ADAB 304Indigenous Teachers in Australian Education

Assessment 2

Catholic Education

Prayer

MOST REVEREND GEOFFREY JARRETT, D.D.

Catholic EducationLismore Diocese

• Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore.The Diocese of Lismore extends from Tweed Heads to Laurieton and west to the foothill s of the Great Divide. The region has an agricultural, service industry, tourist based economy and continues to experience significant growth.  The Catholic education system currently includes 34 primary schools with an enrolment of approximately 9 100, 11 systemic secondary schools with an enrolment of approximately 7 700. There is also one non-systemic school with a further approximately 1 300 students at secondary level, giving a total of approximately 17 700 pupils attending Catholic schools.  All 46 schools are co-educational.Total school staff exceeds 1 300.

Indigenous Education in Catholic schools

Aboriginal & Islander Education Officers or Aboriginal Teachers Aide AIEOs (government schools) and ATAs (Catholic schools) are

employed in schools to provide support and assistance to Aboriginal students, carers, teachers and the school community through their knowledge, understanding and sharing of Aboriginal history, language and culture .

The role of the AIEO is designed to help ease the barriers to educational outcomes that Aboriginal students may encounter in the education system . As such, they can have an important influence on the behaviour and performance of Aboriginal students .

In the government school system, the allocation of AIEOs is based on a formula which takes account of the size of the Aboriginal student population, the year that these students are enrolled in, and the level of social disadvantage in the school community.

ST JOSEPH’S PRIMARY SCHOOL TWEED HEADS ABORIGINAL EDUCATION POLICY

• St Joseph’s Primary School recognises the uniqueness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their identity and their culture.This policy is underpinned by the Foundational Beliefs and Practices of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore – The Essential Framework and Diocesan and legislative imperatives.RATIONALE:We recognise the Traditional Nation of the Bundjalung people of the Tweed Region.Education is fundamental in enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to participate fully and equitably in Australian Society. Education about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and their cultural heritage is fundamental for all Australians in building our national identity.Quality Aboriginal Education programs promote reconciliation. Reconciliation is an important process which recognises cultural traditions and values. It promotes the principles of partnership, inclusion, equity and justice.IMPLEMENTATION:The effective implementation of this policy will ensure that our school: Promote ongoing consultation with parents and Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander communities to ensure an appropriate response to the differing needsof students Recognise and nurture the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’soneness with the land and acknowledge that this is reflected in their spiritualityand values, both traditional and contemporary Encourage and promote the participation of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people in the life of the school community Implement, monitor and evaluate appropriate curricula for Aboriginal studentsin order to improve educational outcomes Provide opportunities across the curricula for every student to develop respectfor Aboriginal people and their cultures Encourage employment and offer assistance for development of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander personnel in our school Participate in celebrations of culture sharing and reconciliation activities.

Catholic EducationLismore Diocese

• Resources/Development

• Catholic education Lismore Diocese

• http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/

• Funding, Resources,Links

• Yarrawarra Professional Development days for Indigenous Teachers & Aides, Principals and Teachers.

Marist Brothers Funding

• Marist Fathers Aboriginal Education FundThe Marist Fathers at St. John’s College Lismore had a long history of supporting and offering secondary education to Aboriginal students.  When the College changed from being a boarding school for boys to being a co-educational college for day students, the Marist Fathers wanted to continue supporting the education of Aboriginal students.The Marist Fathers Aboriginal Education Fund was set up for this special need.The Marist Fathers Aboriginal Education fund “aims to assist Aboriginal students in need in those areas not normally covered by other sources of funding”.It is available to Aboriginal students attending Catholic secondary schools within the boundaries of the Diocese of Lismore.A grant will be made available for assistance in any of the following areas:School uniformsText book and stationary expensesSpecial subject levies and equipmentVET course feesDistance learning in junior High School (years 7-9)Special consideration will be given to Years 11 and 12 studentsApplications may be made for a total grant of up to $500.00 per student per year.Applications need to be completed each year and need to be submitted by mid November for the following year.Application forms are available from:Aboriginal Education OfficerCatholic Education Office,PO Box 158,LismoreNSW 2480

Doreen Flanders

Aboriginal Our Father which is on our Catholic Education website

• You are Our Father, you live in heavenWe talk to you, Father you are good (repeat)We believe your Word FatherWe your children, give us bread today (repeat)We have done wrong, we are sorryHelp us Father not to sin again (repeat)Others have done wrong to usAnd we are sorry for them, Father today (repeat)Stop us from doing wrong, FatherSave us all from the evil one (repeat)You are Our Father, you live in heavenWe talk to you, Father you are good (repeat)

Indigenous Literacy Program

The aim of this program is to improve reading achievement for Indigenous students who have been identified as under achieving in 2008/ 2009 Naplan literacy tests.

Improving the educational experiences of Aboriginal children and young people

The Catholic and Independent school systems work closely with the government in providing Aboriginal education before and after school entry . As such, the programmes and Professional Development activities tend to be implemented and accessed in all school systems . The Aboriginal Education and Training Council (AETC) is the state ministerial advisory body on Aboriginal education and training, and, among other roles, provides a forum to enable a consistent approach to Aboriginal education across systems in Western Australia .

In recent years, there has been a shift from a highly centralised system of programmes, with little scope for Aboriginal ownership, to a more devolved system where individual schools are key in the decision-making process . Locally-specific aspirant programmes are an important part of the make-up of Aboriginal education programmes in most Western Australian schools, although programmes developed for the entire school system are still employed . Follow the Dream is the main programme developed for Aboriginal students in Western Australian schools . It aims to help secondary school students get through high school and into university education.

Enabling the parents of Aboriginal students and Aboriginal communities to get involved in educational decision-making in schools, and ensuring that Aboriginal people’s interests and goals are attended to, has been the focus of a number of Aboriginal education programmes in recent years . Establishing ASSPA committees in schools was previously the prime mechanism for stimulating community involvement . However, this approach has now been superseded by a Whole of School Intervention Strategy, which incorporates elements such as the Parent School Partnerships Initiative (PSPI) .

Issues, policy and historyEngaging Aboriginal parents and communities in school

decision making

At the time of the survey, Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness (ASSPA) committees were operating in most schools with Aboriginal students, with the aim of improving parental involvement in the educational decision- making process . The ASSPA scheme was operated by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and provided funding to school and pre-school based parent committees, enabling problems in Aboriginal education to be addressed at a local, school-specific level . Funding levels depended on the number of Aboriginal students in the school, and were provided under the terms of a binding funding contract that stipulated planned activities during the year . At the end of each year, ASSPA committees reported to DEST on how funds were spent and what activities were completed .

In 2005, the ASSPA scheme was effectively superseded by the Parent School Partnerships Initiative (PSPI) . The PSPI, like ASSPA, requires providers to report to DEST on planned activities and outcomes . The PSPI encourages parents of Aboriginal students, Aboriginal communities and schools to work together in addressing local barriers to education . Specifically, the PSPI aims to improve school attendance and literacy and numeracy skills, and increase Year 12 retention and the number of successful Year 12 completions .

Issues

Expensive school fees in Catholic Education

Religion aspect can be an issue conflict with cultural background.

Parental involvement can be restricted if the parents have different religious beliefs.

Not enough Indigenous Teachers in Catholic Education.

Song written by my son Isaac who dedicated this to his mother for her years of study and how he felt during this time. Isaac also expresses his feelings towards the

way he felt during his school years .