z2017-11-05T19:17:36ZTutors are key to reducing Indigenous student drop out rates<p>There has been an increase in Australian Indigenous students enrolling in university in the past 10 years. While this is good news, there has also been a high <a href="http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2017.pdf">drop out rate</a> among first year Indigenous students.</p>
<h2>How universities address retention rates</h2>
<p>Universities address student drop-out rates through retention policy initiatives such as peer to peer mentoring programs. Faculties or schools develop <a href="http://life.curtin.edu.au/staff/student_transition_and_retention.htm">further</a> <a href="https://www.acu.edu.au/policies/governance/records_and_archive_management/records_retention_and_disposal_schedule">retention</a> <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/419469/Student-Retention-Strategy.pdf">strategies</a> appropriate to their cohort. One successful support strategy for Indigenous students that is already in place and effective according to students and higher education bodies, is the <a href="https://iher.education.gov.au/indigenous-tutorial-assistance-scheme-%E2%80%93-tertiary-tuition">Indigenous Tertiary Assistance Scheme</a> (ITAS).</p>
<p>ITAS has been around for 28 years, providing tutors for Indigenous students. I have worked as an ITAS tutor for 25 of those years, and have conducted interviews with many students who engage with the program. Working with the students and observing their progress suggests that ensuring all students have a tutor (especially in their first year) would lower the drop-out rate. </p>
<p>ITAS is funded directly from the <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/">Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet</a> as part of the <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/indigenous-advancement-strategy">Indigenous Advancement Strategy</a>, introduced in 2014. The cost of extending ITAS would be absorbed by the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and outweighed by higher student retention and an increase of university fees. A greater number of Indigenous students gaining degrees has the advantage of lowering Indigenous unemployment figures, since <a href="http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2017.pdf">statistics</a> show that graduates are able to find work very quickly. </p>
<h2>The first year is challenging</h2>
<p>University can be a daunting place at first for anyone. Many Indigenous students say university culture is like a foreign culture, and those from rural and remote communities in particular have difficulty adjusting to it. 44% of the students surveyed cited the reason for dropping out as financial. However, feedback suggests that stress, workloads and study/life balance, mentioned by the wider student cohort, need to be addressed. With appropriate support, the academic and personal challenges faced by students can become manageable. The current drop-out rate –<a href="http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2017.pdf">twice that of other first years</a> – disempowers both Indigenous communities and Australia as a whole. </p>
<p>Larger institutions such as Curtin University and the University of Western Australia, with cohorts of 400 to 600 Indigenous students, usually have 80 or more tutors available to work with students for two hours per academic unit per week. A larger number of tutors and more flexibility in how tutor hours are allotted would be beneficial.</p>
<h2>Student experiences</h2>
<p>Many students readily see the advantage of working with a tutor, but others attempt to go it alone. Students who come late to ITAS often regret not using the scheme earlier. One commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A good tutor can switch a student on to studying. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Students credit tutoring sessions with enhancing their ability to negotiate academia and successfully complete degrees. ITAS tutoring offers both academic assistance and mentoring. One student told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The feedback and support helps me feel more confident. It stops me from doubting myself. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I appreciated having someone to listen to my ideas, challenge me and support me. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Students may not have a clear understanding of exactly what is required of them. A student said he was exposed to skills he never knew he needed, and another commented on needing time-management skills, and help staying focused.</p>
<p>Students place importance on learning to “code switch”: having the ability to change between everyday speaking and writing, to academic language. Indigenous students may speak Aboriginal English, <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-largest-language-spoken-exclusively-in-australia-kriol-56286">Kriol</a>, and an Aboriginal language. Often they speak all three. Effective code switching bridges the gap and provides the student with the tools to understand the requirements of an assignment and how to complete them successfully.</p>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="585" data-image="" data-title="An interview with Indigenous students from the Aboriginal Studies Students Program." data-size="4683231" data-source="Lesley Neale" data-source-url="" data-license="Author provided (no reuse)" data-license-url="">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/943/aboriginal-studies-students-program-interview-1.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
