tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/indigenous-students-16797/articlesIndigenous students – The Conversation2024-03-03T19:19:06Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247392024-03-03T19:19:06Z2024-03-03T19:19:06ZUniversities Accord: there’s a push to increase Indigenous students and voices in higher education. But we need more detail and funding<p><em>The federal government has released the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/accord-final-report">final report</a> on a Universities Accord. Taking more than a year to prepare, it is billed as a “blueprint” for reform for the next decade and beyond. It contains 47 recommendations across student fees, wellbeing, funding, teaching, research and university governance. You can find the rest of our accord coverage <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/universities-accord-121839">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>The Universities Accord <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/accord-final-report">final report</a> calls for meaningful steps to increase the numbers of Indigenous graduates and Indigenous leaders in higher education. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-well-behind-on-closing-the-gap-this-is-why-we-needed-a-voice-to-parliament-223309">post-referendum Australia</a>, this is more important than ever.</p>
<p>The philosophy of “nothing about us without us” runs through the report, with recommendations for Indigenous leadership in policies, programs, funding and decision-making. Is this enough? </p>
<h2>What does the accord recommend?</h2>
<p>One of the key recommendations of the report is to raise Indigenous participation at university. The accord wants Australia’s university student population to reflect the demographic composition of Australian society.</p>
<p>It wants to do this by introducing equity targets. At the moment, Indigenous Australians make up 3.7% of the Australian population but only 1.5% of university completions. </p>
<p>In part, it hopes to do this with more <a href="https://theconversation.com/uncapping-uni-places-for-indigenous-students-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction-but-we-must-do-much-more-208918">government-supported university places</a> for Indigenous students and scholarships. </p>
<p>It also has a strong element of self-determination, with a proposed First Nations-led review of universities and a First Nations council to provide advice to the federal education minister and sector. The report also calls for more Indigenous people in leadership and governance positions within universities. </p>
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<h2>This is not the first time</h2>
<p>While the sentiments in the report are welcome, this is not the first time there have been <a href="https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/policy-submissions/diversity-equity/indigenous-higher-education/">plans to boost</a> Indigenous enrolment at university. Although previous reports have advocated for increased Indigenous Australian participation at universities, completion rates have <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-5178-7_2">remained low</a>.</p>
<p>So we need more than just good intentions or targets. Preparing Indigenous Australian students for university also needs to involve recognising and valuing different pathways into higher education. This should include recognising work experience and preparatory programs (and not just Year 12 results) and/or participation in pre-university experiences and courses. </p>
<p>It also needs to include mentorships, career counselling and work experience in high school.</p>
<p>Once students are enrolled, universities also need to provide support to Indigenous students throughout their study. This may include culturally responsive approaches to teaching, access to support services, and nurturing a sense of belonging on campus. </p>
<p>For example, Indigenous support units for both undergraduate students and postgraduate students are essential. This <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-981-13-3364-4_39-1.pdf">support</a> must be tailored to the individual needs of each student.</p>
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<img alt="The main quadrangle at Sydney University. An old sandstone building with grass in the middle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=65%2C75%2C6179%2C4138&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579079/original/file-20240301-22-tzvcwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Indigenous students need more support to get to and stay at university.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-large-building-with-a-clock-tower-on-top-of-it-Bfrlsegt8hc">Camille Chen/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>Financial support is a problem</h2>
<p>Financial challenges can prevent students from completing their degrees, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, regional areas or Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Rising <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/sites/ministers.treasury.gov.au/files/2023-04/eiac-report.pdf">living costs</a> are exacerbating students’ <a href="https://www.abc.net.auf/news/2023-05-04/university-students-forced-into-poverty-to/102305834">financial struggles</a>. </p>
<p>Many Indigenous students may also experience <a href="https://www.naccho.org.au/app/uploads/2023/05/Nature-and-Extent-of-Poverty-NACCHO-submission.pdf">intergenerational poverty</a> as a legacy of colonisation. As the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation <a href="https://www.naccho.org.au/app/uploads/2023/05/Nature-and-Extent-of-Poverty-NACCHO-submission.pdf">notes</a>, poverty is “reinforced and entrenched” by ongoing experiences of racism. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.xcdsystem.com/aare/program/PJRPyvc/index.cfm">research</a> involving 308 Indigenous Australian students who completed their university degrees between 2018 and 2022 found economic conditions, particularly financial hardship, were one of the key factors affecting Indigenous students’ completion. Students often had to rely on support from family and/or take on work while studying to make ends meet.</p>
<p>So it is vital that Indigenous students get adequate financial support that covers the cost of food, accommodation and study materials. The review suggests financial support to students needs to increase. While costly, this should be a priority. </p>
<p>Approximately 63% of Australia’s <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/profile-of-indigenous-australians">Indigenous population</a> also live in outer regional areas or very remote areas. </p>
<p>The report talks at length about boosting infrastructure for regional campuses. This is a crucial component. Indigenous Australians need to be able to study in places close to where they live and that they can easily access. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-feel-like-ive-been-able-to-create-more-awareness-what-is-it-like-for-indigenous-men-at-top-ranked-universities-217186">'I feel like I've been able to create more awareness': what is it like for Indigenous men at top-ranked universities?</a>
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<h2>First Nations review</h2>
<p>The report recommends a First Nations-led review of tertiary education with a view to “strengthening” student and university workforce numbers of Indigenous peoples, as well as First Nations knowledge of research. </p>
<p>The Indigenous higher education sector has been <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215558/">calling for reforms</a> for years, which have been documented in various government reports. National Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander Higher Education consortium: Accelerating Indigenous Higher Education consultation paper. </p>
<p>So while this proposed new review sounds like a significant and comprehensive piece of work, it isn’t a new idea. What’s really needed is a commitment to implement recommendations from the years of work by Indigenous experts in the higher education sector, rather than starting a new process. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/uncapping-uni-places-for-indigenous-students-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction-but-we-must-do-much-more-208918">Uncapping uni places for Indigenous students is a step in the right direction, but we must do much more</a>
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<h2>A call to action</h2>
<p>The accord aims to build a more inclusive and equitable higher education for all Australians, but we need to see more detail and timelines for action. </p>
<p>The government is still considering the report and has indicated it will take several budgets to implement. </p>
<p>So at this stage, it is only a call to action. Whether the call will be answered remains to be seen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224739/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Anderson receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Levon Ellen Blue previously received funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angela Baeza Pena, Melanie Saward, and Thu Dinh Xuan Pham do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The accord calls for meaningful steps to increase the numbers of Indigenous graduates and Indigenous leaders in higher education. In a post-referendum Australia, this is more important than ever.Peter Anderson, Professor and Director, Indigenous Research Unit, Griffith UniversityAngela Baeza Pena, Lecturer at Carumba Institute, Queensland University of TechnologyLevon Ellen Blue, Senior Lecturer, The University of QueenslandMelanie Saward, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Queensland University of TechnologyThu Dinh Xuan Pham, Senior Research Assistant, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2171862023-11-16T19:03:55Z2023-11-16T19:03:55Z‘I feel like I’ve been able to create more awareness’: what is it like for Indigenous men at top-ranked universities?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559231/original/file-20231114-19-hi7iql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C40%2C5439%2C3587&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-large-group-of-people-in-graduation-gowns-bOrjvtn7aY0">Emmanuel Offei/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the top priorities of the Universities Accord process it <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">to improve access</a> to university in Australia, particularly for those from underrepresented groups. </p>
<p>This is particularly so for Indigenous men, who are among the least likely groups go to university, let alone an elite one. Elite universities are highly ranked, located in metropolitan areas and tend to have <a href="https://theconversation.com/gonski-for-universities-what-if-we-funded-higher-education-like-schools-216898">fewer students from disadvantaged backgrounds</a> (as opposed to regional and lower-ranked universities). </p>
<p>As of 2019, <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2019-section-6-indigenous-students">about 4.5%</a> of Indigenous men had gone to university. Indigenous women are nearly <a href="https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20190304-Final-Indigenous-Strategy-Report-v2-2.pdf">twice as likely</a> to apply for an undergraduate degree. </p>
<p>As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-05/fact-check-young-indigenous-man-jail-university-anthony-albanese/102932912">pointed out</a>, there is “a greater chance of an Indigenous young male going to jail than university”.</p>
<p>But while politicians talk about how they want to see more Indigenous people attend and graduate from university, we don’t often hear from Indigenous students about their experiences. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-enabling-programs-how-do-they-help-australians-get-to-uni-210269">What are enabling programs? How do they help Australians get to uni?</a>
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<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>We are a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/higher-education-aspirations-participation-achievement-australian-indigenous-males/">studying</a> Indigenous men in higher education. We <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2023.2232559">have interviewed</a> 19 Indigenous current and former students across Australia as part of our research.</p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-22174-3_8">Understanding the experiences</a> of those who are making university work for them can help us understand how to make higher education a better option for other young Indigenous men. </p>
<p>Here <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13596748.2023.2221118">we focus on</a> four young men – Nullah, Dural, Ricky and Birrani – who were attending an elite Australian university. </p>
<h2>Isolation and homesickness</h2>
<p>Many Indigenous students <a href="https://www.indigenoushpf.gov.au/measures/2-06-educational-participation">grow up in remote areas</a>, which presents a geographical barrier to study. All Australia’s top-ranked universities are in major cities. This means many Indigenous students have to move to go to university. </p>
<p>Nullah studied education, history and maths. He told us he felt homesick during his studies:</p>
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<p>I just didn’t know anyone getting down here. And it was pretty hard. I found it a lot easier to form relationships at the [Indigenous Support Unit] – more so than within my degree and in my classes. </p>
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<p>Dural, who studied clinical psychology, also spoke of feeling isolated in his studies: </p>
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<p>there wasn’t any Aboriginal people around at all. And I was like, yeah I didn’t really sort of know why that was the case or like I said before, felt isolated.</p>
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<h2>Ignorance and racism</h2>
<p>Interviewees also spoke about encountering ignorance and casual racism at university. </p>
<p>Ricky did an education degree, with a focus on drama and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. He found the Indigenous course he studied to be “watered down and it was so surface-level that it annoyed me”. </p>
<p>He also spoke about how little his fellow students knew about Indigenous culture. He gave the example of needing to explain to other students why another Indigenous student had not looked them in the eye. </p>
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<p>I was like, ‘Well, a lot of Indigenous people believe looking you in the eyes is a form of aggression. And out of respect, they won’t look you in the eyes.’ They were like, ‘Oh, we didn’t know that’ […]</p>
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<p>But Ricky told us casual racism was the “hardest thing”: </p>
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<p>I found it hard when we did education around Indigenous people and some of the casual racism. That was probably the hardest thing to deal with. And it’s not so much like I think they were trying to be racist, but some of the stuff that they’re saying, I was like, ‘Do you realise what you’re saying right now?’ Like do you understand?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-would-like-to-go-to-university-flexi-school-students-share-their-goals-in-australia-first-survey-193396">'I would like to go to university': flexi school students share their goals in Australia-first survey</a>
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<h2>Passion for study and a desire to help</h2>
<p>Despite feelings of isolation and racism, our interviewees spoke of their studies with great passion. As Birrani, who did an advanced science degree, explained: </p>
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<p>I didn’t really think of going to uni as an investment [in my future career] and all that kind of stuff. I just thought of it as doing what I want to do. I just wanted to do science.</p>
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<p>Interviewees spoke about wanting to represent their culture and take their education back to their communities. Dural was highly motivated by what his education would allow him to do: </p>
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<p>knowing that when you go to a psychologist, hoping that they’re culturally sensitive and they can sort of understand your experiences as an Aboriginal person as well.</p>
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<p>Nullah talked about showing people in his community that higher education was an option for them. </p>
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<p>I always, I knew that I was capable of studying at uni. And I kind of wanted to also prove to the people in my own community and mostly I tell my brothers that it can be done.</p>
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<h2>Change is possible</h2>
<p>Despite the issues with their institutions, our interviewees saw the university environment as malleable and something that could be improved. Ricky spoke about representing his culture at university. </p>
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<p>Like, really my motivation to go to uni is to make sure that Indigenous people get the right education, but it’s also about educating the educators to be able to educate in this topic.</p>
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<p>Nullah similarly talked about helping to “embed” Indigenous perspective in classrooms. </p>
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<p>I feel like that’s my passion and that’s my purpose, is having our people and our culture and our history represented more in the education curriculum and also to have that education there.</p>
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<p>He added he wanted to influence how Indigenous culture was perceived at his university: </p>
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<p>It’s something I’m really passionate about like my background, my culture, and sort of getting that out across into the university.</p>
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<p>Dural was he was the only Indigenous male in his psychology course. But he saw this in positive terms as an opportunity for change:</p>
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<p>So in my cohort, I guess whenever those issues come up, or whenever anyone’s wants to talk about psychology from more of an Aboriginal perspective, then I’m able to sort of share my knowledge and my experiences. And yeah, I feel like I’ve been able to sort of create more awareness around those issues, I guess.</p>
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<h2>A lot more to learn</h2>
<p>Our research shows how young Indigenous men face significant barriers in their university studies. But it also shows how they approach their education with great passion, optimism and pride. </p>
<p>The interviewees told us how their strong sense of connection to culture and their identity inform how they navigate elite universities. They often encountered experiences where they had to educate their fellow classmates who, according to them, had little familiarity with Indigenous cultures.</p>
<p>Policymakers have a lot to learn from students like Nullah, Dural, Ricky and Birrani, especially if we are going to ensure university is a place that genuinely welcomes and supports Indigenous men to study. Our research highlights the importance of taking culture seriously, and what is possible if Indigenous culture is acknowledged, affirmed and incorporated into higher education spaces and learning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217186/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Garth Stahl has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Braden Hill has previously received funding from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Himanshu Gupta has received funding from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Smith has received funding from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE); and is a past Equity Fellow and Adjunct Professor with NCSEHE. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Moore 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>Politicians talk about how they want to see more Indigenous graduates but we don’t often hear from Indigenous students about their experiences. New research talks to four young Indigenous men.Garth Stahl, Associate Professor, The University of QueenslandBraden Hill, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students Equity and Indigenous), Edith Cowan UniversityHimanshu Gupta, Senior Research Fellow (Lived Experience), Flinders UniversityJames Smith, Matthew Flinders Professor (Health and Social Equity), Flinders UniversitySamuel Moore, Researcher, Menzies School of Health ResearchLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2089182023-07-03T06:56:48Z2023-07-03T06:56:48ZUncapping uni places for Indigenous students is a step in the right direction, but we must do much more<p>Australian universities are calling on the federal government to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/push-to-remove-cap-on-university-places-for-indigenous-students/102553570">uncap university places</a> for all Indigenous students. </p>
<p>This would mean any Indigenous applicant, provided they met the entrance requirements, could go to university. Currently, places are only uncapped for Indigenous Australians living in regional and remote areas. </p>
<p>The proposal is part of a broader push by peak body Universities Australia to increase Indigenous participation in higher education.</p>
<p>Is it a good idea? What is needed to boost Indigenous participation at university? </p>
<h2>Australian universities and Indigenous students</h2>
<p>On Sunday night, Universities Australia released a <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/uncapping-university-places-for-indigenous-australians/">progress report</a> on their Indigenous Strategy. </p>
<p>This explicitly recognises the presence and impact of racism in Australian universities. And emphasises universities’ responsibility for Indigenous advancement, addressing racism and cultural safety and embedding Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into university systems and structures.</p>
<p>It shows how universities are still heavily focused on recruitment of Indigenous students. These strategies are working at some level. The report noted Indigenous student enrolments more than doubled between 2008 and 2021. </p>
<p>But Indigenous student enrolment is still only at 2.08% and bachelor degree completion rates remain low compared to non-Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Almost one in two Australians in their 20s have a university degree compared to only 7% cent of young Indigenous Australians.</p>
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<h2>Uncapped places</h2>
<p>Universities Australia wants to see a new push to improve Indigenous participation through uncapped places for all Indigenous Australians, irrespective of their postcode. </p>
<p>With 75% of Indigenous people living in urban areas, Universities Australia say the current policy needs to change.</p>
<p>The call comes as a time when big changes are expected for higher education. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">Universities Accord review team</a> has prepared a draft report on reshaping Australian universities. Increasing participation and access to university for disadvantaged group is a key priority. The government is expected to release it later this month. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-would-like-to-go-to-university-flexi-school-students-share-their-goals-in-australia-first-survey-193396">'I would like to go to university': flexi school students share their goals in Australia-first survey</a>
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<h2>Is this a good idea?</h2>
<p>This proposal certainly provides a tangible pathway for any Indigenous person wishing to undertake university study, regardless of their location. </p>
<p>However, as with many policies affecting Indigenous peoples, it need to be part of a holistic approach. Encouraging more Indigenous Australians to enrol in a university degree will not be as simple as just uncapping places. </p>
<p>For any university student to be successful, they must have foundational academic skills to support their <a href="https://www.educationnext.org/students-need-common-foundational-skills/">learning</a>. Closing the Gap data in <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/closing-the-gap">education</a> shows there is also still a long way to go in addressing schooling educational outcomes. For example, <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/closing-the-gap-data/dashboard/socioeconomic/outcome-area5">in 2021</a>, 68% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had achieved Year 12 or higher, compared with 91% of non-Indigenous Australians. </p>
<p>It is vital Indigenous peoples wanting to undertake university study come equipped with the skills they need for success. Many mob come with invaluable knowledge, perspectives and experiences connected to their identities as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. In addition to these strengths, academic preparedness for university study that results from quality schooling will support their educational trajectories over the long term. </p>
<h2>Culture must change</h2>
<p>Indigenous students also need to be supported when they get to university. The Universities Australia report showed almost all Australian universities have activities or programs for recruitment of Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Although, when surveyed, less than half of the 39 Australian universities made reference to an anti-racism statement or policy. The report also notes: </p>
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<p>member universities’ responses were generally not focused on equipping students with an awareness of Indigenous values and knowledges.</p>
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<p>Along with more evidence-based interventions to support schooling outcomes (so students can take advantage of an uncapped place), universities must embrace the challenges outlined in the report and take real action to address them. </p>
<p>If the culture and environment of universities don’t change, providing more numbers or even other methods such as scholarships are unlikely to change the overall outcome. </p>
<p>Urgent action is required and uncapping Indigenous student numbers is only one small part of a larger picture. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/once-students-knew-their-identity-they-excelled-how-to-talk-about-excellence-in-indigenous-education-193394">'Once students knew their identity, they excelled': how to talk about excellence in Indigenous education</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208918/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marnee Shay receives funding from the Australian Research Council, AIATSIS and Edmund Rice Education Australia.
