PART A) What is meant by the term equity in education?

(Draw attention to question on the board so that they are more engaged when discussing this question)

SARAH
In the last ten or so years, the term equity has popped up more frequently in discussions about
educational improvement for students who are at disadvantage. This was made especially clear in 2008,
when the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians stated that a main goal was
to ensure that Australian schooling promotes equity.

So, what is equity then?

Equity has been described as having two dimensions.

Fairness
Meaning that circumstances external to schooling should not be a barrier to education (e.g. your socio-
economic status, cultural background, gender etc.)
Inclusion
Refers to the educational goal of ensuring that all people receive basic education (reading, writing,
arithmetic).

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ANJA
Activity #1
Ask the class to think about the difference between equity & equality with the definitions in mind. Then
ask them to share the answers once they have, then move on to the next section:

We found this quote online which we think summarized equity well. In education, the term equity refers
to the principle of fairness. While it is often used interchangeably with the related principle of equality,
equity encompasses a wide variety of educational models, programs, and strategies that may be
considered fair, but not necessarily equal. It is has been said that equity is the process; equality is the
outcome, given that equitywhat is fair and justmay not, in the process of educating students, reflect
strict equalitywhat is applied, allocated, or distributed equally. (http://edglossary.org/equity/)

So, equity & equality are not the same thing. With equality, the focus is on ensuring everyone has the
same things which has the potential to overlook inherent (or pre-existing) disadvantages or differences,
giving rise to privilege. Equity, on the other hand, still strives for more equal outcomes but gives students
what they need in order to succeed.

Example from Aunty Ngitji Ngitji Turs highlights this in a basic sense :
began school at Oodnadatta aged seven straight from the bush

Did not speak English

Not familiar with culture
Socially excluded + bullied

Obviously, we can see that this does not promote fairness in educational outcomes. She is at a
disadvantage because she is not given the tools she needs to succeed.
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Question: in this example, what are some basic tools that would have to be given to promote equity in
this scenario?

SARAH
PART B) Is this achievable?

To determine whether equity in the Australian education system would be achievable, we first had to
determine briefly some factors that lead to inequity in the classroom, if we plan on making any form of
change.

Working towards equity in education is a complex task as the underlying causes for this initial disparity
and disadvantage are deeply embedded in society. However, this does not mean that teachers cant
initiate positive changes within the classroom and their curriculum to promote fairer treatment and more
equal outcomes.

Background on inequity ANJA

Very briefly, we wanted to acknowledge some of the underlying factors that contribute to Educational
inequity.

Historically we see:
Decades of segregation
Forceful removal of Indigenous children from their parents
Indigenous children institutionalised

Nowadays, these factors are compounded by the manifestations of stereotypes and the racialisation of
institutions such as schools, which disadvantage Indigenous students systematically.
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SARAH

1.Teaching for reconciliation

A good starting point in the classroom is actively teaching for reconciliation. In week 6s lecture Tristan
Kennedy describes reconciliation as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians talking, walking and
working together to overcome the reasons that there is division and inequality between Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal Australians.

We will describe several ways to promote equity in the classroom through reconciliation from my
viewpoint as a junior primary school educator and Anjas viewpoint as a secondary history educator.

In terms of teaching junior primary school students about reconciliation is it important for me to place
emphasis on incorporating Indigenous culture in the classroom in a way that is fun and engaging for
young students. This can be done through introducing Indigenous artwork and having students take part
in creating their own. Incorporating Indigenous perspectives through nature play and involving students
in learning and participating in Aboriginal dance. By incorporating Indigenous culture into the classroom
in fun and creative ways it stops being used in a tokenistic manner. It also helps student to recognise
Indigenous culture as an important part of Australia.
Another activity that we can draw inspiration from is Aboriginal Hero Clinton Pryor who established
Clintons walk for justice. To promote reconciliation and bringing people together we can use the concept
of walking together on a school scale within our own school with our own students. This can be done on
a junior primary level or even incorporated as a whole school community event.

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ANJA

As a secondary school history teacher, my approach to reconciliation will focus on presenting Australian
history in a way that confronts the past, as this is an important first step to reconciliation.

By focusing on a more truthful representation of history than what has previously been seen, I help to
engage in more culturally responsive teaching. Often the white Australian narrative will focus on how
colonisers experienced this time, but equity for Indigenous students cannot be achieved in the classroom
without showing their point of view. This is where Indigenous perspectives will be important, as we will
discuss later.

The process of conscientisation is also an important tool. This is about getting students to think about
the lived experience of people through a Critical Pedagogy standpoint. Again, using first hand narratives
will be an important way to achieve this. One example that we found was Faye Rosas Blanch and Simone
Turs series of performances and exhibitions on the experience of first nations people, Bound and
Unbound. They explain how performance is one powerful way to express their past.

2. Standpoint of the disadvantaged (critical race theory)

One significant issue that contributes to a continuing inequity in the Australian education system is the
impact of active, covert racism. Although we can recognise that structures of racism are difficult to break
down in the classroom alone, using a standpoint of the disadvantaged as part of Critical Race Theory
can be helpful to break down these barriers.

SARAH

By focusing on marginalised perspectives, we actively seek to see how inequity is experienced

by Indigenous students in our classroom. Often it can be easy for students who are in more
privileged positions to dismiss the hurdles that are faced by students who are marginalized.
For example, we might look at a common stereotype that the gap between Indigenous students
school attendance and non-Indigenous school attendance is simply out of a lack of interest. This
stereotype is highly problematic as it shows a systematic failure to recognise the more complex
causes behind a gap in school attendance, which includes a historical experience of
intergenerational racism.