An interview with Indigenous students from the Aboriginal Studies Students Program.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lesley Neale</span>, <span class="license">Author provided (no reuse)</span><span class="download"><span>4.47 MB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/943/aboriginal-studies-students-program-interview-1.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<h2>Working strategies</h2>
<p>The learning environment provided by ITAS tutor sessions is quite different from that of a seminar or lecture, apart from the one-on-one aspect. ITAS tutors don’t teach course content. They facilitate strategy development, help assignment planning, and suggest ways of working. Sessions focus on a student’s area of need, and draw on their strengths such as verbal competence, creativity or life experiences.</p>
<p>Strategies such as “<a href="https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/37083">yarning</a>” are effective when working with Indigenous students – and indeed, all students. Many tutors instinctively use these practices. The informality of yarning, or sharing information, establishes relationships and inspires collaboration. In tutor/student relationships, this leads to mutual respect and builds a learning space for discussing problems, sharing ideas and engaging with the intellectual rigours of a degree. One student said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Spending time with my tutor provided time to question academic theories, practice critical thinking and work on my research skills. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Effective tutoring encourages students to challenge themselves. A Master’s student explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s not just about passing the units; I want to own the skill set. Own my work.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The yarning-style sessions, offer a learning space that fosters intellectual growth, benefiting students beyond the years at university. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/indigenous-advancement-strategy">Indigenous Advancement Strategy</a>, states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The positive impact that education has on the future success of individuals, families and communities is clear. Children who go to school have better life outcomes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We need to ensure that Indigenous students who earn the right to be at university can take full advantage of the opportunity. Tutoring, if available to more students, especially first years, can play a vital role in preventing the drop out rate. ITAS tutors offer academic tuition and mentoring and, according to students, are uniquely positioned to help them reach their full potential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86130/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lesley Neale works at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies, Curtin University, WA, as an ITAS tutor.
She has been an ITAS tutor for 25 years, both at Curtin and Edith Cowan University, WA.
She has previously been a lecturer in Indigenous Education at Curtin and the University of Western Australia.</span></em></p>There has been an increase in Australian Indigenous students enrolling in university in the last 10 years, and we need to provide them with tutors to keep them there.Dr Lesley Neale, Adjunct Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/794352017-06-15T20:06:54Z2017-06-15T20:06:54ZWhy more schools need to teach bilingual education to Indigenous children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173898/original/file-20170614-15456-ekw3c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Indigenous children can benefit greatly from learning in a language they understand. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Neda Vanovac/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/auws/arounduws_home_page/auws_archives/2014/january_to_may/working_in_remote_australia">Nancy Oldfield Napurrurla</a> has taught at <a href="http://www.yuendumuschool.nt.edu.au/early_childhood.php">Yuendumu school</a> for over 30 years. </p>
<p>In her preschool transition class, the children attentively sing along in Warlpiri to <a href="http://brdu.weebly.com/song-lyrics.html">Marlu Witalpa</a> (Little Kangaroo). It’s a seemingly simple children’s song about a kangaroo looking for its mother. But with its complex expressions and traditional <a href="http://iltyemiltyem.com/sign/">hand signs</a>, it’s also an effective tool for learning.</p>
<p>Nancy has introduced generations of children to school routines, literacy, and early years knowledge and skills all in a language they understand: Warlpiri. At the same time, they learn oral English from another teacher in a staged curriculum. As they master some English language, they are introduced to English literacy.</p>
<h2>Learning in a language you understand</h2>
<p>This dual language approach is based on research showing that many concepts are best learned in the language that the learner understands.