She is a member of QATSIETAC Department of Education Queensland and is a non-executive Director on the Edmund Rice Education Australia National Flexi School Board.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maria Raciti works for the University of the Sunshine Coast. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bronwyn Fredericks 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>Universities Australia is calling on the federal government to uncap university places for all Indigenous students, regardless of where they live.Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandBronwyn Fredericks, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), The University of QueenslandMaria Raciti, Professor, Marketing and Co-Director Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2077912023-06-22T22:14:58Z2023-06-22T22:14:58ZPreventing and addressing violence in schools: 4 priorities as educators plan for next year<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533292/original/file-20230621-27-llwb2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C266%2C7396%2C4025&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ontario must prioritize funding for accessing essential social services to address the root causes of students' behavioural issues. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Farewell to another school year. In Ontario, after a return to full activities with academics, clubs and teams after pandemic shutdowns, it seems that schools were constantly in the news for negative reasons. </p>
<p>The public heard about a <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/york-catholic-district-board-students-deserve-to-be-safe-after-alleged-violence-erupts-at-lgbtq2s-walkout-1.6440138">lack of support for LGBTQ2S+ identities</a>, <a href="https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/teacher-argues-school-board-violated-her-freedom-of-speech-when-her-presentation-on-library-books-was-cut-off-1.6428140">chaotic and divisive school trustee meetings</a> and a <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-ontario-teachers-violence-schools/">rise in violence</a> in schools.</p>
<p>A major contributing factor to this rise in violence in schools is <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/04/20/there-will-be-an-impact-ford-government-shortchanging-school-boards-unions-say.html">the chronic underfunding of public education and the social service sector</a>. We need more infrastructure in communities that are economically neglected, often racialized communities. </p>
<p>In this challenging context, schools need to think hard about how they allocate resources and staff equitably, particularly now, at a time when they are approving their budgets for September. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People seen lining up outside an apartment building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532960/original/file-20230620-8426-rsjkhj.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">Schools have faced challenges as students returned to full activities following pandemic shutdowns. Here, residents of Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighbourhood line up at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic in April 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Violence in schools</h2>
<p>In the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9705668/tdsb-students-involved-violence-2022-2023/">323 students were involved in violence between September 2022 and April 2023, meaning the year has been on pace to set a new record by the end of the school year</a>. </p>
<p>An alarming three-quarters (77 per cent) of members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), <a href="https://www.etfo.ca/news-publications/media-releases/etfo-member-survey-shows-violence-pervasive-in-schools">said they have “personally experienced violence or witnessed violence against another staff member</a>” in a recent survey conducted by Strategic Communications. Survey results are based on a weighted sample of 24,872 ETFO members’ responses. </p>
<p>Black and other minoritized youth and educators <a href="https://educationactiontoronto.com/articles/systemic-violence-institutional-apathy-and-the-death-of-222-school-aged-students/">are becoming collateral damage by being pushed out of schools due to wilful neglect of institutions in not supporting their needs</a>. For students, the effects can be deadly: there have been 222 homicides of school-aged children (students up to age 21 years old) since 2007 in Toronto, with the victims and perpetrators predominantly Black. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s3mD7Dyf6bY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘The School to Prison Pipeline in Ontario’ video from Black Legal Action Centre.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The school-to-prison pipeline</h2>
<p>The school-to-prison pipeline continues to cast a dark shadow over the education system in Ontario. This “pipeline” refers to the systematic processes that push students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, <a href="https://www.kroegerpolicyreview.com/post/the-school-to-prison-pipeline-an-analysis-on-systemic-racism-with-ontario-school-boards">out of the educational system and into the criminal justice system</a>.</p>
<p>This trend disproportionately affects marginalized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous students, <a href="https://rsc-src.ca/en/covid-19/impact-covid-19-in-racialized-communities/racial-inequity-covid-19-and-education-black-and">perpetuating a cycle of poverty, systemic discrimination and mass incarceration</a>.</p>
<p>When <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-we-slow-down-youth-gun-violence-podcast-194145">Jordan Manners died 16 years ago, it was the first time a high school student had been fatally shot inside a Toronto school</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532780/original/file-20230619-1844-wgz3k3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Jordan Manners’s mother, Lorraine Small, is comforted by her sister as she speaks at a news conference in Toronto in January 2008.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS</span></span>
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<p>Since that time, despite numerous reports commissioned and recommendations made by various stakeholders, <a href="https://www.falconerschoolsafetyreport.com/finalReport.html">little has been done to address the root causes of violence in schools and racialized communities</a>. There is no national strategy to prevent violence and homicide largely impacting Black and racialized communities. </p>
<p><a href="https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/Manitoba%20Office/2015/09/Tough%20on%20Crime%20WEB.pdf">More policing and the tough-on-crime rhetoric is not the solution</a>, particularly with a mayoral election happening soon in the City of Toronto. </p>
<h2>Tragic impact on marginalized communities</h2>
<p>The school-to-prison pipeline encompasses various interconnected factors including <a href="https://colourofpovertyca.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/cop-coc-fact-sheet-3-racialized-poverty-in-education-learning-3.pdf">zero-tolerance punitive disciplinary practices in schools, over-policing of racialized communities, inadequate resources for students’ social and emotional well-being</a> and a lack of alternative support systems. </p>
<p>This is a result of many institutions and leaders at all three levels of government collectively failing to support the needs of racialized communities. </p>
<p>Suspensions and expulsions <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Agenda-Minutes/Type/A?Folder=Agenda/20210623&Filename=CaringandSafeSchoolsAnnualReport201920204134.pdf">disproportionately affect marginalized students</a>. This is why as of 2020, <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/students">Ontario’s Ministry of Education mandated no more suspensions for children from junior kindergarten to Grade 3</a>.</p>
<p>Indigenous and Black people are <a href="http://www.intersectionalanalyst.com/intersectional-analyst/2017/7/20/everything-you-were-never-taught-about-canadas-prison-systems">disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system</a>. This disparity is rooted in systemic racism and a culture of institutional apathy which together perpetuates cycles of inequality, poverty and intergenerational trauma. </p>
<h2>Calls to action</h2>
<p>There needs to be long-term funding by all institutions to create infrastructure and access to timely and reflective social services for minoritized communities to mitigate and dismantle <a href="https://springmag.ca/rising-food-insecurity-and-the-cost-of-living-crisis">systemic inequities, such as the housing crisis and food insecurity</a>, contributing to the rise in violence in schools. A comprehensive approach is necessary. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, schools and school boards need to plan for the future. Important considerations include: </p>
<p>1) <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-restorative-practices-benefit-all-students-maurice-elias">Implement restorative justice practices within all institutions</a>: Move away from punitive disciplinary measures and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quKa7C-wxZk">embrace restorative justice models that focus on repairing harm through trauma-informed and healing approaches</a>. </p>
<p>2) Allocate staff and resources equitably: <a href="https://peopleforeducation.ca/report/2022-annual-report-on-schools-a-perfect-storm-of-stress/">Ontario must prioritize funding for essential social services to address the root causes of students’ behavioural issues</a>, ultimately preventing students being pushed into the criminal justice system. Redirect funds towards mental health services, counsellors, social workers and community programs that prioritize <a href="https://yaaace.com/initiatives">prevention and timely intervention</a>. </p>
<p>3) Develop culturally responsive programs and services: <a href="https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-education/assets/resources/edi-resources-for-educators.html">Inclusive curricula</a> and <a href="https://yaaace.com/social-inclusion-strategy">programs and services</a> that reflect the histories, cultures and contributions of diverse communities matter. </p>
<p>This helps foster a sense of belonging and connection and reduces the likelihood of student and staff disengagement. There needs to be a more urgent implementation of <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf">the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action</a>. </p>
<p>4) Establish community partnerships to mitigate risk factors during evenings and weekends: Forge collaborations between schools, community organizations and families to provide holistic supports <a href="https://theconversation.com/ontario-can-close-students-access-and-opportunity-gaps-with-community-led-projects-184301">and resources that address local community needs, particularly on evenings and weekends</a>. Such community partnerships create continuity of care for children and youth.</p>
<p>At the end of April, Ontario’s Ministry of Education <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002960/ontario-combating-violence-and-improving-safety-in-schools">announced funding to combat violence and improving safety in schools through community partnerships</a>. Such investments are critical.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ontario-can-close-students-access-and-opportunity-gaps-with-community-led-projects-184301">Ontario can close students’ access and opportunity gaps with community-led projects</a>
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<p>Yet, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the provincial government has <a href="https://cupe.ca/fords-budget-risks-cutting-7000-education-workers-across-ontario#">used accounting tricks to disguise what amounts to a cut in public school funding for 2023-24</a>. Trustees with the Halton District School Board
say there is a $20-million funding shortfall, and <a href="https://www.insauga.com/school-classroom-cuts-predicted-as-20-million-shortfall-hits-burlington-oakville-and-milton/">funds for 2023-24 won’t support important classroom programs</a>. </p>
<p>If we do not systemically change our approach in how we support marginalized schools, students, parents and teachers, why are we surprised that the system keeps failing them? The effect of such failure is often the tragic outcome of death, being pushed out of schools or receiving a prison sentence. </p>
<p>We all have to do our part to hold institutions accountable, including for failures and neglect.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207791/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ardavan Eizadirad receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education (YAAACE) in the Jane and Finch community. </span></em></p>A contributing factor to a rise in violence in Ontario schools is underfunding of education and the social service sector. Using trauma-informed responses is part of the solution.Ardavan Eizadirad, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Wilfrid Laurier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag: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>
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<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">
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<span class="caption">Educators spoke of the importance of building relationships with students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author supplied</span></span>
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</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>
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<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/1866302022-07-12T20:03:10Z2022-07-12T20:03:10Z$1.5bn has gone into getting disadvantaged students into uni for very small gains. So what more can be done?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473518/original/file-20220712-13-1wrjox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=534%2C0%2C4285%2C2845&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The proportion of Australian university students from under-represented backgrounds has “barely moved” in more than a decade, federal Education Minister Jason Clare <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/speeches/5137-universities-australia-2022-gala-dinner">noted</a> last week. About 15% of undergraduates came from low-socieconomic-status (SES) backgrounds in 2008, he said, and a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview200910/EducationHigher">target of 20% by 2020</a> was set. Today the figure is <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/national-data/">around 17%</a>.</p>
<p>Since 2010, the Australian government has invested <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/has-government-investment-higher-education-equity-been-worth-it">nearly A$1.5 billion</a> in higher education equity programs. Yet participation and retention rates for the various equity groups <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/ncsehe-briefing-note-equity-student-participation-australian-higher-education-2014-2019-2/">remain stubbornly lower</a> than for other students. Equity groups include students from low-SES backgrounds and regional and remote areas as well as Indigenous students and students with a disability. </p>
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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>
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<p>The new minister’s commitment to improving outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is welcome. The challenge is to identify exactly how to achieve that goal. Reasons for the lack of progress to date are both “big” (macro) and “small” (micro). </p>
<p>At a macro level, the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ejed.12441">systemic issues</a> include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>finance – on average, students now <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/317516">takes 9.4 years to repay</a> their university debt, but the <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/maria-raciti-fellowship-perceived-risks-university-lowses/">perceived financial risk increases</a> for those from less wealthy backgrounds</p></li>
<li><p>distance – students from rural and remote areas often must relocate for their studies, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755458618302226">adding complexity to educational choices</a></p></li>
<li><p>prior education – students don’t have equal access to the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2012.750278">knowledge they need</a> to succeed at university. They might have attended a school where going on to university is unusual or be the first in their family or community to do this. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>All these issues mean attending university is a more complicated endeavour for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-first-in-family-uni-students-should-receive-more-support-38601">Why first-in-family uni students should receive more support</a>
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<h2>What needs to be done instead?</h2>
<p>Achieving more equitable participation in higher education requires fundamental shifts. </p>
<p>The first shift relates to <a href="https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/publication138663">how universities consider diverse students</a>. Current <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2017-section-11-equity-groups">equity group definitions</a> do not adequately capture the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2020.1740172?journalCode=cedr20">diversity of learners within equity groups</a>. </p>
<p>Students should not be characterised only in terms of “binary” groups – for example, low socio-economic status or not. We need far more nuanced understandings of students’ individual circumstances than postcode identifiers or <a href="https://issr.uq.edu.au/higher-education-participation-and-partnerships-program-2016-national-priorities-pool-review-identified-equity-groups">outdated classifications</a> can provide. </p>
<p>The lack of progress on equity points to the need to avoid a <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/mediareleases/university-support-humanitarian-migrants/">“one size fits all” approach</a>. Targeted support <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mercer-Mapstone_USYD_Final.pdf">attuned to students’ individual needs</a> is essential. </p>
<p>Technology can be used to provide <a href="https://studentsuccessjournal.org/article/view/2152">support at critical stages</a> of students’ academic journey, pre-empting decisions to quit their studies. An example of this would be using data analytics to check that students are regularly accessing online content. Checks like these should be followed up with in-person support via telephone or email. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/odds-are-against-first-in-family-uni-students-but-equity-policies-are-blind-to-them-155647">Odds are against ‘first in family’ uni students but equity policies are blind to them</a>
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<h2>Disruption has created opportunities</h2>
<p>The timing for such change is perfect. The pandemic has caused a major disruption to higher education delivery. At the same time, the global move to <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">blended learning</a> – combining electronic or online learning with face-to-face options – offers huge flexibility to better focus on students as individuals. </p>
<p>Students with a disability or who are older, have family or work responsibilities or live a long way from campus need this flexibility. Designing learning that works for students amid the realities of the pandemic particularly <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1360080X.2021.1933305">favours those from equity groups</a>. The lack of flexibility in traditional on-campus offerings often excluded them. </p>
<p>Carefully embracing the <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Baker_UNSW_FINAL.pdf">possibilities of technology</a> can lead to inclusive practices being “embedded” across the institution, rather than being an add-on or an afterthought. However, this is expensive work that requires adequate resourcing. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2022.2057450">Recent research</a> found full-time students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds are <a href="https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/ditch-the-widgets-start-investing-in-their-amazing-futures">four to six times more expensive</a> to support. Smaller regional campuses are often the ones that bear these costs.</p>
<p>The researchers called for more transparent and realistic funding models that cover the hidden investment by some institutions. They found the “opaque” nature of equity funding is a problem.</p>
<p>For example, a student may belong to more than one equity group and so receive funding from various schemes. Or the services provided for equity students are used by all students for much broader benefit. These complexities mean a realistic cost analysis is difficult. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-put-city-and-country-people-on-more-equal-footing-at-uni-the-pandemic-has-shown-us-how-164492">We can put city and country people on more equal footing at uni — the pandemic has shown us how</a>
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<h2>And what can each institution do?</h2>
<p>Such big changes need to be accompanied by actions at an institutional and individual level. The mantra “you can’t be what you can’t see” challenges universities to reconsider how their marketing and recruitment <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9780367854171/reimagining-higher-education-student-rachel-brooks-sarah-shea">portray “being a student”</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/200917-HE-Facts-and-Figures-2020.pdf">Nearly one in four students are older than 24</a> when they start university. Marketing and images that assume a younger school-leaver cohort need to be discarded. </p>
<p>This is important from an equity perspective. If you already have a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ejed.12434">lower sense of belonging or feel like an “imposter” at university</a>, depictions of youthful student “homogeneity” only confirm this. </p>
<p>Equally, small but important gestures can make a big difference to learners’ achievements in higher education. Using an <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/covid-19-student-equity-australian-higher-education/">“equity lens” to look at all facets of the university</a> is key. Begin with things like:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>providing clear and simple explanations instead of obtuse university terminology</p></li>
<li><p>scrutinising timetables to avoid unintentional exclusion - this might include specific options for parenting students or those who work to support their studies </p></li>
<li><p>ensuring <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/research-database/assessment-adjustments-impact-inclusion/">inclusive design principles</a> underpin decisions on assessment and program design</p></li>
<li><p>highlighting the diversity of staff.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These are simple but effective ways to promote feelings of belonging not only for equity groups but also students in general. </p>
<p>To realise the minister’s laudable ambition, all these changes need to be co-ordinated and based on solid evidence. An overarching <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/research-database/the-best-chance-for-all-a-policy-roadmap-for-post-pandemic-panic/">equity roadmap</a> is needed. </p>
<p>Any change should be informed by <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/">significant research in this field</a> and key stakeholders. They include not only those working at the equity coalface but also the people most affected by greater inclusion: the students, families and communities that our higher education institutions serve. </p>
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<p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/breaking-the-cycle-119149">Breaking the Cycle</a> series, which is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186630/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah O' Shea receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Education. She is affiliated with University of Wollongong (Honorary Fellow), the Churchill Trust and the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education. This article is part of The Conversation's Breaking the Cycle series, which is about escaping cycles of disadvantage. The series is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.</span></em></p>Despite a nearly 50% increase in the proportion of 25-to-34-year olds with a degree since 2008, the percentage of university students from under-represented equity groups has hardly changed.Sarah O'Shea, Professor and Director, National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1851692022-06-20T15:09:01Z2022-06-20T15:09:01ZWhy critical race theory should inform schools<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469030/original/file-20220615-18-4taem6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C19%2C4211%2C2796&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parents protested a new anti-racism policy at an Ontario school board saying their children could 'internalize shame and guilt because they’re white.'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-critical-race-theory-should-inform-schools" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Some parents have been raising concerns about the teaching of critical race theory in public schools in the United States. Recently, these specious claims have been showing up in Canada too. School boards are being questioned for their anti-racism policies and the teaching of CRT to students. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/06/13/anti-racism-lessons-essential-in-waterloo-regions-schools-public-board-trustees-hear.html"><em>The Waterloo Region Record</em></a> recently published a story that detailed how Waterloo Region District School Board trustees in Ontario were told by some parents they were concerned their children could “internalize shame and guilt because they’re white.” </p>
<p>A school delegation called “for more transparency about what’s being taught in classrooms on critical race theory and white privilege” and asked education staff to provide a working definition of the terms in relation to “anti-racist lesson plans.” </p>
<p>And last month, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/local-oshawa/news/2022/05/31/anti-racism-policy-approved-by-durham-catholic-definitions-of-terms-like-white-supremacy-and-colonialism-removed.html">a <em>Toronto Star</em> article</a> on Durham Catholic School Board’s “new anti-racism policy” reported that trustees and members of the public had concerns about language such as “white supremacy” and “colonialism.” </p>
<p>The language, they said, “reflected ‘critical race theory,’ an academic concept that contends racism — whether intentional or not — is systemic and embedded in institutions.” <em>The Star</em> reported that this language was removed from the new policy.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-you-shouldnt-be-afraid-of-critical-race-theory-podcast-183973">Why you shouldn't be afraid of critical race theory — Podcast</a>
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<h2>What is critical race theory?</h2>
<p>Law professor <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/20/the-man-behind-critical-race-theory">Derrick A. Bell</a> is credited with introducing critical race theory within legal studies in a 1976 article for <em>Yale Law Journal</em> and another in 1980 for the <em>Harvard Law Review</em>. </p>
<p>In those articles, Bell sought to explain how laws and public and institutional policies might, on one hand, offer civic rights protection for individuals, and on the other hand, reproduce and enable racial inequity, racism and discrimination. Other scholars who contributed to the scholarly CRT theoretical framework include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520972148-004">Kimberlé Crenshaw</a>. </p>