Critical Race Theory, and specifically using a standpoint of the disadvantaged, helps students to
see issues outside of their limited perspective and breaks down stereotypes. Promoting equity
in the classroom can only be achieved if students (and teachers) can look at challenges from a
viewpoint other than their own.

ANJA
 Building relationships with the community is another important way of teaching from a standpoint
of the disadvantaged.
The inclusion of the community in school life, particularly the inclusion of parents can shine light
on the difficulties they face. It allows teachers to establish a more open line of communication,
so that more effective learning experiences can be developed.
Can help to tackle negative perceptions of Indigenous culture. Again, breaking down stereotypes
is essential to prevent the perpetuation of inequity.
Strengthens Indigenous identity within the schooling system. Indigenous students who feel
included and represented in schools will be more likely to engage with the material and feel
empowered to contribute.

This leads us to what we see as one of the most significant points in achieving equity in the Australian
schooling system, which is privileging Indigenous voices.

3. Privileging Indigenous voices

SARAH
Quentin Beresford talks about a racialized curriculum which denies indigenous culture . A lack of
indigenous perspectives in the curriculum can lead to feelings of exclusion, unimportance and
recognition. Students whose culture and viewpoints are widely represented are automatically going to
connect to the work they are producing. Indigenous students, for example, may lack this sense of
inclusion.

One way to approach this issue in a way that promotes equitable treatment is by privileging Indigenous
voices.

In her lecture, Sam Schulz emphasised the importance of using counter-stories as this is a form of
Critical Race Theory in action. By employing Critical Race Theory, or CRT, in the classroom, teachers
actively undermine the privileging of an already-dominant social group at the exclusion of all others. For
example, rather than focusing on the white-washed narrative of Australian history when teaching in this
topic, teachers might use local expertise (for example, through Indigenous Education Workers) to give

ANJA

So, if we use Aunty Ngitji Ngitji Turs example again, her counter story highlights the difficulties that were
associated with being an Indigenous student in a non-Indigenous school. For a modern day non-
Indigenous Australian student, it helps to shift their perspective away from common narratives about
Indigenous history. For an Indigenous Australian student, stories like these are empowering examples
about a truthful version of historical events that is commonly swept under the rug.

Although written narratives are clearly a powerful way to share counter-stories, focus on privileging
Indigenous voices also gives rise to the opportunity to invite Indigenous peoples and elders directly into
the school. This gives students directly the opportunity to learn about marginalized perspectives and
challenges the racialized curriculum.

One important step towards promoting equity in education, is privileging Indigenous voices through
counter stories and the sharing of personal experiences that highlight experiences of disadvantaged and
underrepresented groups.
4. Meeting AITSL Standards (including continuous professional development)

SARAH
Because the issues related to inequity within the education system are often underlying, teachers are
less likely to be aware of ways to combat this. We found it helpful to look at some of the professional
development seminars already conducted in Australia and internationally to see what might work best for
Australian teachers in aiming for more equitable results for Indigenous students. There is already a big
emphasis on shifting teachers mindsets to address less obvious forms of racism.
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) encourages professional
development in the field of ATSI students to meet Focus Areas 1.4 and 2.4
So, just to recap,
Focus Area 1.4 focuses on the need for teachers to have broad knowledge and a high level of
understanding of the ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Students are impacted
by their cultural heritage, including cultural identity and linguistic background.
Focus Area 2.4 builds on the expectations as outlined by Standard 1.4 by emphasising the
importance of respect for ATSI histories, cultures and languages.
Focus Area 1.4
ANJA
Professional development in
- Language and Literacy (linguistic background)
As we have already discussed, many Indigenous students do not speak Standard Australian English. In
Australia, teachers can attend Specifically targeted English-Grammar modules that focus on meeting
the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
For example, several years ago there was a two-day intensive course How English Works.
Teachers learned about how to appropriately support students who were learning Standard
Australian English as their second or third language. By building on their knowledge, teachers
can construct more effective ways of teaching for non-SAE speakers.
Some other seminars for professional development focus on:
- Developing culturally responsive teaching
- Developing culturally inclusive curriculum (often aided by Indigenous elders)
- Improving student behaviour (how to set high expectations)
Focus Area 2.4
Understanding History
As we know, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum is vital. One seminar which began
in Australia in 2009, focused on developing a better understanding of Australian history.
Teachers were involved in action research projects to change their mindsets about history and
culture of ATSI peoples. Through the use of stories and books from Indigenous perspectives on
the history of Australian, teachers were said to:
Have greater historical knowledge
represent history more truthfully
see the benefits of working with local Aboriginal community groups
These outcomes show just how important it is for Australian teachers to be developing professionally so
that they can generate more equitable change in the classroom.

SARAH:

To conclude todays presentation we will be conducting an activity that will ask you to look at strategies
that overcome potential inequities in the classroom for a range of students.
For the purpose of this activity we have designed several characters that could represent real life students
in your future classrooms. To get you to think about how you can introduce strategies to combat inequity
we have focused on a wide range of students with diverse needs.

ACTIVITY #2 (main activity)

Working in your group you need to identify possible strategies to overcome inequities for these
students. Use equity principles to ensure fairness