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OPTION 1

iAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have a retention rate of 62.4%, a

massive jump from 47.2% in 2008. However, the gap is still alarming with retention

rates sitting at 86% for non-Indigenous students (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017).

Driese (2016) further states that attendance rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students has greatly increased over the past few decades, however there is

still a gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students that ranges from 10%

and 30% based on geographic location.

It is important to consider a range of factors that may impact the education of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This paper will discuss these factors as

well as investigating the essential components to building positive and respectful

relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, whilst also discussing

attendance and retention. It will also explore how as a future secondary teacher, I will

support learning, success and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students.

The Australian Government’s closing the gap report (2018 p.52-53) indicates

that attendance rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been

stable since 2004, however more needs to be done to improve the gap. Students from

remote areas are still impacted by this gap with Indigenous students worse off again.

According to the report, the Government promised back in 2014 to close the

attendance gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students by 2018, however

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it is also acknowledged in the report that this is currently not on track (Australian

Government, 2018 p.53). Schleicher (2017) supports this by saying that even though

the intent is there, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous education

outcomes remains significant and stubborn.

The New South Wales Government Aboriginal education policy (2018) was

implemented in 2008. There are various objectives, responsibilities and requirements

set out in the policy. It is a great starting point when considering strategies to help

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in their schooling. The policy outlines a

few important aspects regarding Aboriginal education including the importance of

improving educational outcomes that enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students to excel and achieve in their education. Increasing the knowledge and

understanding of histories and cultures and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander people. Increasing Aboriginal cultural education for all staff members and

students and encouraging collaboration and consultation with families, communities

and the New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Incorporated

(NSW AECG Inc.) (NSW Government 2018). All schools and principles are responsible

for implementing this policy that aims to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students to pursue personal excellence and motivate them to successfully

participate in their education.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2016)

has implemented a range of compulsory cross-curriculum priorities, attempting to

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meet the needs of delivering relevant, contemporary and engaging curricula. One of

these priorities is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. This

priority gives all students the opportunity to gain an understanding and appreciation

of Indigenous histories and cultures. Students will be exposed to deep knowledge

traditions that help them to develop their own world views. The three key concepts of

this priority are the connection to Country/Place, Peoples and Cultures, these are

embedded in all learning areas across the Australian curriculum based on contextual

availability and relevance of content. This is a stepping stone towards encouraging

both Indigenous and non-Indigenous to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander histories and cultures as well as reassuring teachers that they should not be

worried about teaching Aboriginal education.

There are various components that help to build positive and respectful

relationships with students. Partington (2006) says that developing a good knowledge

and understanding of students’ backgrounds is essential to building these types of

relationships. Encouraging students to share their stories and experiences

demonstrates a level of interest and care towards them. Kidsmatter (2014) further state

that helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to feel included and have a

sense of belonging can enable the development of such relationships. Another

component is to actually show respect. Partington (2006) illustrates that Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students appreciate teachers that are consistent, firm and

fair, professional and treat them with respect. Showing you are a good person, by

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getting involved and engaging with parents and communities goes a long way with

some students.

Krakouer (2015) suggests that kinship is an important aspect of Aboriginal

culture, it is for this reason that relationships can play such vital roles in a student’s

ability to want to learn and attend school. Similar to Kidsmatter (2014), Krakouer (2015)

also suggests that alienation can have an impact on student engagement among

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It is important to not only be culturally

aware, but emotionally supportive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for

this reason.

It is important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to feel

confident, recognise their potential, set goals and build their resilience when it comes

to their education (Russell, 2018; Schleicher 2017). Teachers can achieve this by

working with them individually and providing one-on-one support where it is needed

to ensure that every student can see their progress as well as knowing their teacher

wants them to be successful (Russell, 2018; Partington, 2008).

Setting goals and expectations between students and teachers enables all

parties to see the end goal, these expectations need to be really high and highly real

according to Dreise (2016). These expectations are not only targeted at students, but

also schools, teachers, parents/carers and communities. This creates a school culture

where principals lead, teachers teach smart and students work hard (Driese, 2016).

Schleicher (2017) agrees that effective principals set high expectations for teachers to

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ensure that academic progress is being met and that any needed interventions can be

put into place in a timely manner.

Driese (2016) believes that improving teacher quality is one of the most

important aspects when considering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’

education. Students appreciate teachers that are trustworthy and professional, this

involves being well trained, skilled and knowledgeable (Australian Government, 2018).

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) standard 6 requires teachers

to constantly engage in professional learning, this also includes reflecting on one’s

own culture to ensure cultural and professional competence (Krakouer, 2016).

Quality teaching also means to have a positive impact on student engagement.