<p>The theory explores race and racialization and is one of several theoretical frameworks that explains how racism is built into our structures and systems.</p>
<p>These systems prevent equal outcomes in education, healthcare, housing, employment and more. CRT seeks to consider how historical, economic, political, social and cultural contexts inform contemporary realities and issues. </p>
<p>CRT also explores the intersections between racism, settler colonialism, ableism, sexism, classism, transphobia and other forms of oppression. </p>
<p>In education, CRT explains how notions of fairness, meritocracy, colour-blindness and neutrality are framed through dominant perspectives, and ignore the collective experiences of race and racism that shape the lives of Black, Indigenous and other racialized students.</p>
<h2>Canadians see racism as a problem</h2>
<p>According to a recent poll, <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Six-in-Ten-Canadians-See-Racism-Serious-Problem-Facing-Country%20m9%22%22">60 per cent of Canadians see racism as a serious problem facing our country</a>. This is hopeful news. To help us understand and respond to racism, we need a theoretical framework. CRT is not a policy, structure, training program or curriculum. It is a theoretical framework. As a theory, it is not introduced in K-12 schooling. </p>
<p>As a framework, it asks teachers to use equitable approaches to curriculum, policy and structures in schools and school boards. For example, K-12 curriculum that is viewed through a CRT lens provides historical contexts and explains how history informs contemporary social, political, economic, cultural situations and issues. </p>
<p>This curriculum would also include stories written from the perspective of Indigenous, Black and other racialized authors. </p>
<h2>The ‘moral panic’</h2>
<p>Programs and structures like this have long existed in Canada. Examples of this include: affirmative action programs, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code. </p>
<p>So why is there such confusion and resistance to these ideas now? Joshua Sealy-Harrington, a critical race scholar at The Lincoln Alexander Law School, told the <em>National Post</em> <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/what-is-critical-race-theory">the “moral panic” around CRT is “a well-funded and well-orchestrated political campaign.”</a> </p>
<p>This moral panic has gained traction among right-wing conservatives in the U.S. and Canada to stall and avert efforts at racial justice in K-12 schooling and higher education. </p>
<p>Critics of CRT say addressing racism in schools creates more division and is itself, an example of racism. They say CRT teaches white students to feel bad about themselves and feel guilty about being white. Instead, they call for “universal” approaches to education that focus on our common humanity. </p>
<p>Indeed, proponents of CRT are also committed to universal applications of rights and to equitable outcomes for all students’ learning, belonging and well-being and takes into account their lived realities. </p>
<p>All students are entitled to experience a classroom environment in which they can build strong relationships with teachers and fellow classmates, take risks with their learning and have their experiences affirmed. </p>
<h2>Racism is systemic, not individual</h2>
<p>If racism is seen as individual actions and beliefs, then suggesting someone has greater power and privilege in a white body than a Black or brown body may feel threatening. But racism is defined as systemic, and should be understood as structural. </p>
<p>Three components constitute the systemic properties of racism: something that is constitutive of laws, legislations and policies; something that is comprised of policies, rules and curricula within institutions; individual beliefs, perceptions and attitudes. </p>
<p>Therefore, feeling threatened when talking about whiteness or white supremacy is not an example of racism.</p>
<p>In our work with educators, we have seen the ways in which delving into issues of race and racism invite students of all racial backgrounds to make sense of the world around them and reflect on their responsibilities in creating more just and humane futures. </p>
<p>Avoiding conversations about race ensures that racism flourishes, creates inhospitable educational contexts and contributes to a deficient learning experience for all students. </p>
<p>We need dialogue that is committed to centring the voices of those who live marginalized and racialized realities and for whom schooling has failed to meet their interests, needs and aspirations. Racism needs to be addressed if we are going to flourish as a society.</p>
<h2>Listen and follow the conversation</h2>
<iframe height="480px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/fb609e39-d729-4a54-860a-8a411be157ae?dark=false&show=true"></iframe>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-572" class="tc-infographic" height="100" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/572/661898416fdc21fc4fdef6a5379efd7cac19d9d5/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185169/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Recently, specious claims against critical race theory have been showing up in Canada. School boards are being questioned about their anti-racism policies and the teaching of CRT to students.Carl E. James, Professor, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, York University, CanadaVidya Shah, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1770592022-02-15T18:49:02Z2022-02-15T18:49:02ZAustralia’s education system is one of the most unequal in the OECD. But we know how to help fix it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446449/original/file-20220215-19-ex9v0e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-school-friends-walking-down-staircase-722063872">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to UNICEF, <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/995-an-unfair-start-education-inequality-children.html">Australia ranks in the bottom third</a> of OECD countries in providing equitable access to quality education. This means our education system – from access to early childhood education to expectations for study after school – does not allow every student to enjoy the same benefits that come from schooling. </p>
<p>The students who often miss out are from disadvantaged families. This includes young people with disabilities, First Nations peoples, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, students in regional and remote communities, and young refugees and asylum seekers.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/widening-gaps/">Grattan Institute report</a> shows the gap between students whose parents have low education and those with highly educated parents grows from ten months in year 3 to around two-and-a-half years by year 9. And because of COVID, and the disruption to education, vulnerable students are even <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1324268/Learning-at-home-during-COVID-19-updated.pdf">worse off than before</a>. </p>
<p>This is important because what happens to young people at school affects the opportunities they are exposed to for the rest of their lives. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-are-becoming-more-segregated-this-threatens-student-outcomes-155455">Australian schools are becoming more segregated. This threatens student outcomes</a>
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<p>Existing testing measures don’t capture young peoples’ whole learning experience which occurs both inside and outside formal education settings. Nor do they capture all key objectives of education including promoting active citizenship and social engagement.</p>
<p>In our <a href="https://www.csi.edu.au/research/project/amplify-insights-education-inequity/">report out today</a> through the Centre for Social Impact, we reviewed 45 education interventions and culturally inclusive studies. We synthesised the findings and have come up with so-called “levers for change”. These represent actions that can be implemented not only in schools, but also outside educational settings including communities, to make education more equitable.</p>
<h2>What programs did we evaluate?</h2>
<p>The 45 programs we chose to review had been through a rigorous evaluation process. We specifically looked for those implemented in schools and communities that had shown promise in improving education and other social learning outcomes – such as problem solving and teamwork skills – for young people in vulnerable contexts. </p>
<p>These included programs that connect families in remote communities with local early childhood services and community playgroups, as well as offer small staff-to-student ratios and targeted care to families experiencing stress. </p>
<p>Other programs exposed students to a variety of workplace and study settings and provided Indigenous cultural activities to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.</p>
<p>Out of the 45 programs we looked at, 15 focused on First Nations students.</p>
<h2>Our findings</h2>
<p>From our review, four key findings emerged:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>students in disadvantaged groups have a range of skills that aren’t captured in traditional education. These include the ability to care for family members with disability, or be an interpreter to other family members. School systems and other flexible learning models should find a way to use these young people’s existing strengths which will contribute to outcomes including building their resilience and confidence</p></li>
<li><p>while there are a number of culturally responsive Indigenous education programs, they are often lacking rigorous evaluation. This means successful ones cannot be replicated. Indigenous education experts are calling for strong evidence of best practice models for Indigenous young people</p></li>
<li><p>student agency is often missing from discussions about their future. For example, there could be a formal process in schools where students document and integrate various experiences they gain when doing work experience in their local community. These experiences would transfer to skills such as confidence, time management, teamwork, and students’ increased understanding of themselves and belonging in the world</p></li>
<li><p>when schools, families and communities work in non-tokenistic partnerships, this can lead to decreased drop-out rates for young people, improved attendance and strengthened pride in their culture. This was evident in programs where school authorities partnered with parents, Elders and the community to nurture cultural perspectives.</p></li>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-improve-our-education-system-stop-seeking-advice-from-far-off-gurus-and-encourage-expertise-in-schools-165320">Want to improve our education system? Stop seeking advice from far-off gurus and encourage expertise in schools</a>
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<h2>Recommendations for change</h2>
<p>Our findings translate to what we have termed “levers for change” as well as recommendations for governments, education systems and communities.</p>
<p>The key recommendations include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>acknowledge the limitations of Western definitions of knowledge and look to other perspectives. This means rethinking what counts as “success” in learning by prioritising competencies gained outside traditional education settings. This includes investing in flexible education options with non-ATAR based pathways</p></li>
<li><p>engage young people more fully into school and community life through social learning programs. This includes supporting partnerships between schools, universities and communities to enable young people to pursue education and employment pathways in local and outer regions</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446486/original/file-20220215-23-12l3o6k.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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traditional education doesn’t recognise skills such as caring for family members.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-carer-walking-elderly-woman-garden-1378824143">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p>develop a robust evidence ecosystem, so there is a continuous process of collecting best practice evidence of student learning from schools and outside schools</p></li>
<li><p>share and replicate successful or promising interventions across education settings and in the community. We must recognise programs and evidence are often highly contextual, bound by demographic groups, settings, duration and other parameters.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Feedback on our recommendations</h2>
<p>In January we workshopped our recommendations with educators, philanthropic organisations, and those who implement programs. We spoke about which recommendations should be prioritised and the barriers that need to be removed. </p>
<p>People recognised the importance of non-ATAR driven approaches and recognising and documenting skills developed outside schools.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pisa-doesnt-define-education-quality-and-knee-jerk-policy-proposals-wont-fix-whatever-is-broken-128389">PISA doesn't define education quality, and knee-jerk policy proposals won't fix whatever is broken</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>They also identified policy choices and institutional barriers, such as lack of sustained investment and approaches which focus on deficits rather than strengths. We should also be careful in assuming successes in one jurisdiction or context will replicate in others. </p>
<p>Above all, steps must be taken to actively include diverse young people in decisions that impact their future. This is our next step; we will take our recommendations to young people to gain further feedback.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177059/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meera Varadharajan receives funding from Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy Australasia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Noone 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>Researchers reviewed 45 programs that aim to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students. This is what they found, and their recommendations to make Australia’s education more equitable.Meera Varadharajan, Research Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, UNSW SydneyJack Noone, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1672592021-10-21T14:19:50Z2021-10-21T14:19:50Z4 moves to make math visible with kids, using counters<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425751/original/file-20211011-25-1dnzapk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C135%2C4751%2C3003&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If we each get to choose four colourful candies, my four includes three orange and one blue. Yours? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Let’s say you’re a parent helping a Grade 1 child with their math, and they’re subtracting eight from 17, using small items — counters — like Smarties, multicoloured Rocket candies or Lego pieces.</p>
<p>The child counts out 17 items. Then, they count eight of those items to take away. Finally, they start counting the remaining items. </p>
<p>Here is where parents who haven’t revisited math instruction for decades <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-math-how-to-support-your-child-in-elementary-school-87479">get confused and want to show their child what they believe</a> is a faster or better way: by picking up a pencil and paper to stack the 17 on top of the eight.</p>
<p>Don’t be surprised if your child brings home a few unfamiliar strategies. Many classrooms today embrace “<a href="http://www.meaningfulmathmoments.com/number-talks.html">number talks</a>” — what math educator Sherry Parish defines as discussions about computation problems “<a href="https://books.google.ca/books/about/Number_Talks.html?id=p4B9F1u2T4kC">designed to elicit specific strategies that focus on number relationships and number theory</a>.” </p>
<h2>Making math thinking visible</h2>
<p>In the example above that involves subtracting eight from 17, parents may be thinking the next step in teaching a child is relaying the rule that you never take a bigger number from a smaller one. </p>
<p>They may want to tell the child: “You can’t take eight away from seven, so you borrow a 10 from the tens column …” That’s when the parent and child both realize they are exactly where they started, subtracting eight from 17. Yikes!</p>
<p>Instead of falling into the trap of showing and telling your preferred method for subtracting, mathematics educators recommend <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-things-weve-learned-about-math-success-that-might-surprise-parents-135114">listening to learners and talking about what they already know</a>. </p>
<p>What the child says and does can be a resource for understanding subtraction. </p>
<p>Here are ways parents or teachers could support a learner’s strategy by helping make their thinking visible.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Six wooden rounds organized into two rows with a wooden figure six on top." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426303/original/file-20211013-15-51qber.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">It’s important for kids to learn to quickly see how many without counting, through quick visual recognition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Move No. 1: Make arrangements</h2>
<p>Talking about numbers involves understanding “how muchness” — for instance: how 17 is 20 less three, or how it’s 15 and two more. Math educators talk about the importance of learning to “subitze” — learning to quickly see how many without counting, through quick visual recognition. </p>
<p>Using counters helps students see quantities. This can be done by making specific arrangements with counters, like grouping counters into circles, rows or clusters of threes, fours and fives. For example, if the number 17 is arranged into subitized images of five, a child might say they see three fives and two remaining single units.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="17 dots arranged into clusters of three fives and a two." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425928/original/file-20211012-23-91b1wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Seventeen seen as five, five, five and two. How would you subtract eight?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marc Husband)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Prompting them to subtract eight might provoke a strategy where the child takes away five, and then another three. Depending on where the child starts taking away (from left to right versus right to left), they could be left with different subitized images: for example, two, five and two; or five and four. </p>
<p>Such processes of “decomposing” numbers — breaking down the eight into five, two and one — builds what’s called <a href="https://www.stenhouse.com/content/number-sense-routines-grades-k-3">number sense</a> (understanding how numbers are related).</p>
<h2>Move No. 2: Colour code</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="17 dots shown with ten of the dots blue, and seven of them in green." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425929/original/file-20211012-23-17syhnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Using different colours can help kids see numbers within numbers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marc Husband)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Using two different colour counters can enhance a learner’s ability to see activities <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-006-9005-9">that are happening in their minds</a>. </p>
<p>Supposing the child says, in subtracting eight from 17, they want to subtract seven first. You can then lay out seven green counters and 10 blue ones, and then remove seven green and one blue. Coding numbers with colours helps students to see numbers within numbers (that seven and one make eight).</p>
<h2>Move No. 3: Show the action</h2>
<p>When learners subtract, they’re doing a mental action. Seeing this action with counters supports understanding the concept of “taking away.” </p>
<p>Let’s continue with our example of 17 minus eight with the 17 organized into subitized images of five and two. If the child says that they want to subtract the seven first, a parent or teacher can illustrate this by pulling (in a downwards motion) the arrangements of seven, followed by one from the remaining 10. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Eight dots with arrows are shown moving away from a cluser of 17 dots." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425931/original/file-20211012-21-1lrxtez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Moving the counters demonstrates what thinking processes are happening.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marc Husband)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Emphasizing the mental activities by doing and recording is beneficial for all learners. It may in particular also be a way for educators to seek to engage Indigenous learners. As math researcher and educator Lisa Lunney Borden writes, in a case <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ961339">study of Mi'kmaw students in Atlantic Canada learning math, most Indigenous languages in Canada have verb-based origins, and language generates world views</a> and cultural ways of knowing. From this perspective, emphasizing process and action in math may help engage Indigenous learners and affirm their identity formation whether or not they currently speak their ancestral language.</p>
<h2>Move No. 4: Check-in repeatedly</h2>
<p>While you’re arranging counters, colour coding and showing actions to make ideas visible, you can support a two-way conversation by checking in multiple times with kids. Consider the following questions or prompts: </p>
<p><strong>“Can you say it again?”</strong>: If you’re unsure what they did, don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat it. Taking time to figure out what they did values their thinking and can be engaging for everyone, including the parent or educator.</p>
<p><strong>Gesture</strong>: When you move counters to make a learner’s thinking visible, gesture by making a circle with a finger over the counters they say they’re seeing. While colour coding, you might ask: “What numbers do you see now? Show me the 10. Where’s the seven? The one?” Take turns gesturing over the counters to seek agreement on what you’re recording. </p>
<p><strong>Go slowly</strong>: Students’ thinking can happen fast, so slowing down what’s happening in their head is a good thing. To support slowing down, ask questions like: “What did you do first?”</p>
<p><strong>Let the learner take the lead</strong>: If the learner says their strategy is: “I subtracted seven first, then one more,” pull seven counters down and ask them which counter (from the remaining 10) should be pulled down to make the eight. The learner might choose a counter different than you. There is no correct answer here — pulling the middle counter down, for example, might make it easier for them to see the remaining nine. </p>
<p>We would love to hear how these moves support talking about math!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167259/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Math educators share four ways parents can use counters, like candies or lego pieces, to lead ‘number talks’ that help kids develop an understanding of how numbers are related.Marc Husband, Assistant Professor, School of Education, St. Francis Xavier UniversityHeather Bourrie, PhD Candidate, Mathematics Education, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1668272021-09-14T20:52:06Z2021-09-14T20:52:06ZSuspensions and expulsions could set our most vulnerable kids on a path to school drop-out, drug use and crime<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420716/original/file-20210913-22-9g46h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/front-view-single-sad-teen-lamenting-631014524">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Increasing numbers of students are being excluded from Australian schools. This is done both temporarily, through informal and formal suspensions, and permanently, through expelling them and cancelling their enrolments. </p>
<p>We know from publicly available data in <a href="https://data.cese.nsw.gov.au/data/dataset/suspensions-and-expulsions-in-nsw-government-schools/resource/7eab017c-58ca-470b-b7aa-de723d20442a">New South Wales</a>, <a href="https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/suspensions-exclusions-by-year-level/resource/86addaee-71ee-4bab-bb13-185938590966">South Australia</a> and <a href="https://qed.qld.gov.au/publications/reports/statistics/schooling/students">Queensland</a> that these exclusions begin in the first year of school when children can be as young as four years old.</p>
<p>Informal exclusions are more common at this stage and usually occur in the form of a phone call requesting parents “take home” their child. </p>
<p>But because exclusionary discipline does not address the issues underlying childrens’ behaviour — and can reinforce it — short informal exclusions quickly progress to longer, formal suspensions. And because suspension still doesn’t solve the problem, one suspension can become many. </p>
<p>This progression was clearly laid out in analyses conducted during last year’s <a href="https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/report-of-an-independent-inquiry-into-suspensions-exclusions-and-expulsions-in-south-australian-government-schools.pdf">Inquiry into Suspension, Exclusion and Expulsion processes in South Australian Government Schools</a>. </p>
<h2>4 in 5 suspended students have disability</h2>
<p>One analysis retrospectively tracked the average number of take-homes, suspensions and exclusions for 24 students who were in year 9 in 2019. It illustrates the graduation from shorter and less severe, to longer and more severe, exclusions over time. </p>
<p>A small number of take-homes progressed to more take-homes, then to suspensions, more suspensions and eventually to exclusions, which are longer-term suspensions. In South Australia, these are four to ten weeks in length (exclusions in other states are the same as expulsions).</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>How small exclusions become bigger over time</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=311&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418296/original/file-20210827-4994-1pux10l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Average number of take homes, suspensions and exclusions received by 24 students, who received more than one exclusion in 2019 from reception to Year 9.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SA education department data, unpublished, September 2020.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>Another analysis conducted as part of the inquiry showed while the majority of students suspended (56.8%) accounted for just over one quarter of suspensions (28.7%), the majority of suspensions (71.3%) went to students suspended two or more times. </p>
<p>The red box in the graph below shows the percentage of students receiving one suspension in 2019. </p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Most suspensions in 2019 went to students suspended two or more times</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418297/original/file-20210828-17822-c58r5o.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Percentage of students per number of times suspended compared to the percentage of incidents each group represents, in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SA Department for Education data collections, unpublished, September 2020.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>What this means is that 42.8% of students suspended in 2019 received more than one suspension in that year, with 42 students receiving ten or more. Four in five of these 42 students had a disability.</p>
<p>The blue box in the above graph highlights the percentage of suspended students (7.8%) who received five or more suspensions in 2019. Together, these 804 students accounted for almost as many suspensions (24.7%) as students in the much larger (red) group who were only suspended once. </p>