And mastery in first language supports second language learning, <a href="http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/fostering-literacy-development-english-language-learners">success in literacy</a> and <a href="https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/goldenberg.pdf">academic achievement</a> in both languages. </p>
<p>Increasingly, <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674371105600203">international</a> and Australian <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-010-9582-y">research</a> and <a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/languages/framework-for-aboriginal-languages-and-torres-strait-islander-languages/rationale">policy</a> make strong links between recognition and use of first language and cultural knowledge, and student identity, wellbeing and education outcomes. </p>
<p>Teachers in Warlpiri-English and other bilingual schools, such as Yirrkala school, have long worked to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-25/indigenous-education-in-a-modern-world/8555368">innovatively blend traditional</a> and contemporary knowledge.</p>
<p>The overarching aim of this dual language focus is to provide young people with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdCboHjkk5w">skills</a> they will need as bicultural adults in the modern world. This is relevant in sectors such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/joining-the-dots-indigenous-art-and-language-in-the-national-cultural-policy-12806">the arts</a>, <a href="http://www.indigenous.gov.au/news-and-media/stories/first-learning-country-students-graduate">land management</a>, <a href="https://www.naati.com.au/projects/indigenous-interpreting-project-iip/">interpreting</a> in legal and health settings and education, to name just a few.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fdCboHjkk5w?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The importance of bilingual education was recognised more than 50 years ago when, in 1961, politician Kim Beazley Senior saw a classroom like Nancy’s at Hermannsburg school in central Australia, where children were learning in Arrernte and English.</p>
<p>The success of this classroom, compared with its English-only counterparts, inspired him. </p>
<p>Later, as education minister in the newly elected Whitlam government in 1972, he oversaw the launch of the Northern Territory Bilingual Education program. These early days and the decades that followed are documented in a new volume, <a href="http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811020766">History of Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory</a>.</p>
<p>At its most ambitious in 1988, 24 remote schools had programs in English and 19 Aboriginal languages. Local people were directly involved in the education of their children, and champions for schooling in remote communities.</p>
<h2>Too few qualified Aboriginal teachers</h2>
<p>The schools desperately needed Aboriginal teachers, and training programs were developed through the establishment of Batchelor College and the School for Australian Linguistics (now combined as <a href="https://www.batchelor.edu.au/">Batchelor Institute for Indigenous Tertiary Education</a>). </p>
<p>Many Aboriginal people, like Nancy, often of the first or second generation in their families to attend school, were supported by their school and the department to obtain professional qualifications and leadership opportunities. </p>
<p>These opportunities were provided by combinations of in-community on-the-job learning, intensive courses at Batchelor College, and support from travelling Batchelor College lecturers.</p>
<p>However, in the intervening years, changes to accreditation regimes and changes to Batchelor College funding have meant that these opportunities are now rarely available to Indigenous people in remote communities. </p>
<p>Sadly, there are fewer qualified Aboriginal teachers in remote Australia today than in the 1980s.</p>
<h2>Team work</h2>
<p>Indigenous teachers worked side by side with non-Indigenous teachers in bilingual teaching teams. This required professional development in the skills of team teaching, and teaching English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD).</p>
<p>Non-local teachers were trained, supported on the job and/or accessed professional learning in these skills. </p>
<p>This support was not only essential for young non-local teachers to acquire these skills, it also provided them with social and intellectual support that helped them stay longer on communities. </p>
<p>The need for trained English language teachers and structured EALD programs in remote schools has been raised in virtually every report since the 1990s. </p>
<p>The lack of these skilled professionals continues to hamper Aboriginal students’ learning English and <a href="https://theconversation.com/infographic-are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-78253">academic success</a> across the Northern Territory.</p>
<h2>Bilingual language approach creates jobs</h2>
<p>The dual language focus created jobs in remote communities, not just in teaching.</p>
<p>With a great need for written materials to support the program, Literacy Production Centres were established, with a prodigious output of books. These included fiction, history, science and reference works in Aboriginal languages. Recently much of this has been made digitally available in the <a href="http://www.cdu.edu.au/laal/">Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages</a>.</p>
<p>Despite efforts to promote the dual language focus and its importance to communities, it remained controversial, and subject to shifts in policy and resourcing. Ideological disagreements often drowned out evidence and the opportunity to review and improve practice.</p>
<h2>Importance of community involvement</h2>
<p>While much has changed since 1972, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/19290693/WHY_LOCAL_STAFF_MATTER_IN_VERY_REMOTE_SCHOOLS">recent research shows</a> the continued importance of community involvement in schools. </p>
<p>Now in 2017, the Northern Territory Education Department is <a href="https://education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/382499/DiscussionPaper-Keeping-Indigenous-Languages-and-Culture-Strong.pdf">preparing policy</a> and developing curriculum for teaching Aboriginal languages, including the remaining bilingual programs, based on the new National Curriculum. </p>
<p>These moves recognise the value of Aboriginal languages in education and employment.</p>
<p>But policy and curriculum on their own are not enough. Aboriginal classrooms need more Nancy Oldfields, more trained teachers from their own communities who speak their own languages. The Western Australian <a href="http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/detcms/school-support-programs/curriculum-support/news-items/expressions-of-interest-for-2017-aboriginal-languages-teacher-training.en">Department of Education</a> has a practical and innovative model to achieve this. </p>
<p>Classrooms need more trained teachers who are skilled in teaching oral and written English to children who speak other languages. And they need these teachers to be skilled in working together as professional teams. </p>
<p>This is where Australia needs to invest in <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Aboriginal education</a> - in teacher education, professional learning and team-teaching, and excellence in languages education.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79435/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Disbray is a Research Fellow with the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, ANU, and is associated with the Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University.