Earp (2017b) suggests that engagement is a necessary precondition for student

learning so that students can develop their skills and enjoy their education. Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students can be positively engaged by using curriculum

resources that are developed by and reflecting Indigenous peoples and cultures (Earp,

2017b). Schleicher (2017) also suggests that teaching practices such as this, that can

work for Indigenous students can also benefit non-Indigenous students, in fact they

can be equally engaged and appreciative of the cultures and histories of Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Programs and initiatives can make a positive impact on student attendance and

retention. The Cathy Freeman Foundation works with a range of schools in the

Northern Territory, particularly focusing on driving awareness and understanding

about school and educational achievement (Russell, 2018). The foundation includes

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programs such as incentive based Starting Block, community initiative Back to School

March and goal-based initiative Give me Five, these initiatives have made a significant

positive impact on student attendance in the participating schools. Peter Heyhoe,

Cathy Freeman Foundation Liaison officer has said that the involvement of the

foundation certainly helps improve attendance (Russell, 2018).

Another initiative by the Clontarf Foundation uses sport to engage secondary

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Among the 74 academies, 4600 students

participated, achieving an 80% attendance rate among students in 2015 (Earp, 2017a).

Including both school and community-based programs and initiatives is a great way

to demonstrate to students that there are opportunities available within a school

setting that are not just purely academic.

The most important component of increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander student attendance and retention rates is community engagement.

Yunkaporta (2009) developed the 8 ways understanding for culturally responsive

pedagogies, one of which is community links. The community links understanding

emphasises the importance of community engagement and authentic audiences to

strengthen student engagement. This is crucial within the classroom, as it empowers

disadvantaged communities through innovative education (UNSECO, 2017).

Krakouer (2016) suggests that teachers need to understand the context within

which they are working, regarding Aboriginal education. It is therefore imperative that

teachers communicate with parents/carers and local communities to ensure they are

culturally aware and appropriate in their approach. Krakouer (2016) also states that

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teachers need to know the history of the local Aboriginal community and engaging

with local Elders and community members can help establish collaborative, trusting

relationships.

Gaining the support of the community as suggested by Russell (2018) has

helped achieve higher rates attendance for some students. Working collaboratively

with the community can ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students gain

access to the services they require, whether it be for educational, personal or medical

reasons. Dreise (2016) suggests that investing in communities to help develop a love

for lifelong learning is essential for schools and teachers. Earp (2017a) examines a case

study in which a Northern Territory school has an Indigenous principal who looks after

community engagement and a non-Indigenous principal who takes care of

administration. This initiative has seen the school outperform other local schools

consistently since 2013.

As mentioned before, Krakouer (2015) suggests that kinship is an important

aspect of Aboriginal culture. Therefore, gaining the trust and respect of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students’ parents/carers, families and communities is critical to

form positive relationships and encourage student attendance and retention.

Schleicher (2017) suggests that it is most effective for teachers to involve parents of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students where they can play an active role in

their child’s engagement and learning. This involves parents and teachers working in

conjunction to develop education goals for their students/children.

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Krakouer (2016) believes the best teachers were those that treated her as an

individual and did not make her feel different in front of her peers because of her

Aboriginality. I plan to follow this ideology and treat all my students equally as

individuals whilst also supporting them based on their individual needs. Building

relationships and student wellbeing goes far beyond the classroom (Schleicher, 2017).

The first standard of the APST (AITSL, 2017) is know students and how they learn.

Getting to know your students is the most important aspect of building positive and

respectful relationships with them.

I am a genuine person and I believe that care, empathy and honesty can go a

long way with people. From my previous experiences on practical placements, I found

that interacting with students outside of the classroom, during playground duties and

sports supervision enabled me to get to know them better and build a rapport with

them that I could then take into classroom. I believe it helped my students to notice

the genuine care I had for them as individuals and as students.

When considering future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students that I

may teach, I will make sure that my teaching practices are culturally responsive

(Krakouer, 2016). I will do this by incorporating Indigenous perspectives in my lessons,

and through collaboration with the local Aboriginal community and other local schools

as Krakouer (2016) suggests. I aspire to teach about Aboriginal histories and cultures

in a genuine manner that can be appreciated by all students. This will inevitably be

done by consulting with the AECG Inc. and engaging with the community. Engaging

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with the community is an important way to keep students honest about their education

whilst also including their families and friends on their education journey.

Learning about different cultures and histories has always been an interest of

mine. I appreciate the opinions of others as this can be helpful to my teaching practice.

Part of my teaching practice is to be flexible, for example, allowing students to have

choices about what they learn in a lesson is encouraging for my teaching practice, as

it shows them I want their input and I want to know what they are interested in learning

about. Within my key learning areas (PDHPE and History) I have an incredible amount

of flexibility where I can include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and

cultures. When including content, I believe it would be polite to consult my Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students for their opinions, ideas and perspectives. Again, I

believe this shows my students that I care about them and their learning. It also enables

me to learn more about them and build positive and respectful relationships with

them.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students deserve to have a fair chance at

an education. This paper has looked at multiple different elements to find ways to build

positive and respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

whilst looking at increasing attendance and retention.

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