<p>As with the students suspended ten or more times, four in five students suspended more than five times had a disability. </p>
<h2>Indigenous students overrepresented</h2>
<p>Along with students with a disability, Indigenous students and those living in out-of-home care are also massively overrepresented in suspension and exclusion statistics. These are not distinct groups. It is possible to be Indigenous, have a disability and be living in care. </p>
<p>Analysis of South Australian data separated by group shows close to one in five suspensions in 2019 (17%) went to students in two or more of these groups. </p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Most suspensions in 2019 went to very vulnerable students</strong> </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418298/original/file-20210828-19142-d4xgu.png?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">Distribution of suspensions across risk groups and the school index of educational disadvantage (1=most disadvantaged, 7=least disadvantaged).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SA Department for Education data collections, unpublished, September 2020.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Further analysis showed two out of three of these suspensions went to Indigenous students with a disability, followed by children with a disability living in care. Just over one in ten of these suspensions were given to Indigenous children with a disability living in care. </p>
<p>New research to be presented at QUT <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/c4ie/">Centre for Inclusive Education</a>’s forum on <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/c4ie/events/2021-inclusive-education-forum/">reducing school exclusion</a> this week shows in 2019 in Queensland, there were 350.8 suspension incidents per 1,000 Indigenous students compared to 110.9 for non-Indigenous students. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-wants-to-change-rules-on-suspending-and-expelling-students-how-does-it-compare-to-other-states-144676">NSW wants to change rules on suspending and expelling students. How does it compare to other states?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Put another way, an Indigenous student in Queensland may have a one-in-three chance of being suspended, although it is likely a substantial proportion are receiving multiple (repeat) suspensions.</p>
<p>Worryingly, longitudinal trends show a significant increase in suspension incidents over the seven years between 2013 and 2019. And the rate of increase for Indigenous students is significantly faster than non-Indigenous students.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Suspension rates for Indigenous students growing much faster than for non-Indigenous students</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418413/original/file-20210830-25-rv4dzy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Comparing suspension incident rate for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students attending Queensland state schools, 2013-2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">School Disciplinary Absences, Queensland Department of Education Open Data Portal</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>These are our most vulnerable children. They need wrap-around support and a timely, educative response, not suspension or exclusion from school.</p>
<h2>The ‘school-to-prison pipeline’</h2>
<p>Research from the United States has identified <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267716989_Race_Is_Not_Neutral_A_National_Investigation_of_African_American_and_Latino_Disproportionality_in_School_Discipline">a similar racial bias</a> in the use of exclusionary school discipline to Australia. African American students are up to four times as likely as their White peers to be referred to a school’s office for “problem behaviour”. The research also states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] students from African American and Latino families are more likely than their White peers to receive expulsion or out of school suspension as consequences for the same or similar problem behavior.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Multiple suspensions means spending a lot of time <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/698454?casa_token=jMkuaGyirXYAAAAA:SjASoAlQYNsJoVfWKcy6XABw1J-dvZg1debST8vuQRsmEyFMJ_M2_IimkGyNcbrFtA79rjHiOEFppQ">out of school</a>. This is time that may be unsupervised, which can lead to injury and even death, gang affiliation, drug use, crime, increased police contact and entry to the <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.876642475515729?casa_token=YnGh9HeWUg8AAAAA%3ASaFB-57SMHsQHdptDUof8PARc6Shu8D7oioUqAOSHGyPi_OsReZtE9x8JN_Ei_KDFUqq9tgEf63TQvlv">criminal justice system</a>.</p>
<p>Exclusionary school discipline is described as contributing to a phenomenon known as the “<a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w26257/w26257.pdf">school-to-prison pipeline</a>”. The majority of research on this topic has been conducted in the US.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-suspending-or-expelling-students-often-does-more-harm-than-good-93279">Why suspending or expelling students often does more harm than good</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To date, limited availability of data has prevented Australian researchers from investigating the local contours of this problem. Not only does this lack of data prevent public scrutiny and problem identification but it also leads to gaps in public policy.</p>
<p>For instance, the most recent analysis of progress against 17 agreed <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/national-agreement">Closing the Gap</a> targets found there has been no improvement in the school attendance rate of Indigenous students in the last ten years. Interestingly, the report does not mention the use of exclusionary school discipline. Nor does the 2020 Agreement on Closing the Gap include targets to reduce its use.</p>
<p>This appears a missed opportunity, given that two of 17 Closing the Gap <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/national-agreement/targets">targets</a> are to reduce Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. </p>
<p>Our research makes the case that we must, as a matter of urgency:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>identify overrepresentation in school suspension and exclusion, and any patterns related to it</p></li>
<li><p>challenge implicit bias, racism, and discrimination wherever they may exist</p></li>
<li><p>develop culturally appropriate evidence-based prevention and intervention frameworks, as well as implement them on a system-wide basis.</p></li>
</ol><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda J. Graham receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). In 2020, she was Chair of the Inquiry into Suspension, Exclusion and Expulsion processes in South Australian government schools, and gave evidence at the Royal Commission on Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability on the use of exclusionary school discipline.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>In 2020, Callula Killingly was involved in the Inquiry into Suspension, Exclusion and Expulsion processes in South Australian government schools, as a member of the research team.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristin R. Laurens receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, and the Medical Research Future Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi Sweller receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Analysis shows most suspensions in SA in 2019 were given to Indigenous students with a disability, followed by children with a disability living in care. These children need support, not dismissal.Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of TechnologyCallula Killingly, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queensland University of TechnologyKristin R. Laurens, Associate Professor, Queensland University of TechnologyNaomi Sweller, Associate Professor in Psychology, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1524612021-02-22T18:34:17Z2021-02-22T18:34:17ZHow universities can support Indigenous online learners in the COVID-19 pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384874/original/file-20210217-13-ff7ndj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C588%2C6551%2C3795&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Indigenous people with experience guiding culturally safe talking circles in an online environment can work with students to nurture safe virtual spaces.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the <a href="https://www.aptnnews.ca/nation-to-nation/second-wave-of-covid-19-crashing-into-several-first-nations-communities/">second wave of the pandemic wears on</a>, Indigenous students are facing challenges. At Athabasca University, we conducted a study to learn how Indigenous students at our university are doing with online learning in the pandemic. Our colleagues Martin Connors, professor of space sciences/physics and Barbara Reis, a master of education student, were part of our research team.</p>
<p>Athabasca University <a href="https://www.athabascau.ca/aboutau/history">specializes in</a> and has been an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140820212801/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/June+1985+Athabasca+University+opens+distance+education/9942159/story.html">early adopter of distance education</a>, so Athabasca’s contemporary online learners did not face an abrupt switch to online learning because of the pandemic. We asked students who self-identify as Indigenous to explain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges and barriers they face in an online learning environment and the adaptations they have made.</p>
<p>While this project studied the immediate impact of the educational disruptions of the pandemic at our university, the findings are relevant to all Canadian universities whose responses need to take into account the impact of the pandemic on Indigenous learners. </p>
<h2>Financial, internet barriers</h2>
<p>Athabasca University has 3,849 Indigenous students who self-identify as First Nations, Métis, non-status and Inuit. These students live in cities, towns and Indigenous territories across Canada, the northern part <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island">of Turtle Island</a>. This spectrum of indigeneity was evident among respondents to our survey. </p>
<p>One hundred and forty Indigenous students completed the online survey, six participated in a focus group and 16 took part in interviews. Among the 16 students interviewed, 11 had to seek course extensions or drop courses due to the stress. Five experienced difficulties, but were able to complete their studies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mural showing an Indigenous woman." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Indigenous students who participated in the survey live in cities, towns and Indigenous territories across Canada. Here, a Calgary mural, ‘sôhkâtisiwin,’ by Kevin Ledo, shown in August 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(Ricky Leong/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Students are weathering an economic storm amid a pandemic. <a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-budget-2020-advanced-education-funding-cut-6-3-per-cent-tuition-to-rise">Alberta’s decision to implement</a> a performance-based funding model <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/birds-eye-view-saving-bull-trout">affects post-secondary institutions’ budgets</a>, and consequently, Athabasca University increased tuition by seven per cent in 2020 and announced a five per cent increase for 2021. </p>
<p>Before hearing about the recent increase, an Indigenous student who is also a parent explained her hard-pressed situation, saying: “I am really careful with my money when I do get the funding, because I never know if it’s going to be a problem next time.” There are many steps involved with securing a province of Alberta student loan and some students experience a gap between the time <a href="http://registrar.athabascau.ca/financial/application.php">they need to pay tuition and the time funding arrives</a>. </p>
<p>Of the 140 students who completed the survey, 14 per cent found it difficult to complete assignments due to financial stress, and more than half (53.5 per cent) experienced financial fluctuations and had difficulty completing assignments. Many other barriers to completing assignments included competing for household internet or living in a remote location where internet usage must meet the needs of many people living in one household. Some students relayed that internet costs were very high.</p>
<p>Athabasca University’s online format was a reassurance to some Indigenous students. One student shared that knowing he was already set up for online learning “when everything else was going crazy” was helpful:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We had stability at [Athabasca University] because we did not have to worry about how we were going to do our courses, we just continued because we knew how to do it … now everyone else is forced to do it,” he said.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Understanding disease and historical trauma</h2>
<p>Indigenous students are anxious about becoming infected with COVID-19 and passing it on to others. Over the winter, numbers surged, <a href="https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-s-indigenous-communities-hit-harder-by-covid-19-than-any-other-province-1.5269395">hitting Indigenous communities in Alberta hard</a>. During individual interviews, we asked questions about infectious disease, because the past affects the present day, and there are lessons to be learned.</p>
<p>We asked students about their knowledge of the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/jeffery-amherst-history-complex-1.4089019">historical past of smallpox-infected</a> blankets and handkerchiefs and the <a href="https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/the-indian-act-residential-schools-and-tuberculosis-cover-up">historical treatment</a> and neglect of Indigenous children in residential schools where tuberculosis and neglect caused sickness and deaths.</p>
<p>One student explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“My mom’s dad had 13 brothers and sisters, and he lost 11 of them to tuberculosis … they were originally from Northern Saskatchewan. And the time that the tuberculosis outbreak was happening, they had to move closer to Prince Albert to be closer to their kids who were in the hospital, and they ended up getting stuck there, because that was when the Indian agent instituted the need to have a pass to travel around. They had to have a pass to go anywhere. So, we ended up getting stuck on [another] reserve that we now call home but that wasn’t their original home.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Historical trauma of infectious disease and displacement are not something Indigenous people get over; it is something passed on that we learn to understand and move through. </p>
<h2>How to support students</h2>
<p>The pandemic has changed the way post-secondary institutions need to support Indigenous students and provide essential learning services. Through student responses we heard of many ways to do so. </p>
<p>When there is an emergency, communication is very important. Keeping the lines of communication open while responding to student questions is essential for learner success. Indigenous students suggested that it’s important for university phone lines to remain open and e-mails should be returned promptly.</p>
<p>Students are in need of mental health support for anxiety and depression exacerbated by the pandemic. One student commented that our society tends to “put such a focus on acute care,” while dragging its heels about investing long-term <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1089%2Fheq.2019.0041">in services to address health inequities</a> for Indigenous people. She was referring to Canada’s <a href="https://www.aptnnews.ca/videos/your-covid-19-vaccine-questions-answered/">distribution of vaccines</a>. Elderly members of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities were <a href="https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1606941379837/1606941507767">vaccinated in the first stage</a> of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A fire" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When Indigenous people meet on the land, a fire is one symbol of sacred connection. Online, it is also important to nurture sacred space for Indigenous students to connect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The majority of students who spoke with a member of our team shared their experiences and difficulties. It helped them to have a person listening. During the focus group, when Indigenous students met virtually for the first time together, it was mentioned how novel it was to meet online to share personally together as Indigenous people. Technology in an online environment allows for some human connection via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, but it is not the same as being together grounded in ceremony and on the land. </p>
<p>When Indigenous people meet on the land, a fire is one symbol of sacred connection. Online, it is also important to nurture sacred space for Indigenous students to connect. Indigenous people with experience in guiding culturally safe talking circles in an online environment can work across distances and time zones to create such spaces. In an online sharing circle, it’s about listening from the heart and sharing experiences. Each person holds space for one another and reminds each other how they belong by being present with one other.</p>
<p>Creating a sacred space in an online environment requires building trust and rapport. Listening to students with a caring heart builds trust and rapport during the era of reconciliation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Algoma University Office of the Provost and Vice President Academic funded the study in question in this story.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janelle Marie Baker is Assistant Professor in Anthropology at Athabasca University and is a co-applicant on the funding from Athabasca University for this study.</span></em></p>Student respondents to a survey discussed memories of historical trauma of infectious disease and displacement, financial hardship related to Alberta tuition hikes and mental health concerns.Josephine Auger, Associate professor, Indigenous Studies, Athabasca UniversityJanelle Marie Baker, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Athabasca UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1479842020-10-26T01:56:50Z2020-10-26T01:56:50ZFor the first time, Closing the Gap has a higher education target – here’s how to achieve it<p>The new <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/national-agreement-ctg.pdf">National Agreement on Closing the Gap</a> has a <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/students-reach-their-full-potential-through-further-education-pathways">higher education target</a> for the first time. </p>
<p>It’s also the first time an agreement between governments on Indigenous issues was negotiated and signed by Indigenous Australians. The <a href="https://www.naccho.org.au/programmes/coalition-of-peaks/">Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations</a> represented Indigenous Australians. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-16-new-closing-the-gap-targets-will-governments-now-do-whats-needed-to-meet-them-143179">We have 16 new Closing the Gap targets. Will governments now do what's needed to meet them?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Endorsed by the National Cabinet on July 30 this year, the ten-year agreement replaces the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook44p/ClosingGap">2008 National Indigenous Reform Agreement</a>. </p>
<p>To reach the higher education target, universities and vocational education providers must overcome the educational and social barriers Indigenous students face. Higher education providers can also have an impact on all the agreement’s target areas as well as the reform agenda set out in the agreement. </p>
<h2>What is the target?</h2>
<p>The higher education target is for 70% of Indigenous Australians between 25 and 34 years of age to have a tertiary qualification by 2031.</p>
<p>In 2016, 42.3% of Indigenous Australians in this age group had tertiary qualifications at the target’s required level. The proportion had more than doubled from 18.9% in 2001. By contrast, however, 72% of non-Indigenous Australians had such qualifications in 2016. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing proportions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with tertiary qualifications" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364674/original/file-20201021-13-1g3nhuu.png?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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/students-reach-their-full-potential-through-further-education-pathways">Data: Australian Census of Population and Housing, 2001-2016, Closing the Gap</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The target includes all university qualifications and those in vocational education <a href="https://www.aqf.edu.au/aqf-qualifications">above Certificate III level</a>. Tertiary qualifications at these levels prepare Indigenous Australians for jobs. </p>
<h2>Helping students take the next step</h2>
<p>Year 12 completions are one factor with an impact on tertiary outcomes. It is encouraging to see <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/students-achieve-their-full-learning-potential">growing numbers</a> of Indigenous students completing high school. In 2020 this target was on track.</p>
<p>However, schools need to ensure Indigenous students who complete Year 12 are academically equipped for further university education and/or vocational training. More focus is needed on educational attainment in schools. Options for Indigenous students can also be broadened, including stronger pathways in secondary school mathematics and science. </p>
<p>Many Indigenous students are the first in their family to enter higher education. To support their journey, universities and vocational education providers need to develop long-term relationships with schools and Indigenous communities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-coronavirus-universities-must-collaborate-with-communities-to-support-social-transition-140541">After coronavirus, universities must collaborate with communities to support social transition</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What higher education providers can do</h2>
<p>Indigenous university enrolments continue to grow. In fact, Indigenous enrolments increased by about 100% over the decade from 1996.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing increases in Indigenous and non-Indigenous commencing student enrolments" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364878/original/file-20201021-13-dj8qfj.png?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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Source: AIHW analysis of Department of Higher Education Statistics Collection</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, Indigenous attrition rates continue to be high. This is a key issue that demands attention.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing Indigenous and non-Indigenous higher education attrition rates" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/364883/original/file-20201022-19-j90lef.png?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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Source: AIHW analysis of Department of Higher Education Statistics Collection</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A number of things can be done to improve university completions and lower attrition rates. Targeted education support is sometimes needed for Indigenous students who have gaps in their earlier education. Universities should also continue to provide appropriate social and cultural support. </p>
<p>The university sector has already taken some important steps to address these issues. It’s important to maintain the momentum for reform, particularly while we respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19.</p>
<p>Indigenous students are enrolled in vocational education <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/484447/Indigenous-VET-participation,-completion-and-outcomes.pdf">at a higher rate</a> than their non-Indigenous peers. However, enrolments tend to drop off significantly above Certificate III level. There is, however, <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/484447/Indigenous-VET-participation,-completion-and-outcomes.pdf">some evidence</a> this pattern is changing.</p>
<p>Educational strategies to improve literacy and numeracy will improve progression to higher levels of vocational education. Strong regional links between employers and vocational education will help ensure training lines up with jobs. </p>
<h2>Leading change in other ways</h2>
<p>Higher education providers also can contribute across all priorities in the Closing the Gap agenda. The new agreement has 16 targets. The targets cover: health, early childhood and child protection, education, housing, employment, community safety, language and land. </p>
<p>Higher education providers can better equip all their students to engage with these priorities over their professional lives. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-university-can-embed-indigenous-knowledge-into-the-curriculum-and-why-it-matters-147456">Embedding Indigenous knowledge</a> in curricula is a key to this. So too is research undertaken to investigate Indigenous disadvantage and identify strategies to improve the quality and impact of Indigenous services. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-university-can-embed-indigenous-knowledge-into-the-curriculum-and-why-it-matters-147456">How a university can embed Indigenous knowledge into the curriculum and why it matters</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The agreement has a particular focus on Indigenous-led initiatives. </p>
<p>An important reform is shared decision-making between governments and Indigenous Australians. The agreement also outlines reforms to strengthen the Indigenous community-controlled services sector. Finally, there is a focus on Indigenous-led evaluation and data management.</p>
<p>To that end, it is important that universities and vocational education providers think about how they can lead change. They should consider how they invest in Indigenous leaders within the sector. They should also consider the quality of the Indigenous partnerships they develop. </p>
<p>The National Agreement on Closing the Gap presents some new challenges for higher education providers. The first is to focus on improving educational outcomes for Indigenous Australians. However, these providers have a broader contribution to make; their role in producing the knowledge and workforce for change is equally important.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147984/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Anderson worked for the Australian Public Service from 2017 until March 2020 and during that time worked on the negotiations that led to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.</span></em></p>The tertiary qualifications target requires higher education providers, schools and communities to work together. But higher education can also help close the gap in the other target areas.Ian Anderson. Palawa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student and University Experience, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1445772020-10-21T18:59:38Z2020-10-21T18:59:38ZSchool of fish: how we involved Indigenous students in our investigation of a 65,000-year-old site<p>A recent program for school kids in Kakadu and West Arnhem Land, incorporating traditional knowledge and Western science, is a model for teaching Indigenous children on Country. </p>
<p><a href="http://mirarr.net/stories/djenj-project-the-djenj-project-bininj-fishing-past-present-and-future">The Djenj Project</a> (djenj means “fish” in the local language) involved teaching Bininj (Aboriginal) children and rangers about fish, and scientific water research techniques, to improve employment opportunities. </p>
