As Indigenous land and sea Ranger programs blossomed across Australia in recent years, it became obvious to both educators and Rangers that links between Ranger groups and schools might provide a new way to re-engage young people with education. The phrase Learning on Country has recently emerged in the Northern Territory to describe a program that takes students out of the classroom and onto 'country' and involves Rangers, teachers and community members in a collaborative approach to teaching and learning. The approach has been supported not only by several remote Indigenous communities, but also by a range of local, Territory and national government departments and agencies. While enthusiasm is high, various stakeholders do not always share perceptions of Learning on Country rationale, aims and outcomes. In this paper we explore these differences and draw on learning theory to suggest a pathway toward a deeper understanding of the enormous potential in Learning on Country. ; Copyright Information: The University of Melbourne. Publisher permission to deposit this version granted via email on 11/05/2015
The release of 2001 Census data provides an opportunity to evaluate the Howard government's performance in Indigenous affairs in broad terms. One major policy shift has been the call for a more 'practical' reconciliation that attempts to address the immediate needs of Indigenous people in areas such as employment, health, housing and education. If practical reconciliation were a reality, then one would expect there to be some evidence of a convergence in the last two censuses in the economic and educational status of Indigenous and other Australians. Furthermore, enhancing Indigenous education is important in ensuring that Indigenous engagement with the mainstream economy is sustainable, especially in view of the skill bias evident in recent economic growth. This paper analyses recent trends in the engagement of Indigenous people with the Australian education system between 1986 and 2001. A cohort analysis of changes in educational participation is presented, along with an analysis of the differences between the level and type of educational qualifications of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians over the last four censuses. The main finding is that while there have been some absolute improvements in Indigenous educational outcomes over the period 1986 to 2001, these gains are less evident when measured relative to non-Indigenous outcomes. The lack of improvement relative to the non-Indigenous population is seen not only in the proportion of the population with post-secondary qualifications, but also in the proportion of Indigenous teenagers staying at school. By any measure the Indigenous population remains severely disadvantaged. Another finding is that for younger age groups the non-Indigenous population has a higher participation rate in postsecondary education than the Indigenous population. On a more positive note, older Indigenous people are actually more likely to be enrolled in a postsecondary course than their non-Indigenous counterparts—probably as a response to the history of disadvantage within the education sector.
"This work offers us the rare opportunity to step inside innovative uses of technologies, mergers of global technologies into local knowledge, and community advocacy of local history and ideology…The young people who move through these pages are motivated and proud of having had the opportunities that make possible their linking together of historical knowledge and contemporary means of communication and performance. The means illustrated here have enabled them to develop skills that will help them move into the future as adults engaged with the health and life of their own communities, connected to their language and culture as their way of being in the world of the local so as to know the world of the global." Professor Shirley Brice Heath Stanford University, USA
Preliminary pages -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. THE LEARNING SPACES -- 3. LEARNING SPACES FROM THE LOCAL TO THE GLOBAL -- 4. DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR INDIGENOUS LEARNING SPACES -- 5. YOUTH LITERACY AND LEARNING SPACES -- APPENDIX 1. Relevant weblinks -- APPENDIX 2. Language and literacy strategies to support ICT and digital media activities -- Suggestions for further reading -- References -- Index.
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The educational and social disengagement of Indigenous youth in many remote communities in Northern Australia is well documented. A cursory reading of media reports and opinion pieces uncovers many who can be blamed: schools, parents, teachers, government, socialists, anthropologists, linguists and even film makers. Solutions offered are legion and range from conservative (eliminate bilingual programs, link welfare payments to school attendance, send children to boarding schools so they can escape their dysfunctional communities), to progressive (build true partnerships between communities and schools, develop an Indigenous teaching workforce, support bilingual programs), to common-sensical (equip schools with enough desks for every student, provide cross-cultural training for non-Indigenous teachers, invest in the development of curricula that fit the needs of Indigenous children). Yet all of these and most other solutions focus directly or indirectly on 'school'. In this exploratory paper I will shift focus away from 'school' and look for another place or another 'space' where learning and social re-engagement among young Indigenous people in remote Australia might be supported. Drawing on theories of 'third space' and 'hybridity', I will explore Indigenous land as 'tranformative space' where Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, opportunities and responsiblities intersect and where young people might engage with meaningful practice.
This paper is an exploration of the potential opportunities and costs of linkages between philanthropic bodies, non-government organisations (NGOs), Indigenous organisations and the academy. Following an overview of the evolution of the 'Literacy for Life' project, provided as a case study of the development of the type of collaboration we want to explore, the paper provides a discussion of the nature of philanthropy in Australia today and major changes afoot in the sector internationally. We then provide some examples of where philanthropic funding has been used to support initiatives in Indigenous communities and organisations. Next, we turn to an examination of Australian development focused NGOs and suggest reasons for why they have remained largely unengaged with Indigenous issues and communities in Australia. Partnerships between philanthropic foundations, development-oriented NGOs and Indigenous organisations represent an exciting and important approach that addresses some of the seemingly intractable problems of Indigenous communities. These partnerships may also enable skill transfer and capacity development that has been difficult if not impossible for many Indigenous communities to achieve. In addition, they may allow long-term engagements and high-risk, targeted interventions, both of which government has been hesitant to support. We argue that these partnerships would enable a testing and evaluation of development initiatives that, if successful and sustainable, would shape policy makers' perceptions of what is possible and desirable in terms of their own programs. The paper concludes with recommendations for a survey of current philanthropic funding to and partnerships with Indigenous communities, the collection and publication of examples and case studies of best practice, the development of written advice and guidelines for setting goals and evaluating process and program outcomes for projects funded in Indigenous communities, and a conference for Australian NGOs on development partnerships with Indigenous organisations.
This paper proposes the building of Indigenous learning communities as an avenue to address the limited engagement of Indigenous Australians with education. Against the backdrop of current discussions of social capital and community capacity building, the paper explores educational policy and program options for linking families, schools and communities (including business and government) to identify and address local needs through drawing upon local resources. Five program models, from both Australia and overseas, are sketched to illustrate a range of approaches to encouraging and fostering positive engagement of families, schools and communities. Although the programs differ in focus, schools and community education are central to each, and all involve degrees of capacity building and the development of social capital. The experience derived from these programs suggests there is value in attempting to position the school at the centre of Indigenous communities. Further, in extending the traditional role of the school to incorporate other initiatives such as adult education and the coordination and integration of various child and family services, these programs necessarily bring more members of the wider community into contact with the school. Many of these programs also deliver increased parental and student participation and retention, and community involvement in the school. Indeed, the underlying philosophies of these approaches foster parental and community ownership of, and involvement in, not only the school, but also the education process in general. This is the foundation for building learning communities, where education is a life-long affair, where families and schools are strong and healthy, and where individuals in communities feel empowered to identify their most pressing needs and develop mechanisms to build capacity and secure resources to address those needs. The paper suggests a cluster of key features derived from the models that could be used in the formulation of a policy and program framework that addresses the needs of Indigenous families, schools and communities through a federally funded initiative to build Indigenous learning communities. Specific recommendations related to funding, evaluation and essential program components are provided.