She is co-editor of History of Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory along with Brian and Nancy Devlin, both of Charles Darwin University.
This work was funded in part by the Remote Education Systems Project, Co-operative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation <a href="https://crc-rep.com/remote-education-systems">https://crc-rep.com/remote-education-systems</a>
</span></em></p>Research shows many concepts are best learned in the language that the learner understands.Samantha Disbray, Senior linguistics researcher, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/713422017-06-14T20:07:41Z2017-06-14T20:07:41ZAutonomy and strong female leadership key to success of Indigenous owned Murri School<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173698/original/file-20170614-30051-h3wr0f.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Murri School is one of the few Indigenous owned and controlled schools in Australia. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot from YouTube video.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em> </p>
<hr>
<p>In Indigenous education, we constantly hear bad news stories of children falling through gaps and schools unable to assist students who need the most help. </p>
<p>As an Indigenous woman and researcher this affects me greatly, and to the general public, creates a malaise and apathy that disables any tangible solutions. </p>
<p>I’m currently working on a research project about how these negative stories impact on Indigenous education, and I am tired of seeing what doesn’t work. </p>
<p>But there are positive stories of success in Indigenous education - stories that show there is great hope in the way Indigenous communities provide solutions for their children. </p>
<p>I’ve seen many positive and inspiring programs that show that things can be different. Isn’t it time that we focused on a successful story on Indigenous education, and ponder what lessons could be learnt from this?</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173699/original/file-20170614-30067-9ry35x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot taken from YouTube video.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The Murri School - a success story</h2>
<p>The Aboriginal and Islander Community School (<a href="http://www.murrischool.com/">The Murri School</a>) is a great example of a school working constructively for all of its children. </p>
<p>For over 30 years, this independent school has been quietly achieving results. Growing from a small derelict building in inner city Brisbane, the school now resides in Brisbane’s south and is large enough to cater for their students. </p>
<p>The Murri School is focusing on the practicalities such as busses to get children to school, and using a holistic approach that gives families empowerment in school decision making. </p>
<p>This school is one of the few Indigenous owned and controlled schools in Australia. </p>
<p>It has around 208 students ranging from Prep to Year 12 and uses creative ways to encourage the success of its students. These include close connection to health services through which it employs a family support worker, speech pathologist and a number of psychologists and counsellors. The school was established on the assertion of real sovereignty and self determination. </p>
<p>School Board President Dr Valerie Cooms says that part of their success is due to strong female involvement: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We work closely with mostly mums and grandmothers and some fathers too, from the enrolment process right through to assessing individual student needs (health and wellbeing) as well as assessing their literacy and numeracy capabilities. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a PhD candidate researching Aboriginal women and leadership, the involvement of these women comes as no surprise as it appears the work that many do in education is often of a volunteer nature, yet tireless in its approach to building a strong autonomous school environment. </p>
<p>This goes beyond the nurturing idea of women’s leadership towards strong and determined capacity building, governance and advocacy. </p>
<h2>Autonomous schools look beyond government targets</h2>
<p>Autonomous schools have to work intensely with both government departments and the community in order to provide an effective school environment. </p>
<p>The process of establishing such a school is more than building classrooms, playing fields, tuckshops, and administration offices. It is also moves beyond achieving government-based targets. As Cooms explains: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s more than just assessing academic skills, we want our students to learn how to communicate and navigate the complex world around them. Cultural pride and identity as Indigenous people is key to learning academic and socio-cultural skills. </p>
<p>Moreover, parents and other care providers feel comfortable communicating their concerns or needs in our school because we are community based and owned organisation, not a program designed and implemented from elsewhere. Its home grown. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The school provides a range of activities for a dispersed population and has multiple roles, including service provider and the “voice” of the community on many issues. The school also employs many Indigenous people.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AyLyiIF4LEs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Some of the positive programs run through the school have included healing camps, run with both students and family members, and the inclusion of a Family Support Service. This service supports families in their day to day struggles in crisis intervention, prevention, advocacy and support. </p>