<p>As archaeologists, we wanted to find out how fish populations near the 65,000-year-old Madjedbebe archaeological site have changed over thousands of years. Evidence collected from the rock shelter suggests it’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22968">one of the oldest sites</a> on the continent.</p>
<p>We wanted to know which fish Bininj inhabitants at the site ate in the past, where and how they caught them, what the environment was like then, and what impact humans and environmental change have had on fish populations. </p>
<p>We needed to gather information about traditional fishing methods and knowledge. We also needed to gather samples of the current fish in the region, to compare them with fish remains excavated from Madjedbebe.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-did-aboriginal-people-first-arrive-in-australia-100830">When did Aboriginal people first arrive in Australia?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To do that meaningfully, we wanted to bring the community on the journey with us, rather than working in our labs in isolation. Dozens of school children between the ages of seven and 17 were involved in the project. They helped us answer our questions and learnt a lot in the process.</p>
<p>Beyond thinking about our scientific aims and questions, we put community-based benefits at the forefront of the research process. At the heart of the project were the core ideas of respect and two-way knowledge sharing, especially giving senior Bininj people the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills. </p>
<h2>What it looked like</h2>
<p>The project included about 80 community members from the small townships of Jabiru and Gunbalanya, and surrounding outstations in the Top End of the Northern Territory. </p>
<p>Bininj Elders shared traditional ecological knowledge with Bininj children, rangers (the <a href="http://www.mirarr.net/what-we-do/djurrubu-rangers">Djurrubu Rangers of Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation</a> and <a href="https://www.njanjma.net.au/njanjma-rangers/">Njanjma Rangers</a>), and Western (Balanda) researchers. Everyone worked together to prepare teaching resources so the project has long-lasting benefits. </p>
<p>Fishing is a favourite activity for Bininj, so participation in the project was high. While word-of-mouth was the main way to reach the community about catching fish for the project, we also shared short videos on social media. These explained what we were doing and how people could get involved. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356501/original/file-20200904-22-15c2ip8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Djurrubu Rangers Russo Marimowa and Clarry Nadjamarrek off duty, doing some fishing for the project.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Morgan Disspain</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One positive side-effect of the project was providing large amounts of fish for the community to eat, promoting healthy eating.</p>
<p>In between the fishing and the eating was the science and the learning. A key aim was to integrate cultural knowledge into school lessons to <a href="https://australianphilanthropicservices.com.au/the-djenj-project-two-way-knowledge-sharing-in-west-arnhem-land">improve literacy and numeracy skills</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360175/original/file-20200927-18-1t79hf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sharni Dirdi, Imogen Mangiru and Zedekiah Nayilibidj at Gunbalanya School got hands on measuring and processing fish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Morgan Disspain</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Local teachers interwove The Djenj Project throughout the class curriculum for the entire year. Researchers ran monthly workshops to teach children and rangers how to collect and interpret scientific information from fish, such as species, length, girth and weight, as well as the capture location and the fishing method used. </p>
<p>Fish were then processed to collect otoliths (ear bones), and sometimes their entire skeletons. Otoliths provide <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-were-using-fish-ear-bones-as-time-capsules-of-past-river-health-95369">valuable information</a> about the fish’s life, such as its size, age, season of death, and the water conditions it lived in. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356500/original/file-20200904-24-5jrdvy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Djurrubu Ranger team processing fish and extracting their otoliths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lynley Wallis</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Elders shared traditional knowledge about fish and fishing methods with the children. They worked together to construct bone points to use as fish hooks. They also constructed traditional fish traps, which involved making string from plant fibre. </p>
<p>Groups made trips to the rock art (bim) sites, where Elders shared knowledge about djenj, and the children found, recorded and counted djenj images. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356503/original/file-20200904-24-1c00n75.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bininj Elders Raelene Djandjul, May Nango and Djaykuk Djandomerr and Djurrubu Rangers Martin Liddy and Clarry Nadjamerrek processing fibre to make a traditional fish trap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lynley Wallis</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the Elders shared their knowledge about the local waterways, water monitoring specialists provided training in testing water quality for rangers and children. Children also learnt about the importance of water quality to the health of all living things. </p>
<p>Woven throughout all activities was attention to Indigenous languages, with staff from the <a href="https://bininjkunwok.org.au/">Bininj Kunwok Language Resource Centre</a> creating a dedicated language booklet and app focused on djenj. This resource is helping with language maintenance and revitalisation in the Bininj community, as well as providing Balanda with the necessary terms to have productive discussions with Bininj about fish and water.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/359730/original/file-20200924-24-1xynhc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students learnt about the fish skeletal system using reference collections created from fish they had captured.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Morgan Disspain</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What we learnt</h2>
<p>Students and rangers gained a new appreciation for how much we can learn from our environment. The project also reinforced the rights of Bininj to engage in water and fish management processes. </p>
<p>The project also laid a foundation for future skills and environmental awareness with children (many of whom will go on to join local ranger teams). They have learnt cultural and scientific knowledge about fish, water, archaeology and rock art.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356499/original/file-20200904-24-1bgdl2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Djenj Project increased science learning on Country.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gunbalanya school student</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As researchers, we have established modern fish reference collections we can use and have learnt about local traditional fishing methods and ecological knowledge. </p>
<p>The Djenj Project is a great example of how grass-roots projects can provide practical benefits for Aboriginal communities, while contributing to scientific research. The model of collaborative teaching and learning from each other can be customised to benefit other communities. </p>
<p>We are planning to do more projects like this in West Arnhem Land over the following years, investigating other species of plants and animals. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/secondary-school-textbooks-teach-our-kids-the-myth-that-aboriginal-australians-were-nomadic-hunter-gatherers-133066">Secondary school textbooks teach our kids the myth that Aboriginal Australians were nomadic hunter-gatherers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356504/original/file-20200904-24-whq1nw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Djurrubu Ranger Clarry Nadjamerrek making a traditional fish trap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lynley Wallis</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144577/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Morgan Disspain was contracted by the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation to work on the Djenj Project.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lynley Wallis is the Cultural Heritage Advisor to Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation. She receives funding from the Australia Research Council and is affiliated with the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Inc. The Djenj Project was funded by the Kakadu West Arnhem Social Trust.</span></em></p>Archaeologists had some questions about an ancient Aboriginal site. So they involved the community and local school kids on their search for answers.Morgan Disspain, Adjunct Researcher, Southern Cross UniversityLynley Wallis, Associate Professor, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1290642020-04-28T20:32:32Z2020-04-28T20:32:32Z‘I spoke about Dreamtime, I ticked a box’: teachers say they lack confidence to teach Indigenous perspectives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313481/original/file-20200204-41507-5qyleb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Captain James Cook arrived in the Pacific 250 years ago, triggering British colonisation of the region. We’re asking researchers to reflect on what happened and how it shapes us today. You can see other stories in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/cook250-78244">here</a> and an interactive <a href="https://cook250.netlify.app/">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>The Australian government has <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-captain-cook-became-a-contested-national-symbol-96344">allocated tens of millions of dollars</a> to commemorate the anniversary of Cook’s voyage to the South Pacific and Australia in 1770. Though several events have now been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, others will take place online.</p>
<p>This could also be an opportunity for teachers to disrupt the same white-washed versions of colonisation (brave, heroic and necessary) taught in Australian schools for centuries.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/captain-cook-discovered-australia-and-other-myths-from-old-school-text-books-128926">Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia, and other myths from old school text books</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There is a plethora of <a href="https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/">education policy</a> mandating teachers incorporate Indigenous perspectives across year levels and subject areas. But in practice, this is much harder to do without Indigenous perspectives becoming trivialised or tokenistic. </p>
<h2>Policy isn’t enough</h2>
<p>Many teachers <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286450721_Aboriginal_education_More_than_adding_different_perspectives">don’t feel confident or capable</a> to include Indigenous perspectives in their classrooms. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TVIJZWVUZUIBFH32JMIM/full?target=10.1080/14681366.2019.1704844">our recent study</a> in a cluster of primary and secondary schools, teachers were paired with Aboriginal community members to plan and deliver lessons. Initially, teachers reported feeling ill-equipped to genuinely include an Aboriginal perspective. </p>
<p>One teacher said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve always felt that I wasn’t very good at embedding Aboriginal perspectives in my lessons. It was always, for me, seen as a tick-box, and I spoke about Dreamtime, I ticked a box, and that’s it[…] you didn’t want to step on any toes, and you didn’t want to offend anyone, so you just touched – you just skimmed the surface.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teachers involved in the project had the best of intentions and a fierce willingness to learn. Some had been teaching for more than 20 years and openly admitted their ignorance towards Indigenous dispossession and the way schooling was used as a vehicle of colonisation. </p>
<p>Another teacher expressed the problem of not having adequate skills to teach Indigenous perspectives: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m blatantly aware how Anglo the room looks. But I guess I don’t want to do something that is tokenistic […] I don’t agree with tokenistic things. I think you’ve got to do it and do it well and I think to just have an Aboriginal flag in the corner, oh and now we’re going to do dot painting and, oh, right, now we’re going to do – you know? It’s kind of a bit insulting, really.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Without Indigenous perspectives in the classroom, or with only tokenistic inclusion, students’ views on Aboriginal peoples, colonialism and “Australian history” are more susceptible to negative media and social attitudes. </p>
<p>This leaves many non-Indigenous students ill-equipped to think critically about the world they live in.</p>
<p>As one teacher said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If at school we teach it as tokenistic and then the media teaches it as, you know, stereotypical, then how are we going to produce the next generation of people that will work towards reconciliation and recognise the things of the past but move forward without these stereotypes, you know?</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/captain-cook-discovered-australia-and-other-myths-from-old-school-text-books-128926">Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia, and other myths from old school text books</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>I’m just following the syllabus</h2>
<p>Some teachers feel protective of the formal curriculum. In this instance, Indigenous perspectives become a tick-the-box policy, something to add into the lesson, but not so much that it interferes with the “real” learning outcomes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314385/original/file-20200210-52389-1t5hr9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=545&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many Indigenous students feel frustrated at the way ‘Australian history’ is being taught.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From Shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what are these “real outcomes”? </p>
<p>In the NSW curriculum, the stage two (years three and four) unit “First Contacts”, provides the earliest comprehensive glimpse of world exploration and the colonisation of Australia. The <a href="https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/hsie/history-k-10/content/803/!ut/p/z1/tVPLbsIwEPyWHnK0vHZCkh5ToLzLqwHiC3KCAVNwQrCg9Ovr9HWDtEL1wZK1szOz9hgzPMNM8aNccS1TxbfmHDF37rSaADbQbqMzrMKwMR55fr3V7U4cPP0A0IC4pOmQTr_hEw">key questions for inquiry include</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>why did the great journeys of exploration occur?</p></li>
<li><p>what was life like for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans?</p></li>
<li><p>why did Europeans settle in Australia?</p></li>
<li><p>what was the nature and consequence of contact between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and early traders, explorers and settlers?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Note the use of presumptive (“great”) and passive (“settle”, “explorers”) language in these questions. The last dot point also raises concerns about how teachers will challenge entrenched whitewashed versions of history.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-failure-to-say-hello-how-captain-cook-blundered-his-first-impression-with-indigenous-people-126673">A failure to say hello: how Captain Cook blundered his first impression with Indigenous people</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1440783318794295">Research</a> with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students highlights the frustration Indigenous students feel, particularly during history lessons. </p>
<p>As one student said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You always have to learn from a white perspective, especially in history. Why don’t they learn from us for once?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another student described the tension in the classroom as their teacher downloaded information from the internet:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Usually half of the class would get into a very heated racial discussion, which we had to sit through. Because the teacher had no idea what he was going on about. Some of the stuff he had on the board, because he just copies it from the Internet, so some of the stuff he has got on the board is racist, and he is teaching us. So it’s like very […] uncomfortable.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What will it take?</h2>
<p>Teachers must critically reflect on their own identity and how it potentially influences their personal bias and worldview. They must also be willing to confront the ongoing effects of colonialism in and outside the classroom and listen to Indigenous people. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-are-all-dead-for-indigenous-people-cooks-voyage-of-discovery-was-a-ghostly-visitation-126430">'They are all dead': for Indigenous people, Cook's voyage of 'discovery' was a ghostly visitation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Teachers must aspire to adequately and systemically overturn the harm schooling continues to inflict on many Indigenous people. A critical dialogue of Cook’s arrival that familiarises students with topics like racial hierarchies and white supremacy is long overdue.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129064/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Bishop's research with the 'Culture, Community and Curriculum Project' (CCCP) received funding from the Ian Potter Foundation. She is a Gamilaroi woman from Western NSW and grew up on Dhawaral Country in south-west Sydney. Her PhD focuses on Indigenous education sovereignty.</span></em></p>Many teachers want to teach Indigenous perspectives but often lack confidence or know-how. Teachers must be willing to confront the ongoing effects of colonialism in and outside the classroom.Michelle Bishop, Associate Lecturer, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1247802019-10-08T18:57:29Z2019-10-08T18:57:29ZUniversities don’t control the labour market: we shouldn’t fund them like they do<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295948/original/file-20191008-128681-784nma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some people are more employable than others. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From 2020, universities will receive a certain amount of government funding based on four performance measures: student drop-out rates; participation of Indigenous, lower socioeconomic status and regional and remote students; student satisfaction with the university experience; and employment outcomes.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/tehan/future-australian-universities-focuses-achievement">government finalised</a> the funding model in recent days and announced:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Graduate employment outcomes will be the most important factor under the performance-based funding model for universities[…]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This model will determine more than A$80 million of extra university funding (on top of the <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/university-funding-to-be-tied-more-to-producing-students-who-get-jobs-20191001-p52wkz">A$7 billion annual government subsidies</a>), which is based on population growth estimates in the Commonwealth Grant Scheme. </p>
<p>Graduate employment outcomes will account for 40% of this money. That’s double the weighting of the other three funding criteria. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/government-funding-will-be-tied-to-uni-performance-from-2020-what-does-this-mean-and-what-are-the-challenges-121694">Government funding will be tied to uni performance from 2020: what does this mean, and what are the challenges?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Universities can do some things to improve graduate employment prospects, but their power over this aspect of “performance” is limited. Employment opportunities and outcomes are dictated mainly by the labour market. </p>
<p>And focusing on churning out employable graduates could, in fact, lead universities to discriminate against students who statistically have lower employment outcomes, such as those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.</p>
<p>Here are three reasons giving employment outcomes twice the weight of other performance measures is a problem.</p>
<h2>1. The labour market determines employment outcomes</h2>
<p>Universities can make a difference to how employable a student is. They can do so through curriculum initiatives such as work-integrated learning, where students engage with industry and the community as part of their degree. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-017-0216-z">shows</a> internships during study were a key reason for graduates’ ability to secure a quality job.</p>
<p>But it’s the wider market factors that ultimately account for how many graduates find work. Figures show employment outcomes for graduates steadily improved for the last three years, in line with the falling rate of overall unemployment in Australia. </p>
<p>Between 2016 and 2018 – when the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/ABDB6FDCF59668D5CA2583A70011CA69?opendocument">unemployment rate fell</a> from 5.8% to 5% – the overall <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/docs/default-source/gos-reports/2018-gos/2018-gos-national-report-2018.pdf?sfvrsn=a729e33c_4">graduate employment rate rose</a> from 86.4% to 87%.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/graduate-employment-is-up-but-finding-a-job-can-still-take-a-while-109654">Graduate employment is up, but finding a job can still take a while</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>External factors determine the availability of graduate job roles, recruitment bias (such as institution <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-013-9696-7">status</a>), as well as wider domestic economic conditions (such as economic uncertainty and business confidence) and globalisation (including trends in outsourcing labour). </p>
<h2>2. It’s a blunt measure</h2>
<p>The government-commissioned <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/52995">final report on performance-based funding</a>, released in August 2019, recommends employment outcomes be measured by “overall graduate employment rates for domestic bachelor students”. </p>
<p>These are tracked in the <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/graduate-employment">Graduate Outcomes Survey</a>. Graduates complete this survey four months after they finish their course.</p>
<p>Using “overall rates” is a blunt measure that doesn’t take into account the type of employment the graduate is in. It applies to any kind of employment – including full-time, part-time or casual work – as a percentage of graduates available for employment. </p>
<p>Nor does this measure give any insight into whether the work is related to the graduates’ degrees or is meaningful and satisfying for them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-university-funding-be-tied-to-student-performance-75385">Should university funding be tied to student performance?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Rising <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-problem-isnt-unskilled-graduates-its-a-lack-of-full-time-job-opportunities-90104">graduate underemployment</a> means graduates are increasingly overqualified in their roles and not drawing on the skills acquired at university. This is particularly problematic for those in more general <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1475-4932.12413">degrees</a> such as humanities, creative arts and social sciences.</p>
<p>Because the survey is conducted four months after course completion, the data represent graduates’ transition to the workforce, rather than giving much insight into their actual labour market achievements.</p>
<h2>3. It could lead to discrimination</h2>
<p>Some people are more employable than others. This means a university’s graduate employment outcomes will depend on its cohort of graduates. </p>
<p>One of the performance-based measures encourages universities to engage with equity groups – Indigenous, lower socioeconomic status and regional and remote students. But <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/docs/default-source/gos-reports/2018-gos/2018-gos-national-report-2018.pdf?sfvrsn=a729e33c_4">evidence shows</a> low socioeconomic status students are less likely to find work than their peers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295955/original/file-20191008-128681-1uu8q9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Giving employment outcomes more weight may lead to unis discriminating against student groups that could lower it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Giving “employment outcomes” double the weight of “participation by equity groups” may lead universities to prioritise enrolling students who are more likely to help them score better on the first measure. </p>
<h2>What could the government do instead?</h2>
<p>The measure of “overall employment” does acknowledge not all graduates can, or want to, work full-time. Yet, whether they have a job or not doesn’t give any insight into quality. In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1646377">recent study</a>, graduates rated enjoyment and interest in their job higher than job security when it came to defining career success.</p>
<p>It’s important for universities to support their graduates in finding quality roles. But whether or not this is happening can only be realistically gauged over a longer period than four months.</p>
<p>The United Kingdom <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/files/NewDLHE_model_rationale_v2.pdf">now includes measures</a> for satisfaction and well-being in its own graduate outcomes survey, which it has shifted from six to 15 months after course completion. The UK has done this in recognition of the importance of intrinsic measures, such as career satisfaction, and the need to give graduates time to find their feet in the labour market.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/surveys-are-not-the-best-way-to-measure-the-performance-of-australian-universities-90166">Surveys are not the best way to measure the performance of Australian universities</a>
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<p>The purpose of education is not just about getting a job. It’s also about empowering students to achieve meaningful and sustainable careers for social and economic good. If the government wants to link universities’ performance to graduate outcomes, it needs an outcomes-based performance measure that universities have greater control over and that is related to students’ career readiness. </p>
<p>Universities could have some control of this by gauging the professional capabilities of students that employers consider important. These include teamwork, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. </p>
<p>Students complete the <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/student-experience">Student Experience Survey</a> when they start and complete their studies. These data on self-reported capability development could also be linked to later post-graduation responses on career success. This could be done with a more meaningful measure, such as career satisfaction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124780/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Denise Jackson has received funding from Spacecubed, Queensland University of Technology, Australian Business Deans Council, and AFAANZ.
