Aboriginal Education and Training Directorate

Dare to Lead

2008

Building Relationship

Building school’s capacity to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities in a relationships

• Research and homework• National level• KNOW and UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF

AUSTRALIA• Local level• KNOW and UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF the

LOCAL COMMUNITY• A shared history!

ITS ALL OUR HISTORY!!

Who is in my community?

• How well do schools know their local Aboriginal community/ies

• What is the history of the local area?

• What are the local community protocols?

• What is the population of your local community?

• Is the population made up of one language group or a number of groups for various reasons?

• What are those reasons? What has your school done getto know Aboriginal people and become more aware of issuesrelated to their experiences?

Why should Aboriginal people be involved in developing and implementing Studies

and Perspectives• Why?• Aboriginal people are the

owners and custodians of their knowledge and culture. They have the right to be consulted when aspects of Aboriginal history and culture are being incorporated into the school curriculum.

• As custodians of their cultures and languages, Aboriginal people alone possess the necessary knowledge, skills and experiences to give authenticity to Aboriginal studies and perspectives in schools.

Working with Aboriginal Communities Office of the Board of Studies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the custodians of the

knowledge

The Hunter / Central Coast Experience

Schools

Schools:Woy Woy Sth PS, Ettalong PS, Empire Bay PS, Umina PS and

Woy Woy PS

Developing and Supporting Curriculum

• Know what you would like community support you with.

Is it; • Perspectives in COGs, Yr 7-10 History or

other KLAs• Aboriginal studies units: Stages ES1 –

S5• Stage 6 Aboriginal Studies?

Why? The geographical location and close proximity of these

schools on the Central Coast peninsula meant that they were conducive to:

• Developing and strengthening relationships with the local Aboriginal community (as a cluster)

• Developing consistency and continuity of Aboriginal Studies units from Stages 1 through to 3 (as a cluster)

• Developing a scope and sequence thus avoiding over representation and use of resources and information (as a cluster)

• Pooling and sharing local resources (as a cluster)• Supporting and enhancing local understandings of

Aboriginal community protocols (as a cluster)• Establishing and supporting a collegial network (as a cluster)• Maximising the use of local Aboriginal community support

and resources appropriately (as a cluster)

Stages of the project

• Term 1 - Contact schools.• Term 1 - Contact Aboriginal community

members.• Term 1 - Writing workshop.• Term 2 - Cultural day excursion• Term 2 - Trial units in each school.• Term 3 - Evaluate and review units.• Term 4 - Upload units on to the AETD

website, along with the framework.

Process for working with community• Contacted local AECG and regional support people.• Liaised with ACLO to set a meeting and a date.• Met with community at a suitable location • Outlined the project: - develop HSIE units of work with 5 schools across 3 learning stages, - Units based on existing units but from an Aboriginal perspective - Units based on local content and knowledge

AETD then,• Supported communities understanding of curriculum by: - providing copies of syllabus document and support document- discussing some of the terminologies eg outcomes, indicators- discussing what a syllabus was and how it supported curriculum

• Discussed how community could support the development of units with schools.

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Feedback• “Good to work with local people” • “This how all programmes should be developed” • “Came together as the days went on”• “Would have been great as a group to go out into the local area and look at

some sites/plants etc talk, touch, smell, taste and see etc”• “Good treatment of an area that is always difficult to teach properly” • “We have created something that I’ll be excited to teach and highly relevant”• “Fantastic “awakening”. The start of a very worthwhile, project for all

children and teachers alike! Many thanks!”• “Excellent: greater outcomes than anticipated”• “Such a highly valuable 3 Days. It’s a start in the right direction”• “Wonderful to work with other schools and community members. Very

enjoyable”• “A very important and worthwhile 3 days. It has been a pleasure to be part

of it. Thank you”• “Got better in time! Thank you!”• “It was great to be part of an action that is so worthwhile. Thankyou”• “Very exciting – can’t wait to begin the lessons!• “Great job! Working towards Reconciliation” Teachers from : Woy Woy Sth PS, Ettalong PS, Empire Bay PS, Umina PS andWoy Woy PS