<p>These elements connect strongly with the school’s desire to include parents in the school environment, thereby involving them in their children’s education. </p>
<p>For Indigenous children, the education curriculum can be full of <a href="https://theconversation.com/history-textbooks-still-imply-that-australians-are-white-72796">white representations</a> that often don’t resonate. </p>
<p>Together with the impact of stereotyping on these children, this suggests that having a school where there is a dense population of black faces helps build an environment where students can feel comfortable.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing about many of these programs is that they go well beyond trying to close gaps. These programs, in their own unique ways, achieve far beyond the targets that the government has set. </p>
<p>For instance, the Murri School doesn’t just aim to improve literacy or attendance, it also recognises the value of parents and community being involved in educational decision-making for their child’s future. It also sets the bar high by working at building pathways for Indigenous employment, such as traineeships for Year 12 students. </p>
<p>The example of this school highlights not only the success in Indigenous owned and run institutions, but poses the question of why we don’t have more of these stories in the education system. </p>
<p>There is more that needs to be done in Indigenous education, and parental and community involvement shows just one way that the disadvantage can be addressed. </p>
<p>In light of all the bad news, how refreshing is it to hear and witness the hope and enthusiasm that exists in spite of this negativity? Why are there not more Indigenous schools, and is community ownership the way to change the disadvantage we hear in Indigenous education? It is time we shifted focus and celebrated more of these success stories.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71342/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tess Ryan receives funding from The University of Canberra for research into the studying the deficit metrics of Indigenous education. </span></em></p>For the past 30 years, this Indigenous owned and controlled school has been quietly achieving results. Here’s what the school board president says is behind their success.Dr Tess Ryan, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra and Project Officer, Poche Center for Indigenous Health, University of Melbourne, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/727962017-06-11T20:30:31Z2017-06-11T20:30:31ZHistory textbooks still imply that Australians are white<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160838/original/image-20170315-10178-1c9ggmb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Who is portrayed as Australian? 'Opening of the first parliament' Tom Roberts c.1903</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia_(1901%E2%80%9345)">Wikipedia</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em> </p>
<hr>
<p>Despite improvements to their content over time, secondary school history textbooks still imply that Australians are white. </p>
<p>Textbook depictions of Australianness are not only relevant to experiences of national belonging or exclusion. <a href="https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/approach2/indigenous_schooling_brayboy.pdf">Research has shown</a> that students who aren’t represented in textbooks perform worse academically. </p>
<p>My PhD research analysed portrayals of Australianness in secondary school history textbooks from 1950 to 2010. </p>
<p>This time frame covers a period of significant social change in Australia, symbolised by the transition from the White Australia era of the 1950s and 1960s, to multiculturalism, which has existed since. Textbooks reflect these broad social changes.</p>
<h2>1950s and 1960s – a celebratory narrative</h2>
<p>Textbooks published in the White Australia era openly taught a celebratory version of history in which Aborigines were either absent or derided. </p>
<p>White people were portrayed as the developers of the nation. This can be seen in the following extract from the preface of <a href="http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2233488">A Junior History of Australia</a> by A. L. Meston, published in 1950: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The object of this little book is to tell the wonderful story of our own country. Fewer than one hundred and fifty years ago no white man lived in our land. In so short a space of time by the pluck, hard work, and energy of our grandmothers and grandfathers, and of our mothers and fathers, a splendid heritage has been handed down to us.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This extract assumes the reader is white. Aboriginal students are overlooked. Similarly, Aboriginal contributions to each and every stage of <a href="http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/551080">national development</a> are ignored.</p>
<p>Aborigines are only mentioned occasionally in textbooks from this era. When Aborigines are included, the portrayals are usually negative, as shown in the drawing below. </p>