Denise Jackson sits on the national board for the Australian Collaborative Education Network, the professional association for work-integrated learning in Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruth Bridgstock has received funding from the ARC and Graduate Careers for research in related topic areas.
</span></em></p>Graduate employment outcomes will determine 40% of the $80 million extra government funding for universities. This is a problem for three reasons.Denise Jackson, Associate Professor / Coordinator of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, ECU School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan UniversityRuth Bridgstock, National Senior Teaching Fellow, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1190602019-08-29T22:06:38Z2019-08-29T22:06:38ZWhat does ‘We are all treaty people’ mean, and who speaks for Indigenous students on campus?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290159/original/file-20190829-106530-1f1mnih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C143%2C2833%2C1818&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students stage a walkout to raise awareness about systemic discrimination in the Canadian justice system during a protest at the University of Victoria in Victoria, B.C., on March 14, 2018. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>While there has been a recent growing awareness of Indigenous cultures at Canadian universities, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenization-university-students-1.4841965">racism, violence and dismissal still dominate conversations on campus.</a></p>
<p>In December 2015, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued its Calls to Action, education was at the centre. Many Canadian universities have been working to incorporate the recommendations. </p>
<p>But universities <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/indigenization-efforts-vary-widely-on-canadian-campuses-study-finds/">have mostly adopted a top-down approach to Indigenization.</a> In many cases, the Indigenization process lacks <a href="https://indigenousnationhood.blogspot.com/2019/05/reconciliation-with-indigenous-peoples.html">substance</a>. The process often comes with a slogan: “<a href="https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/abed101/we-are-all-treaty-people/">We are all treaty people</a>.” </p>
<p>“We are all treaty people” is intended to emphasize that all people have treaty rights and responsibilities. But I believe that it conveys instead a false sense of equally shared benefits between Indigenous Peoples and settlers. </p>
<p>The phrase ignores the social, economic and political devastation of Indigenous communities through federal betrayal and mismanagement of Canada’s treaty obligations. Sociologists Eve Tuck (Unangax, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island) and K. Wayne Yang have discussed false senses of equality as a “<a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/staff-profiles/data/docs/fjcollins.pdf">move to innocence</a>” by settlers.</p>
<p>Often, the university is positioned as the institutional saviour, as being uniquely able to help Indigenous students succeed. A recognition of the university’s complicity in past inequities is not usually the starting point but may come after public pressure from Indigenous activists.</p>
<p>Indigenous voices that denounce the continued marginalization of Indigenous
Peoples within these projects are viewed as radicals by university administrators. This institutional distrust long predates the TRC.</p>
<h2>Much stays the same</h2>
<p>In June 1966, when the refrain was the <a href="https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1969/12/1/what-the-canadian-indian-wants-from-you">“Canadian Mosaic,”</a> members of the Canadian Indian Youth Council (CIYC) disagreed about how students on campus should learn about Indigenous issues. The CIYC, initially housed at the University of Manitoba, was a student-led activist group that advocated for Indigenous rights and self-determination across Canada. </p>
<p>The disagreement strained the relationship between the CIYC and the <a href="https://archives.mcmaster.ca/index.php/national-federation-of-canadian-university-students-2">Canadian Union of Students (CUS)</a>. The CUS was a national coalition of Canadian university students councils, including the CIYC. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/harold-cardinal">Harold Cardinal</a> (Sucker Creek Cree), who <a href="https://btlbooks.com/book/unsettling-canada">vocally opposed the White Paper</a> and later wrote <em><a href="http://www.douglas-mcintyre.com/book/unjust-society">The Unjust Society</a></em>, was a founding member of the CIYC. Cardinal praised campus awareness programs run through the Canadian Union of Students. The teach-in style programs had been set up “in an attempt to dispel the ignorance of the non-informed and, at times, apathetic public.”</p>
<p>But rather than leave the programs under the control of the CUS, Cardinal wanted to encourage Indigenous students’ involvement as partners. He believed these programs were a perfect opportunity for Indigenous students to voice “<a href="https://archives.mcmaster.ca/index.php/national-federation-of-canadian-university-students-2">great disapproval</a> for the shameful, ironical, and disgusting breach of Treaty Rights which have been perpetuated on us for many years.” </p>
<p>Two months later, fellow CIYC member <a href="https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1964/5/16/how-kahn-tineta-horn-became-an-indian">Kahn-Tineta Horn</a> (Kahnawá:ke), argued against Cardinal’s idea. Not against Indigenous students speaking out, but against collaboration with the CUS. Her preference was for the CIYC to work alone. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"885320919643594752"}"></div></p>
<p>Horn wrote that “it has been my privilege to make clear that the <a href="https://archives.mcmaster.ca/index.php/national-federation-of-canadian-university-students-2">Canadian Union of Students</a>, and all students, in fact, should mind their business and keep their nose out of the affairs of Indians.” </p>
<p>She continued that “all you can do is confuse the issues, block reality and develop a situation which will, in the end, damage the interests of Indians.” </p>
<p>Despite their conflicting opinions, both shared a vision of Indigenous students telling their own stories on college campuses. At a time when there were almost no Indigenous faculty in Canada, student voices were essential in raising awareness of the disparities Indigenous Peoples faced.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hidden-from-history-indigenous-womens-activism-in-saskatchewan-103279">Hidden from history: Indigenous women's activism in Saskatchewan</a>
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<p>Cardinal, Kahn and their CIYC cohort were, however, considered radical by most fellow students and news media. This was primarily because they vocally rejected societal, institutional and state interpretations about Indigenous pasts, presents and futures. </p>
<p>Fifty plus years later, contemporary Indigenous students express similar concerns about how they are represented, and by whom, on campus.</p>
<h2>Pressure on Indigenous faculty</h2>
<p>Indigenous faculty represent <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/with-a-shared-commitment-canadas-universities-take-steps-toward-reconciliation/">1.4 per cent</a> of Canadian professors. </p>
<p>This low percentage <a href="https://www.ubyssey.ca/news/the-gold-rush-canadian-academia-rush-indigenous-faculty/">places excessive pressure</a> on Indigenous faculty, staff and students. Most are expected to be the voices of Indigenous Peoples on their campuses; few are part of the executive decision-making process. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/law-professor-put-on-trial-for-trespassing-on-familys-ancestral-lands-114065">Law professor put on trial for 'trespassing' on family's ancestral lands</a>
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<p>This paradox means Indigenous faculty are <a href="http://cfr.info.yorku.ca/2019/05/7806/">placed in a spotlight and marginalized at the same time</a>. This dynamic puts faculty, staff and students at risk of reprisal if they speak out against policies they see as detrimental to Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Those who speak out can find themselves, in much the way that Cardinal, Horn and the CIYC were, classified as radicals. This leaves little space for them institutionally. </p>
<p>This situation can be rectified: Indigenous faculty, staff and students should lead Indigenization projects rather than just being consulted on them. How can this happen, when such faculty are already over-committed on campus?</p>
<p>As a settler scholar, I believe it is vital to relieve this pressure on Indigenous colleagues. We must push our institutions to allow Indigenous faculty, staff and students to lead the decision making processes. We can relieve service expectations elsewhere. </p>
<p>We must help change institutional perceptions. Universities need to accept the legitimacy of Indigenous legal and cultural systems. </p>
<p>There are too few institutional attempts to dismantle or restructure the current system to properly decolonize. Exceptions include The <a href="https://yellowheadinstitute.org">Yellowhead Institute</a> at Ryerson University, the <a href="https://nctr.ca/map.php">National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation</a> at the University of Manitoba, and the <a href="https://aboriginal.ubc.ca/indian-residential-school-centre/">Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre</a> at the University of British Columbia. </p>
<h2>Corporate motivations</h2>
<p>Campus-corporate <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/vice-president-research/internal-honours-prizes/petro-canada-recipients">partnerships are a reality</a> in Canada. How might these partnerships influence the kinds of programs that are developed or lauded? How do such partnerships impact what’s valued in Indigenization?</p>
<p>For example, Thompson Rivers University has <a href="https://www.transmountain.com/news/2015/thompson-rivers-university-and-trans-mountain-sign-a-500-000-community-benefit-agreement">a “community benefit agreement” with Trans Mountain Pipeline</a>. </p>
<p>According to Trans Mountain, the company has signed <a href="https://www.transmountain.com/news/2017/trans-mountain-named-thompson-rivers-university-largest-donor-of-the-year">15 such agreements</a> to benefit communities along the proposed pipeline route. The TRU agreement includes funding towards bursary programs for students in fields <a href="https://tru.ca/__shared/assets/Trans_Mountain_201742020.pdf">related to the energy industry</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290198/original/file-20190829-106524-1w3inz1.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">Hereditary Chief Ronnie West, centre, from the Lake Babine First Nation, sings and beats a drum during a solidarity march after Indigenous nations and supporters gathered for a meeting to show support for the Wet'suwet'en Nation, in Smithers, B.C., on January 16, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>The TRU agreement contains a clause that says the university <a href="https://tru.ca/__shared/assets/Trans_Mountain_201742020.pdf">would provide a copy of any public announcements</a> regarding the program to Trans Mountain for approval. Would research or scholarship opposed to the pipeline be approved under such circumstances?</p>
<h2>Elevating voices of protest</h2>
<p>The majority of contemporary Indigenous students yearn to see their communities reflected and represented on campus. </p>
<p>Students want this representation to include those community members and activists fighting against pipelines, <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/08/telescopes-hawaii-reopen-after-deal-protesters">telescopes</a> and other forms of settler intrusion on Indigenous territories. Usually, the public is informed by media agencies <a href="https://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/seeing-red">reporting these issues from the settler perspective</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1255&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290155/original/file-20190829-106504-1wa7rjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1255&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Many students want to hear Indigenous voices of protest on campus. Women’s March, 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dulcey Lima / Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>We must be as informed by Indigenous Peoples who want to fight the settler system as we are by those who want to work within it. This includes faculty working to change the system from within and community members who reject the system outright.</p>
<p>Universities cannot proclaim reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples while silencing Indigenous voices of dissent. As in the 1960s, Indigenous students need spaces to speak to power. Indigenous students need platforms where they can speak for themselves, on their terms. They need to know that they will be heard, listened to and that their concerns will be acted upon. </p>
<p>Indigenization cannot take place without radical change. Radical change cannot take place until institutions actively listen to the “radical” Indigenous voices they currently exclude. </p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca/newsletters?utm_source=TCCA&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119060/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul McKenzie-Jones 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>As students and faculty start a new academic year, it’s a good time to highlight the barriers to Indigenizing the campus and the importance of Indigenous voices on campus.Paul McKenzie-Jones, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies, University of LethbridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1190822019-06-20T19:59:41Z2019-06-20T19:59:41ZThree charts on: how uncapped university funding actually boosted Indigenous student numbers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280407/original/file-20190620-149839-1m130dm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Indigenous students usually start university later in life.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/4V1dC_eoCwg">Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In recent days, the Productivity Commission released its evaluation of the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/university-report-card">demand-driven funding system</a> for universities. From around 2009, until the funding model was suspended in 2017, universities were free to enrol unlimited numbers of students in most undergraduate courses. </p>
<p>The Commissioned described the policy as a “<a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/university-report-card">mixed report card</a>”. It argued the demand-driven system led to increased participation from students from low socio-economic backgrounds, but that it didn’t improve access for regional or Indigenous Australians.</p>
<p>In reality though, Indigenous student enrolments rose dramatically under the demand-driven system. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-students-are-going-to-university-than-before-but-those-at-risk-of-dropping-out-need-more-help-118764">More students are going to university than before, but those at risk of dropping out need more help</a>
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<h2>Indigenous university starters are older</h2>
<p>The Commission’s report draws almost exclusively on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth (<a href="https://www.lsay.edu.au/">LSAY</a>), which covers people aged between 15 and 25. But student data from the Higher Education Information Management System (<a href="https://heimshelp.education.gov.au/">HEIMS</a>) shows undergraduate Indigenous students are considerably older when they start university than their non-Indigenous counterparts.</p>
<p>The below chart shows only 42.3% of Indigenous students started university aged 19 or younger, compared with 57.5% of non-Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Our analysis also shows 36% of Indigenous students started university aged older than 25, which makes them outside the cutoff for the LSAY dataset. This is compared with only 21% of non-Indigenous students. This means the Commission’s analysis under-reports Indigenous participation.</p>
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<h2>Rise in Indigenous student enrolments</h2>
<p>The federal government’s <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/51366">data on student enrolments</a> show a dramatic increase in Indigenous students starting university between 2009 and 2017, the years the demand-driven system was active. </p>
<p>Over this period, the number of Indigenous students starting university more than doubled, while the total number of domestic undergraduates starting university increased by only around 50%. </p>
<p>The below chart shows 2,786 undergraduate Indigenous students started university in 2008. This increased to 5,867 by 2017. </p>
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<p>During the period of the demand-driven system, the Indigenous university participation rate increased from 1.5% to 2%, although this remains well below population parity of <a href="http://theconversation.com/census-2016-whats-changed-for-indigenous-australians-79836">3.3%</a>. </p>
<p>There are also early signs that the expansion of Indigenous students starting university <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/51956">slowed in 2018</a>, which was the first year the demand-driven system was suspended.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/demand-driven-funding-for-universities-is-frozen-what-does-this-mean-and-should-the-policy-be-restored-116060">Demand-driven funding for universities is frozen. What does this mean and should the policy be restored?</a>
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<h2>Student achievement remained the same</h2>
<p>The rapid increase in Indigenous students starting university also came without an obvious decline in student achievement. <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiM2MwMWQ2ZDMtNGViNy00Mjc5LThkOTgtNzJhMmM5ZDQwYWUxIiwidCI6ImRkMGNmZDE1LTQ1NTgtNGIxMi04YmFkLWVhMjY5ODRmYzQxNyJ9">Department of Education data</a>, which outlines the completion rate for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students six years after they started their degree, shows the completion rate for Indigenous students remained relatively similar over the duration of the demand-driven years. </p>
<p>This contrasts with the slight decline in the achievement of the non-Indigenous cohort over the same period. However, as the below chart shows, there remains a substantial gap in the completion rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.</p>
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<hr>
<p>Both the success and retention performance indicators for Indigenous students show a similar trend. There is a <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/51496">large gap in achievement</a> between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, but there has been consistent improvement in these indicators over the past nine years. </p>
<p>Again, this suggests the rapid increase in Indigenous enrolments did not come at the cost of academic standards or performance.</p>
<p>The above chart also highlights Indigenous students typically progress through their courses at a slower pace than non-Indigenous students. Six years after starting their qualification, 16.5% of Indigenous students were still studying, compared to only 11.9% of non-Indigenous students.</p>
<p>Gaps in access and achievement remain unacceptable, as does the ongoing <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20181010182528471">racism and discrimination</a> faced by many Indigenous staff and students. Universities Australia has acknowledged many of these issues in its <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/Media-and-Events/submissions-and-reports/Indigenous-Report">Indigenous Strategy</a> but deeper institutional and government reform is required. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/laying-pathways-for-greater-success-in-education-for-indigenous-australians-54380">Laying pathways for greater success in education for Indigenous Australians</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, the demand-driven system itself certainly improved Indigenous participation in higher education. Restoring the system should be a high policy priority.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119082/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A recent Productivity Commission report showed the demand driven system of university funding didn’t increase participation rates for Indigenous students. But our analysis actually shows the opposite.Michael Luckman, Senior Research Officer, Centre for Higher Education Equity & Diversity Research, La Trobe UniversityAndrew Harvey, Director, Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, La Trobe UniversityLicensed 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/828752017-09-14T22:34:25Z2017-09-14T22:34:25ZThis is why most teachers need Indigenous coaches<p><em>“I hear a lot about this so-called ‘inequality’ when it comes to First Nations populations… The problem is the victim mentality… They have to stop seeing themselves as constantly being oppressed.”</em></p>
<p>As an educator, when I read this university student’s response — to an online discussion post about the existence of social inequality in Canada — I was taken aback.</p>
<p>Education, according to the final report of <a href="http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Exec_Summary_2015_05_31_web_o.pdf">The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),</a> can foster renewed relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Educators, from elementary to post-secondary, have been called to action to support reconciliation — by <a href="https://www.kairoscanada.org/what-we-do/indigenous-rights/windsofchange-report-cards">incorporating Indigenous content into classroom learning</a>. </p>
<p>Our task is to ensure that students have a respectful understanding of Indigenous peoples and perspectives. To pass on knowledge of residential schools and legacies. When I first read the above student response, this responsibility became even clearer. </p>
<p>But, as teachers, how do we do this? Where do we go for support?</p>
<h2>What if we say the wrong thing?</h2>
<p>My research examines <a href="http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/iipj/vol8/iss3/2/">educator and parent perceptions</a> of the province of Ontario’s commitment to Indigenous student success. In 2007, Ontario developed a policy framework that calls for inclusion of Indigenous content in schooling curriculum. I interviewed 100 Indigenous (mainly Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Métis) and non-Indigenous parents and educators to find out what encouraged and limited implementation of this curricular policy.</p>
<p>I found that some non-Indigenous educators are unaware of Indigenous cultures and histories. Some are intimidated to say or do the wrong thing. Others have difficulty finding, interpreting and using <a href="https://www.ctf-fce.ca/Research-Library/CTF-Survey-Teachers-Perspectives-on-Aboriginal-Education-Summary-Report-web.pdf">Indigenous curricular resources</a>. </p>
<p>As a result, some students may complete high school and go on to post-secondary education <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/debunking-myth-canadian-schools-teach-indigenous-peoples-1.3376800">knowing very little about Indigenous peoples in Canada</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Teach Our Children: Education for Reconciliation, produced by KAIROS Canada.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a non-Indigenous educator at the post-secondary level, I also question how best to incorporate Indigenous material into my classrooms. Informal conversations with colleagues suggest that others share similar concerns. For me, the solution has been to reach out and get involved with a community organization.</p>
<h2>Amiskwaciy Academy</h2>
<p>In September 2016 as I began my first year as an assistant professor at MacEwan University, a colleague invited me to attend a community feast hosted by <a href="http://amiskwaciy.epsb.ca/">amiskwaciy Academy</a>. Fred Hines, school principal, welcomed me into the school. Right away, I knew I wanted to be part of this community.</p>
<p>Amiskwaciy Academy is an Edmonton Public School program of choice that provides academic programming within an Indigenous context. The school has a large Indigenous population. It also has strong connections to local Indigenous communities and two full time Elders on staff. </p>
<p>I began volunteering weekly at the school, getting to know students individually and supporting classroom and school activities. I also facilitated opportunities for amiskwaciy students to visit and attend lectures at MacEwan University. And I supported MacEwan students to tutor and assist teachers in the classroom at amiskwaciy.</p>
<p>The time I have spent at amiskwaciy has benefited the students, the school and myself.</p>
<h2>Indigenous mentorship</h2>
<p>During this time, Fred Hines and the Elders have supported my learning of Indigenous cultures, traditions and ways of knowing and doing. I now consult with Fred on a regular basis. Fred has provided advice and guidance about how to incorporate Indigenous content into my teaching. He has also helped me better understand how to support Indigenous learners.</p>
<p>All experiences and knowledge gained from my time at amiskwaciy have directly informed my university teaching. The school provides similar support to a number of other elementary, secondary and post-secondary educators in the area as well as the broader community.</p>
<p>My experience at amiskwaciy parallels the <a href="http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/iipj/vol8/iss3/2/">successful professional development experiences</a> shared with me by non-Indigenous elementary and secondary educators in Ontario. These educators benefited from working one-on-one with an Indigenous coach in the classroom. Coaches had intimate knowledge of Indigenous cultures and worldviews. Through co-teaching and on the ground support, coaches helped educators to meaningfully and authentically incorporate Indigenous content into their regular teaching practice.</p>
<h2>Get out and get involved</h2>
<p>The TRC suggests that educators, at all levels of schooling, can play a role in reconciling the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. It suggests they do that by raising students’ awareness of residential schools, treaties and Indigenous peoples and perspectives.</p>
<p>For example, on Sept. 30 — on <a href="http://www.orangeshirtday.org/origin.html">Orange Shirt Day</a> — school children across Canada will wear orange to honour survivors of residential schools and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"907668133443522561"}"></div></p>
<p>Much progress has been made over recent years to establish resources and professional development to support <a href="http://cdnsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Indigenous-Project-Final.pdf">elementary, secondary</a> and <a href="https://www.univcan.ca/media-room/media-releases/survey-shows-canadas-universities-advancing-reconciliation/">post-secondary educators</a> — to integrate Indigenous content into classrooms and to implement <a href="http://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/indigenizing-the-academy/">Indigenous strategic plans and initiatives</a>.</p>
<p>But learning and professional development does not always have to come from top-down policies and initiatives. Any educator, anywhere, can take the initiative to connect with local Indigenous groups and organizations. Get out into the community and get involved. Volunteer time and attend public events. Reaching out to Indigenous centres at your own university or school board office is a great place to start. </p>
<p>My experience has been that by fostering mutually respectful relationships with a community organization, knowledge and understanding follows.</p>
<p>I have so much enjoyed my time with amiskwaciy Academy and admire the educators and staff for the work that they do. I look forward to being part of this school community for many years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82875/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Milne 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>Many Canadian teachers worry about how to incorporate Indigenous content into the classroom. For one sociology professor, finding Indigenous mentorship was richly rewarding.Emily Milne, Assistant Professor of Sociology, MacEwan UniversityLicensed 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>
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<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">
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<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>
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<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.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/704862016-12-27T21:01:41Z2016-12-27T21:01:41Z2016, the year that was: Education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150265/original/image-20161215-2478-15kohj2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A year of high expectations, yet little action.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This has been the year of consultation but <a href="https://theconversation.com/federal-budget-2016-education-experts-react-58592">little reform</a>. In the lead up to the general election in July, rumours spread about big changes being made to school and higher education. Alas, for higher education at least, we were told to <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-education-in-policy-paralysis-after-budget-2016-what-now-58815">wait another year</a> before any policy changes would be made.</p>
<h2>Higher education – chatting about reform</h2>
<p>Instead, the sector was given a <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/he_reform_paper_driving_innovation_fairness_and_excellence_3_may_2016.pdf">shopping list of possible reform ideas</a> by the government for higher education. The sector has spent the past year discussing these ideas, which include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Whether we should <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-education-in-policy-paralysis-after-budget-2016-what-now-58815">deregulate fees</a> for some <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-university-flagship-courses-actually-workable-and-will-they-be-a-disaster-for-equity-63521">university courses</a> (most unis are <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/aliceworkman/what-the-hecs?utm_term=.cy5gL0djA#.dn3pB61lW">against this idea</a>).</p></li>
<li><p>If the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-scrap-the-atar-what-are-the-alternative-options-experts-comment-55501">ATAR is a useful admissions tool</a>. (<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-more-transparent-university-admissions-process-heres-what-we-should-be-talking-about-58414">Research shows</a> that few students – around one third – are recruited into a university course with an ATAR alone. The government’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/dec/16/university-admissions-confusion-to-be-addressed-with-my-school-style-website">recent decision</a> to make the admissions process more transparent is a step in the right direction, but it <a href="https://theconversation.com/making-university-admissions-process-more-transparent-is-important-but-wont-help-improve-equity-68918">won’t improve equity</a>.)</p></li>
<li><p>Reducing the <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-education-in-policy-paralysis-after-budget-2016-what-now-58815">repayment threshold</a> for students loans from A$54,126 to $40,000-$45,000.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>VET – a new loan system</h2>
<p>There has also been discussions around Vocational Education and Training (VET) reform – and the government has finally taken some long-awaited action in this area. </p>
<p>From January 1, 2017, there will be a <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-vet-student-loans-unlikely-to-weed-out-dodgy-private-providers-66575">new VET student loan program</a>. This will replace the current flawed VET FEE-HELP scheme, and according to the government, will help to “restore credibility” and rebuild trust in the sector.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/new-vet-loan-scheme-to-exclude-shonky-providers-66507">The program</a> will place tight caps on students loans and issue tougher entry requirements for providers.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-vet-student-loans-unlikely-to-weed-out-dodgy-private-providers-66575">some aren’t so sure</a> that it will be so easy to weed out dodgy private providers who have, in the past, “proved very adept at finding creative ways around regulation”.</p>
<h2>Schools – less funding and slipping standards</h2>
<p>As for schools, the government <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-gonski-gone-we-can-expect-more-demand-for-private-schools-52760">announced that it would abandon</a> the last two years of Gonski funding – a needs-based funding model aimed at supporting children from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds, including those with limited English, Indigenous children and those attending small, rural or remote schools. </p>
<p>This is despite figures showing that these students <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-change-the-way-we-measure-student-progress-in-schools-56422">continue to fall further behind their peers</a> from high SES backgrounds by nearly <a href="https://theconversation.com/pisa-results-dont-look-good-but-before-we-panic-lets-look-at-what-we-can-learn-from-the-latest-test-69470">three years of schooling</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Latest-News/ID/2995/Address-to-the-Independent-Schools-Council-of-Australia-Assoc-of-Heads-of-Independent-Schools-of-Australia-National-Education-Forum">government</a> has repeatedly argued that the continued <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-continue-to-fall-behind-other-countries-in-maths-and-science-69341">slippage in school standards </a> demonstrates that more money does not lead to better educational outcomes. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://theconversation.com/gonski-model-was-corrupted-but-labor-and-coalition-are-both-to-blame-65875">it seems that messy politics</a> got in the way of the Gonski model being implemented effectively. So instead of a needs-based model, we got an “inconsistent patchwork of approaches across the nation that protected the vested interests of non-government schools”.</p>
<p>There is, however, plenty of <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-more-money-for-schools-improve-educational-outcomes-57656">research</a> to show that money does make a difference when it is targeted at areas most in need of support.</p>
<p>The debate then moved on to whether <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-some-australian-private-schools-are-overfunded-heres-why-66212">certain schools are “overfunded”</a>, as suggested by education minister Simon Birmingham.</p>
<p>This led to fraught debates around inequality of funding between government and non-government schools. Private schools in Australia can receive public funding while also be allowed to charge school fees. However, <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-some-australian-private-schools-are-overfunded-heres-why-66212">research shows</a> that while most high-fee private schools are overfunded, many low-fee private schools are underfunded.</p>
<p>States and territories won’t find out till next year how funding will be distributed from 2018 onwards. In the meantime, there have been a few suggestions around how to reform the school funding system, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-model-for-school-funding-that-wont-break-the-budget-69406">this one</a> by the Grattan Institute.</p>
<p>Teacher quality is another issue that kept coming up this year. This followed concerns that universities were recruiting students onto teacher training courses with <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-main-challenges-facing-teacher-education-in-australia-63658">lower than advertised ATARs</a>.</p>
<p>All <a href="https://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-quality">initial teacher education students</a> now have to <a href="https://theconversation.com/testing-teachers-basic-literacy-and-numeracy-skills-is-pointless-51566">pass a literacy and numeracy test</a> before graduating to help improve standards.</p>
<p>We ran a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/better-teachers-30749">series of articles</a> looking at how to improve teacher education and raise standards. So what’s the answer? </p>
<p>Australia needs <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-main-challenges-facing-teacher-education-in-australia-63658">more specialist teachers</a>, and it needs to <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-raise-status-of-teaching-australia-needs-to-lift-pay-and-cut-teacher-numbers-63518">raise the status of the teaching</a> profession by lifting pay. It needs to <a href="https://theconversation.com/focusing-on-tests-and-invalid-assessments-is-the-wrong-way-to-measure-teacher-quality-63931">change how schools and teachers are evaluated</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/students-are-not-hard-wired-to-learn-in-different-ways-we-need-to-stop-using-unproven-harmful-methods-63715">ditch the idea</a> that students are hard-wired to learn in different ways.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-continue-to-fall-behind-other-countries-in-maths-and-science-69341">two</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/pisa-results-dont-look-good-but-before-we-panic-lets-look-at-what-we-can-learn-from-the-latest-test-69470">international tests</a> and one <a href="https://theconversation.com/naplan-results-reveal-little-change-in-literacy-and-numeracy-performance-here-are-some-key-takeaway-findings-70208">national test</a> revealing that Australia – on average – <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-continue-to-fall-behind-other-countries-in-maths-and-science-69341">continues to slide</a> in maths, science and literacy, you would think that we don’t know how to improve student learning in schools. But we do. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/speaking-with-john-hattie-on-how-to-improve-the-quality-of-education-in-australian-schools-60254">Education experts like John Hattie</a> have been talking about how to do this for years. This issue is a combination of the government paying little attention to what the evidence actually says, and schools taking a long time to implement some of these ideas. There is also the issue of <a href="https://theconversation.com/gaps-in-education-data-there-are-many-questions-for-which-we-dont-have-accurate-answers-65241v">a lack of education data</a> made publicly available.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/speaking-with-john-hattie-on-how-to-improve-the-quality-of-education-in-australian-schools-60254">So what makes a difference to the quality of education?</a> Interaction with teachers, clinical teaching, constantly measuring each student’s knowledge and responding to their individual needs.</p>
<p>What doesn’t? Smaller class sizes, private schooling, and homework.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150269/original/image-20161215-2517-1f9y3ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Early years education is not about babysitting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Early years education – about changing a mindset</h2>
<p>In early years education, little progress has been made. This is despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-childhood-education-is-key-to-closing-the-gaps-54322">research showing</a> that early years education is key to closing achievement gaps in the longer term.</p>
<p>The issue is to do with <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-childcare-such-a-hard-sell-in-the-federal-election-59815">changing a mindset</a>. Rather than looking at the funding of early years education as something that helps get mums back to work, the government needs to look at it as setting children up for learning before they start school.</p>
<p>The good news is that we have almost all four year olds <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2016/childcare-education-and-training/early-childhood-education-and-care#framework">enrolled in preschool</a>. The less positive news is that early years education still faces many problems around <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-in-five-early-childhood-educators-plan-to-leave-the-profession-61279">low retention of teachers</a>, and staff feeling <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-childhood-educators-rely-on-families-to-prop-up-low-income-research-finds-69283">underpaid</a> and having to rely on families to prop up their income.</p>
<h2>Other areas we’ve covered</h2>
<p>Throughout the year we’ve discussed a range of much-debated issues – based on new research. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/disability-discrimination-24285">Disability discrimination</a>: we looked at the concerning ways schools try to avoid <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-with-disability-are-being-excluded-from-education-59825">enrolling students with disabilities</a>; around <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-with-disabilities-risk-being-misdiagnosed-in-order-to-receive-school-funding-support-53490">misdiagnosing students</a> as a way to obtain school funding; and about <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-your-rights-if-your-child-with-a-disability-is-denied-a-school-place-53500">your rights as a parent</a> if your child with a disability is denied a school place.</p></li>
<li><p>How to revive <a href="https://theconversation.com/reviving-indigenous-languages-not-as-easy-as-it-seems-68977">Indigenous languages</a> - which is no mean feat.</p></li>
<li><p>We talked about how a tough approach to bad behaviour in schools – such as writing names on the board, taking away a student’s lunch time, or handing out detention – are <a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-tough-approach-to-bad-behaviour-isnt-working-and-may-escalate-problems-56737">actually ineffective</a> in the long term and can exacerbate student disengagement and alienation. Individual punishment – such as expulsions – used as a deterrent also <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-we-expelling-too-many-children-from-australian-schools-65162">rarely works</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>And although genes are never the full story, research shows that they <a href="https://theconversation.com/genes-can-have-up-to-80-influence-on-students-academic-performance-58052">can have up to 80% influence on students’ academic performance</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Despite little progress in policy reform, it has been a superb year of debate and discussion around some pressing issues facing education. </p>
<p>To top it off, we were humbled to have received a media award by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders for our “excellent coverage” of education issues.</p>
<p>I’d like to say a big thanks to all our authors who’ve contributed this year – and we hope many more will join us next year.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70486/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Gonski funding was scrapped and the vocational education sector got a new student loan system. Here’s what else happened in education this year…Claire Shaw, Education EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/556552016-03-17T23:22:33Z2016-03-17T23:22:33ZThree ways to increase the number of Indigenous academics in Australian universities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115248/original/image-20160316-24071-mwzvye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Offering more scholarships could help boost Indigenous PhD completion rates.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Too few Indigenous Australians are making it as academics in our universities. This has a significant impact on Indigenous development.</p>
<p>While the number of research students from Indigenous backgrounds has increased slightly over the years, from 0.84% in 2005 to 1.11% in 2014, PhD completion rates for Indigenous students has barely changed: in 2014, 0.55% completed their PhD, compared with 0.53% in 2005.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tlri.org.nz/tlri-research/research-completed/post-school-sector/teaching-and-learning-supervision-maori-doctoral">Research from New Zealand</a> investigating the needs of Māori doctoral candidates shows that Indigenous PhD students need support in grappling with the tensions between their academic and cultural identities. </p>
<p>The New Zealand research showed Māori PhD students had many cultural, academic and personal demands. These impacted on their capacity to undertake a demanding program of study. These students also had difficulty finding supervisors who had appropriate expertise and research skills for their project.</p>
<p>For Australian universities to accelerate the growth of their Indigenous academic workforce they need to continue to grow PhD enrolments. Importantly, they also need to address PhD <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/atsiheac_academic_workforce_paper.pdf">completions </a>, which lag behind the growth in enrolments. </p>