<p>The caption from this image endorses the derisive perception of Aborigines reported by English explorer William Dampier, who first visited north-western Australia in the late 17th century.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163013/original/image-20170328-3798-6ddtsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1191&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This image from a textbook published in 1950 was titled ‘One of Dampier’s miserablest people’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">A Junior History by A L Meston</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Has anything changed since the 1960s?</h2>
<p>The White Australia Policy was replaced by multiculturalism in the 1970s. </p>
<p>Subsequent changes to textbooks reflected this broader social change: Aborigines and non-white immigrants featured more prominently and were portrayed more respectfully. </p>
<p>For example, most history textbooks published from the 1970s onwards have an initial chapter on pre- and/or post-colonial Aboriginal life and a later chapter on post-war immigrants.</p>
<p>Despite improvements such as these, history textbooks still imply that Australians are white. This occurs due to inconsistencies between what is written (the explicit content) and the underlying messages or meanings (the implicit content). </p>
<p>For example, initial chapters that discuss Aboriginal life prior to colonisation are followed by others on European “discovery” and “exploration”, which imply that the continent was vacant and unknown prior to the arrival of Europeans. </p>
<p>There are also inconsistencies in who is considered Australian. Aborigines are named as Australian in initial chapters on Aboriginal life. However, this description of Aborigines as Australian is contradicted by the exclusion of Aborigines from notions of Australianness in the remainder of the text. </p>
<p>The main narrative describes the experiences of white Australians in various eras such as the gold rushes, Federation, the Depression and the world wars. This implies that Australian history is white history and that Australians are white. By excluding Aborigines from these sections, whites are framed as normative or “real” Australians. </p>
<h2>21st-century textbooks</h2>
<p>Current textbooks show further, albeit, minor improvements compared to those published in the latter decades of the 20th century. For example, Europeans are portrayed as arriving in Australia, rather than “discovering” it. </p>
<p>Another improvement is that references to Aboriginality are no longer restricted to the initial “Aboriginal” chapter. However, Aborigines appear only momentarily in the main narrative. When contrasted with the detailed coverage of white experiences, the cursory treatment of Aborigines implies that Australian history is the story of white Australians.</p>
<p>This pattern is evident in chapters on the gold rushes. The painting below frequently appears in these chapters in textbooks published in the 2000s. This painting, which depicts white people searching for gold, represents the overall focus of these chapters on white people. Aborigines are absent. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160843/original/image-20170315-10192-c234qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘An Australian gold diggings’ Edwin Stocqueler c.1855.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikipedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Representations of Aboriginality in these chapters are limited to a throwaway line on the impact of the gold rushes on Aborigines, with no mention of Aboriginal responses. </p>
<p>Some 21st-century textbooks also include fleeting references to Aboriginality in chapters on national identity. </p>
<p>Descriptions of nationalism in these texts often include a section on late 19th-century Australian art. This section typically cover iconic artists such as Tom Roberts and Frederick McCubbin. </p>
<p>However, some textbooks published this century also include an example of Aboriginal art in this section, typically William Barak’s painting “Figures in possum skin cloaks”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160850/original/image-20170315-10183-1qok283.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Figures in possum skin cloaks’ William Barak c.1898.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Gallery of Victoria</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The belated inclusion of Aborigines in chapters on Australian national identity is a welcome improvement. Nevertheless, this inclusion is momentary.</p>
<h2>Who’s responsible for textbook content?</h2>
<p>According to the Australian Constitution, responsibility for school education resides with the states rather than the federal government. </p>
<p>The first steps in the development of a national curriculum were taken in the 1980s. However, it wasn’t until the development of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/national-curriculum-review-experts-respond-26913">national curriculum</a> in 2013 that textbooks began to be marketed on the basis of meeting curriculum guidelines.</p>
<p>The cross-curricular priorities in the current version of the Australian curriculum state that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be able to see themselves, their identities and their cultures <a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/crosscurriculumpriorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/overview">reflected in the curriculum</a>. This is supported <a href="http://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:21067">by research</a> which shows that embedding Aboriginal perspectives within the curriculum improves educational outcomes. </p>