<h2>Create incentives for universities</h2>
<p>To help create an incentive for universities to invest in Indigenous research, training programs should be weighted for Indigenous students. </p>
<p>Weighted funding supports universities to develop tailored programs and financial supports that are needed for the success of Indigenous doctoral students. </p>
<p>Indigenous students often start their research training a number of years after completing their undergraduate degrees. Being older, they usually have diverse needs, including family, work and cultural obligations. Others may relocate from regional areas. <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/review_final_report_2012.pdf">Financial support</a> that meets their individual needs are critical to their success.</p>
<h2>Tailor training programs</h2>
<p>Traditionally, research training involves one or two supervisors per student. Supervisors provide academic support over the life course of the PhD. This is probably no longer the ideal model for most students including Indigenous students.</p>
<p>Training programs need to be tailored to the <a href="http://example.com/https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/review_final_report_2012.pdf">educational needs </a> of Indigenous students.</p>
<p>Tailored programs could create opportunities for Indigenous doctoral students from different disciplines to come together, share their common challenges and find constructive solutions. Tailored programs could reduce the isolation that PhD students can suffer and enrich their doctoral experience. </p>
<p>Such programs can also create peer networks to support supervisors who lack sufficient experience in working with Indigenous students or in Indigenous research contexts. Improved supervision has been identified as a key to <a href="http://example.com/create%20learning%20cohorts%20for%20Indigenous%20students%20from%20different%20disciplines">improving completion</a> rates.</p>
<h2>Offer more scholarships</h2>
<p>PhD scholarships, such as Australian postgraduate awards, provide financial incentives for students while they study. But these schemes are highly competitive. </p>
<p>More scholarship opportunities are needed to support students across all disciplines. These should include ones that are targeted at the specific needs of Indigenous students.</p>
<p>New Zealand has made a significant investment in the development of pathways for Māori students. The <a href="http://mai.ac.nz/">Māori and Indigenous Doctoral Program</a> is a national network with individual university sites. The program is integral to a capability-building program of <a href="http://www.maramatanga.co.nz/capability-building/support">Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga</a>. Similar programs are being created here in <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-network-aims-to-boost-indigenous-phd-completion-rates-15949">Australia</a>.</p>
<p>One feature of the New Zealand program is that the financial support offered does not end at the completion of their PhD. Bridging scholarships can be sought to continue to publish from the research while waiting for the examination process to complete. </p>
<p>Higher education is key to unlocking sustainable Indigenous economies. It is also important to cultural vitality of Indigenous communities. </p>
<p>It provides the know-how and expertise to tackle key challenges for Indigenous health, education and cultural renewal. Indigenous academics unlock the potential of universities for Indigenous development.</p>
<p>Indigenous academics bring their expertise in teaching and research in the field of Indigenous studies. They produce the ideas and innovation important for Indigenous development. </p>
<p>Indigenous academics are policy leaders and role models for younger Indigenous Australians. They are making their mark in a diverse array of fields that include mathematics, laboratory sciences and business. </p>
<p>Reform of Australia’s research training system has the potential to significantly accelerate Indigenous success that has been built over the last decade. Reforms should focus on increasing participation in PhD programs but also the flow-on to timely completions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55655/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Anderson was Co-Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Council from 2012 to June 2015 </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth McKinley 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>Reforming Australia’s research training system and providing more funding support could help increase PhD completion rates for Indigenous students.Ian Anderson. Palawa, Pro Vice Chancellor (Engagement), The University of MelbourneElizabeth McKinley, Professor of Indigenous Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/538122016-01-29T00:14:20Z2016-01-29T00:14:20ZLabor has put Gonski back on the table, but should we be excited?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109553/original/image-20160128-27140-19z99ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Labor has announced it would fully fund Gonski if it wins government.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lukas Coch/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>After the most comprehensive review of school education funding for over 40 years, followed by an exhaustive Senate <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/School_Funding/School_Funding/Report/index">inquiry</a> in 2014 – it looks like <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-gonski-anyway-13599">Gonski</a> is once again back on the table. </p>
<p>Labor <a href="https://theconversation.com/bill-shorten-promises-labor-would-implement-the-full-gonski-53815">has announced</a> it would commit to fully funding Gonski, with a reform package costing A$37.3 billion over the next decade.
But is this actually what the <a href="http://www.betterschools.gov.au/review">Gonski review</a> recommended?</p>
<p>Additional money recommended by the Gonski review was meant to go to schools with the most in need: Indigenous, rural and remote, disabled and socio-economically disadvantaged students. </p>
<p>Instead it has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-gonski-anyway-13599">left to the states</a> and the Catholic and independent school systems to distribute this money.</p>
<h2>Gonski timeline</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?tag=alan-reid">future</a> of public education in Australia is at stake. Funding policies have for too long neglected the concept of need and foregrounded the principle of entitlement. This has led to increasing amounts of public money going to private schools, with a consequent expansion of that sector at the expense of public education.</p>
<p>Under current Coalition government policy, we have <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/School_Funding/School_Funding/Report/%7E/media/Committees/Senate/committee/schoolfund_ctte/report/d02.pdf">continued to see</a> an increasingly privatised education system. </p>
<p>Previous federal minister Christopher Pyne is on the <a href="http://www.csa.edu.au/resources/csnpf-2014/ministers-address-christopher-pyne">record</a> as stating that “we have a particular responsibility for non-government schooling that we don’t have for government schooling.</p>
<p>"The emotional commitment within the federal government is to continue to have a direct relationship with the non-government schools sector. I think the states and territories would prefer that as well.”</p>
<p>The Liberal Party has consistently rejected the Gonski review conclusion that increased spending leads to improved education outcomes in relation to socio-economic disadvantage. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-schools-plan-sneaky-mean-tricky-andrews-government-20151229-glw8gj.html">stated</a>: “Funding is important, but there is a lot more to it [improved student achievement]. The key element is teacher quality.” </p>
<p>The conservative side of politics <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3899668.htm">believes</a> there is no equity problem to address in Australian education. The Liberal Party relies on conservative researchers’ <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-29/donnelly-bill-shorten-has-backed-the-flawed-gonski-model/7123588">evidence</a> denying any causal link between socioeconomic status and student academic outcomes.</p>
<p>The best-performing education systems are those that combine <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-equity-debate-a-fair-go-for-australian-schools-5609">equity</a> with quality. They give all children opportunities for a quality education. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109554/original/image-20160128-27177-1r0jnbr.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">Australia has a significant gap between its highest- and lowest-performing students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dan Peled</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why the funding is needed</h2>
<p>Educational failure imposes high costs on society. Poorly educated people limit economies’ capacity to produce, grow and innovate. School failure damages social cohesion and mobility, and imposes additional costs on public budgets to deal with the consequences – higher spending on public health and social support and greater criminality, among others. </p>
<p>For all these reasons, improving equity in education and reducing school failure should be a high priority in all OECD education policy agendas.</p>
<p>Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham <a href="http://www.educatoronline.com.au/breaking-news/govt-responds-to-labors-gonski-pledge-211112.aspx">repeats</a> the furphy that state and federal spending on schools grew by more than 100% in real terms between 1987-88 and 2011-12. This clever accounting includes the massive boost to school building programs that was part of the Labor government’s response to the world fiscal meltdown.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceecdya/anr/">National Reports on Schooling</a> in Australia show that government spending per student in Australia was A$8,115 in 1999-2000 ($11,731 in 2012) and $13,544 in 2008-09 ($14,637 in 2012). That is a real increase of only 24.7%. Over the same period government expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure in Australia fell from 14.2% to 12.9%.</p>
<p>According to World Bank <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS">figures</a>, Australia’s spend on education as a proportion of GDP, around 5%, has <a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/public-spending-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp-wb-data.html">remained constant</a> over that time.</p>
<p>Yet Australia has gone backwards in absolute and relative terms, including in international literacy and numeracy rankings. </p>
<p>Over the past decade, the performance of Australian students in international assessments has <a href="https://theconversation.com/latest-tests-show-pms-2025-education-goal-is-in-doubt-11292">declined</a> at all levels of achievement compared to international benchmarks. At the same time we have witnessed a <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-gonski-gone-we-can-expect-more-demand-for-private-schools-52760">massive shift</a> in federal and state funds to the private sector of schooling. </p>
<p>The proportion of Australia’s lowest-performing students are in danger of not meeting minimum standards of achievement.</p>
<p>Australia has a significant gap between its highest- and lowest-performing students; far greater than in many OECD countries. The <a href="http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/pathways/youthpartnerships/Schooling%20Challenges%20and%20Opportunities.pdf">link</a> between low levels of achievement and educational disadvantage, particularly among students from low socioeconomic and Indigenous backgrounds, is well accepted by most researchers. </p>
<h2>A fairer system?</h2>
<p>It’s important to remember that this money comes from all taxpayers, including the 1.4 million workers on a minimum wage who are supporting well-funded private schools. </p>
<p>With 80% of disadvantaged children attending government schools around the country, it is therefore no surprise that these teachers are struggling to overcome generational poverty and disadvantage.</p>
<p>While Commonwealth funding for non-government schools rose from around $3.50 for each dollar spent on public schools to around $5 between 1997 and 2007, in the past decade government funding to independent schools has increased by <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/elite-schools-with-huge-profits-shouldnt-get-generous-funding/story-fn56aaiq-1226013788272">112%</a>.</p>
<p>In fact, Canberra now gives more money to private schools than it does to universities – more than $36 billion in federal funds went to non-government schools in the period 2009-2013. Recent <a href="http://insidestory.org.au/closing-the-wrong-gaps">research</a> predicts that most Catholic schools will soon receive more public money per student than public schools.</p>
<p>Federal government funding for high-fee private schools is <a href="http://www.saveourschools.com.au/funding/fee-and-funding-increases-give-elite-private-schools-a-massive-resource-advantage">six to ten times</a> greater than the additional funding provided to disadvantaged schools.</p>
<h2>Labor’s commitment to funding education</h2>
<p>Despite being touted as “school funding reform”, the opposition’s announcement in fact merely maintained the status quo. What was needed was a bolder political ambition for a fairer system, one that doesn’t take from the poor to give to the rich.</p>
<p>But the goal of a fairer Australia, at least, has been hampered from the start. </p>
<p>Once the Gillard government committed to the Catholic and independent school lobbies that not one of their schools would lose a single dollar under the reforms, the opportunity for a fairer, genuine needs-based school funding system was lost.</p>
<p>We <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/specials/saul/eight.htm">have to ask</a>, can we remain a functioning democracy without a strong public education system?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53812/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Zyngier receives funding from the Australian Research Council</span></em></p>Labor has announced it will commit to fully funding Gonski, with a reform package costing $37.3 billion over the next decade.
But is this actually what the Gonski review recommended?David Zyngier, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/413542015-05-11T20:07:01Z2015-05-11T20:07:01ZNothing has changed since Indigenous higher ed review<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/80955/original/image-20150508-9065-cilxmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">No improvements have been made to Indigenous higher education participation or completion despite a major review.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com.au</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Following the 2012 <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/heaccessandoutcomesforaboriginalandtorresstraitislanderfinalreport.pdf">Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People</a>, which aimed to increase university attendance for Indigenous Australians, nothing has changed.</p>
<p>The review notably called for an increase of the Indigenous student body to 2.2% of the total student population. This increase would make Indigenous university representation proportionate to the percentage of the Indigenous population in Australia.</p>
<p>Prior to the review the percentage of Indigenous students in universities across Australia was <a href="http://www.academia.edu/953579/Pechenkina_E._Anderson_I._2011_Background_paper_on_Indigenous_Australian_Higher_Education_Trends_Initiatives_and_Policy_Implications">barely 1%</a> (0.7% was the exact number we arrived at). The Indigenous completion rate pre-review was 32.4%.</p>
<p>After the review (based on the <a href="https://education.gov.au/selected-higher-education-statistics-2013-student-data">most recently available statistics</a> from 2013), the situation was exactly the same, with 1% of Indigenous students across Australia and a 28% completion rate.</p>
<p>The review also saw the creation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council, but <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/budget-2015-reforms-to-shrink-bureaucracy/story-fn59nsif-1227349662492">media reports yesterday</a> said the council is to be defunded in today’s budget. </p>
<h2>Trends in Indigenous higher education participation</h2>
<p>At the time of the last <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2076.0main+features302011">census</a>, just over a quarter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over held a post-secondary qualification, compared to nearly half non-Indigenous people. </p>
<p>The most common post-secondary qualifications held by Indigenous Australians were certificate-level tertiary degrees. In higher education, Indigenous student numbers were much lower.</p>
<p>As the <a href="https://education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics">higher education statistics</a> demonstrate, Indigenous Australians comprise just over 1% of the half a million university students enrolled across 38 Australian higher education institutions. </p>
<p>On average, Indigenous students were half as likely to complete their course compared to their non-Indigenous peers. The Indigenous completion rate was 28% while the completion rate for the mainstream student body was 59%.</p>
<p>Indigenous higher education participation and completion rates <a href="https://www.academia.edu/723946/Pechenkina_E._Kowal_E._Paradies_Y._2011_Indigenous_Australian_students_participation_and_success_in_higher_education_Exploring_the_role_of_universities">vary between universities</a>. </p>
<p>There are universities with high annual intakes of Indigenous students (as measured by enrolment numbers); and there are universities with significantly lower intakes but extremely high Indigenous completion rates.</p>
<p>Universities with the highest Indigenous completion rates include the Australian National University (where the rate is nearly 80%), University of Technology Sydney (62%), Monash (59%), RMIT (57%) and The University of Melbourne (54%).</p>
<p>On the other hand, universities with highest Indigenous intakes included Charles Sturt University (404 Indigenous students commenced in 2013), University of Newcastle (384), Charles Darwin University (363) and Griffith and Deakin (288 for both).</p>
<p>This ongoing divide between the two groups of universities suggests that very little had changed in the way universities recruit and support Indigenous students. With many factors influencing and facilitating Indigenous academic success, the question remains: what actually works when it comes to better supporting Indigenous students to completion?</p>
<h2>What works?</h2>
<p>Universities have introduced a number of bridging programs and alternative entry schemes with the sole purpose of preparing Indigenous students to eventually enter undergraduate programs and improving Indigenous academic outcomes.</p>
<p>Many students in these programs may not have finished high school or otherwise do not meet university admission requirements. Many universities, such as the universities of <a href="http://ba.unimelb.edu.au/about/bachelor-arts-extended">Melbourne</a>, <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/student_services/cadigal.shtml">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/future-students/undergraduate-study/other-pathways-and-study-options/yapug/about-yapug">Newcastle</a> offer facilitated admission via alternative entry programs, bridging subjects and academic and cultural support to Indigenous students. </p>
<p><a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/40990">Recent research</a> has shown that Indigenous students admitted via an alternative entry program are as likely to develop the culture of academic achievement as their Indigenous peers admitted in the “traditional” way.</p>
<p>External efforts also exist to support Indigenous students in their educational endeavours. <a href="http://theaspirationinitiative.com.au/academic-enrichment/139-about-the-academic-enrichment-program">The Academic Enrichment Program</a> aims to enhance Indigenous high school students’ academic achievement and to prepare them for university through an intensive academic camp and subsequent ongoing support.</p>
<p>Importantly, most <a href="http://www.dpmc.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/about/children-and-schooling-programme/indigenous-higher-education-centres">Australian universities</a> have a dedicated Indigenous centre. A centre can specialise in research, teaching and learning, or support services, but often a combination of such activities is delivered.</p>
<h2>What do Indigenous students think of support?</h2>
<p>The role of the dedicated centres and specialised Indigenous support in Indigenous achievement has been investigated. It was found that Indigenous students valued dedicated spaces and services such centres provide, perceiving those as <a href="http://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1391656/009_PECHENKINA_V2.pdf">culturally safe and significant</a>. </p>
<p>An Indigenous centre on campus can be seen by Indigenous students as a symbol of a university’s dedication to advancing Indigenous education, a sign that Indigenous students and staff matter to the university. Even students who do not use any dedicated services may hold such perceptions.</p>
<p>However, we must be careful when deciding how support is offered to Indigenous students. It was found that when the offer of support was unsolicited, students tended to perceive it as <a href="http://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1391656/009_PECHENKINA_V2.pdf">tokenistic or even offensive</a>. Students’ perceptions of support also differed based on students’ backgrounds and previous interactions with the support structures.</p>
<p>In the end, while support is important, we must listen to the student voices and not assume that one approach to support fits all. Indigenous students come from different backgrounds and this diversity must be considered when designing and delivering support programs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/41354/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ekaterina Pechenkina received funding to undertake her PhD through an Australian Postgraduate Award.</span></em></p>Three years after the Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People which aimed to increase university attendance for Indigenous Australians, not much has changed.Ekaterina Pechenkina, Researcher, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.