<p>Australian history textbooks have made considerable progress towards presenting more inclusive and balanced narratives. However, this progress has stalled. My research shows that Australian history textbooks continue to portray Australians as white. Further work is needed to ensure textbooks adequately represent all Australians. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72796/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robyn Moore's doctoral research was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. </span></em></p>Despite improvements to their content over time, secondary school history textbooks still imply that ‘real’ Australians are white.Robyn Moore, Graduate reseach assistant, School of Social Sciences, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/768552017-06-07T20:12:00Z2017-06-07T20:12:00ZIs policy on Indigenous education deliberately being stalled?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171415/original/file-20170530-16290-105d2rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why has such little progress been made over the past 50 years in Indigenous education?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tracey Nearmy/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em> </p>
<hr>
<p>A lack of real progress in Indigenous education since its first policy in 1989 points to a new form of colonisation, as the government tries to maintain control.</p>
<p>In the year I was born – 1974 – it had only been two years since New South Wales had abolished the practice of excluding Aboriginal students from public schools. </p>
<p>These explicit actions of exclusion were validated by policies such as the <a href="http://www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/pdf/25608720.pdf">“Clean, Clad and Courteous” policy</a>. Aboriginal children could be excluded from the classroom at the morning parade due to perceived health and/or hygeine issues. </p>
<p>There was also the 1902 <a href="http://policiesanpracticesinindigenouseducation.weebly.com/1902.html">“Exclusion on Demand”</a> policy, under which government schools in NSW were told to exclude Aboriginal children if other parents made a complaint about Indigenous children being in their child’s classroom. These children could then only attend special Aboriginal schools, which were not run by the Education Department, and were therefore predominantly taught by unqualified teachers.</p>
<p>Most of the work in Indigenous education is commissioned government reports. These rarely include Indigenous voices and expertise - and when they do, the inclusion of Indigenous voices is overshadowed by the responses of governmental bodies. </p>
<p>This is demonstrated in the evaluation reports of the <a href="http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/ATSI%20documents/2012%20ATSI%20Report/ATSIEAP%202012%20Report.pdf">Action Plan</a> - a 2012 report about the implementation of the Action Plan. The feedback provided by the Indigenous Education Consultative Bodies was immediately countered by the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood’s comments. </p>
<p>This is despite recommendations from a <a href="http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=016448209044877;res=IELAPA">report published 15 years earlier</a>, in 1975 by the Schools Commission in collaboration with the then Aboriginal Consultative Group, which suggested key areas for change, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>making sure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were involved with all decision-making processes of Indigenous education</p></li>
<li><p>increasing the number of Indigenous teachers</p></li>
<li><p>ensuring initial teacher education courses included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures</p></li>
<li><p>developing educational programs to inform parents and community about the efforts and initiatives that government is implementing to overcome educational disparities. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>My PhD is looking at how the language in education policy is maintaining the beliefs, attitudes and values of colonial Australia. To understand how this is happening, you need to go back and look at the policies that have been introduced, how they came about, and whether they had any impact.</p>
<h2>Timeline of Indigenous education policy</h2>
<p>While the Church of England was <a href="https://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/services/Download/mq:14591/DS01?view=true">predominantly responsible</a> for the education of Indigenous children in the early 1800s, few actually received this, and the education was minimal at best. </p>
<p>The teaching and learning provided was to produce domestic servants or farm hands. There was also the hidden agenda of <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/catalogue_resources/18801.pdf">assimilation</a>: Aboriginal people were to deny their Aboriginality and cultural beliefs and take on the “Australian way”.</p>
<p><em>Click on the timeline below to read about the policies that have been introduced.</em> </p>
<hr>
<iframe src="https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1jfNV2XEa6NrhQMSVZ9kgOh2LIzb3p042lizIWiyocZQ&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650" width="100%" height="650" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<hr>
<h2>Why is progress so slow?</h2>
<p>The most recent <a href="http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2017.pdf">Closing the Gap</a> report – released in February 2017 – again lamented the slow progress in achieving the COAG targets to redress disparities between Australia’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in education, health and employment. </p>
<p>It reported:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a 10 percentage point disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students’ attendance at school</p></li>
<li><p>only Year 9 numeracy is on track to meet the projected goals for all areas of NAPLAN </p></li>
<li><p>just 61.5% of Indigenous youth gained a Year 12 certificate in 2014-15.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The lack of progress mentioned continuously within the nine years of Closing the Gap reports – and the consistency in the areas of concern – illustrates how policy rhetoric lacks innovation and, more importantly, Indigenous voice. </p>
<p>The disparities in <a href="https://theconversation.com/naplans-tale-of-two-territories-why-act-and-nt-are-on-opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum-45696">numeracy and literacy</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/punishing-truancy-is-not-the-answer-in-indigenous-communities-21497">disengagement of Indigenous youth</a> from school, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-for-the-western-world-the-indigenous-education-dilemma-11326">lack of understanding about Indigenous histories</a>, cultures and languages by the dominant white teacher workforce, and the need to include Indigenous peoples in the schooling environment are still being addressed, despite 50 years of Indigenous education policy. </p>
<p>The recent <a href="http://matsiti.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/MATSITI-2016-Project-Evaluation-Final-Report.pdf">More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI)</a> saw the Indigenous teacher population in schools rise above 3,000 teachers Australia-wide.</p>
<h2>New form of colonisation?</h2>
<p>The government continues to dictate the educational strategies to address the perceived “problems” in Indigenous education. Indigenous peoples’ involvement is minimal. There are only two Indigenous members of the <a href="http://www.finance.gov.au/node/116741/">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Advisory Group</a>, which is led by a non-Indigenous male. </p>
<p>Maori academic Professor Graham Smith <a href="https://www2.viu.ca/integratedplanning/documents/DrGrahamSmith.pdf">wrote about the new forms of colonisation</a> prevalent within the political sphere used to obstruct Indigenous peoples’ aspirations. </p>
<p>The abolition of ATSIC and the change of political rhetoric to self-empowerment are just some examples of the new forms of colonisation within Indigenous policy. </p>
<p>With the silencing of Indigenous voice, the ability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to achieve their aspirations in life through their own actions, rather than the often-depicted representation of the oppressed in need of assistance, maintains a deficit view. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/IKS/cool.html">Coolangatta Statement on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in education</a> asserts that the perceived failures in education are the actual rejections of the Western education system. They argue that Indigenous peoples have the right to a holistic education that acknowledges and respects Indigenous cultures, histories and languages. </p>
<p>Government sets the goals, targets and strategies in current Indigenous education policy. Government sets the measures of success. The minimal Indigenous representation in policymaking ensures the political agenda is heard. </p>
<p>There is a need to address the disparities, but there is also a need to include Indigenous peoples in this fight for equality and equity.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76855/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melitta Hogarth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Indigenous peoples have very little power when it comes to education policy. Goals, targets and strategies are instead set by the government.Melitta Hogarth, Associate Lecturer, School of Teacher Education and Leadership, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/782532017-06-06T19:23:16Z2017-06-06T19:23:16ZInfographic: Are we making progress on Indigenous education?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171993/original/file-20170602-22797-9t7cwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Northern Territory has the highest proportion of Indigenous school students.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Neda Vanovac/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">this series</a>, we’ll discuss whether progress is being made on Indigenous education, looking at various areas including policy, scholarships, school leadership, literacy and much more.</em> </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=8236&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=8236&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=8236&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=10350&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=10350&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/172654/original/file-20170607-5695-hdi3xl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=10350&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Various sources/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/are-we-making-progress-on-indigenous-education-39329">Read more articles</a> in this series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78253/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tony Dreise does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Indigenous students who graduate from university have slightly higher full-time employment prospects than their non-Indigenous peers.Claire Shaw, Education EditorWes Mountain, Social Media + Visual Storytelling EditorJamal Ben Haddou, Editorial internLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.