Student Name and Number: Georgia Stewart 226337

Subject Name and Code: Teaching Indigenous Learners EIP310

Assignment Number and Name: Assignment 1 Minor Essay

Assignment 1 Minor Essay

The current image of Indigenous education has been created from image of the past,
so that the different perspectives can be fully understood by those working in the
educating of Indigenous students. These different perspectives when viewed in
relation to Indigenous education have contributed to the moulding of the current shape
of the Indigenous education framework. This essay is going to discuss the history of
the Indigenous people especially focusing on education. As well as how the past has
influenced the current shape of Indigenous education and the role of Indigenous
teachers and assistants. As well as the importance that bilingual language plays in
Indigenous education and then the current perspectives of Indigenous education.
When looking at the history of the Indigenous people and how the mistakes that have
been made over time, have played in shaping Indigenous education. In the journal
article Australian Indigenous students: addressing equity issues in assessment
(Klenowski, 2009). Klenowski (2009), addresses the link that existed between the
Indigenous traditional ways and the Indigenous elders attitude towards the education
of the children (Klenowski, 2009, p. 86). It is this link that was disregarded when
Australia was occupied by non-Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous Australians
considered that the land and the people were there to be ruled and not valued.
The journal article Policy fuzz and fuzzy logic: researching contemporary Indigenous
education and parent-school engagement in north Australia (Lea, Thompson,
McRae-Williams & Wegner, 2011). This journal shows the attitude of non-Indigenous
Australians towards the Indigenous people. They believed that they needed to be
removed from their traditional land and moved into missions. The attitude of
Indigenous education by those who were in authority of these missions was that the
Indigenous students were to leave the traditional ways behind and take up the nonIndigenous ways. This meant the Indigenous students were forced to change all that
they knew and understood (Lea et al., 2011, p. 323).
When the missions were established the churches of the day were in charge of the
running of the day to day activities of the mission. This meant that there was no room

Student Name and Number: Georgia Stewart 226337

Subject Name and Code: Teaching Indigenous Learners EIP310
Assignment Number and Name: Assignment 1 Minor Essay
for the practicing of traditional ways. When an Indigenous person or student did not
conform to the new ways, it was considered they were going off the rails and needed
to be redirected, this usually took the form of discipline. It is also important that not
all of the missions were harsh in the treating of the Indigenous people (Donovan,
2002, p. 109-112). The Indigenous people were considered to be incapable of
managing their own affairs and needed to be instructed in their everyday life.
Taylor (2010) writes in the journal article Here and now: the attendance issue in
Indigenous early childhood education (Taylor, 2010), some of the past events which
have influenced the attitude towards Indigenous education. Taylor (2010) refers to the
Stolen Generation as being an event which has influenced the attitude towards
Indigenous education. This is evident when parents are weary about sending the
children to school. Parents of Indigenous students are very conscious about how their
childrens welfare is seen by the school authorities, because of the past history of the
removal of the Indigenous children from the family. So if a child arrived at school
with unclean clothing, then the school is likely to think that the child is being
neglected. The very fact that there may not be any washing facilities within the home
would not be taken into account (Taylor, 2010, p. 687).
The importance of the role played by the Indigenous teacher and assistant is at times
underrated by the authorities of the school system. Beresford and Partington (2003),
discuss this role of the Indigenous teacher and assistant in the shaping of Indigenous
education perspectives. The introduction of Indigenous teachers and or assistance
within the classroom, gives the Indigenous student reassurance that there struggles are
not neglected or pushed aside. The student is more likely to want to strive and ask for
assistance as they are able to see that the teacher or assistance have the knowledge of
personal experience of what it takes to reach the goal (Beresford & Partington, 2003,
p. 264-276). Indigenous students in schools with Indigenous teachers and or assistants
are more likely to not fall behind and be given easier work to do.
The use of Bilingual education is important in shaping Indigenous education by
allowing the students to still maintain their traditional values of their tribe as well as
learn the non-Indigenous ways. Behrendt (2012), comments that the importance of
Bilingual education in the educating of Indigenous students as being vital in those

Student Name and Number: Georgia Stewart 226337

Subject Name and Code: Teaching Indigenous Learners EIP310
Assignment Number and Name: Assignment 1 Minor Essay
students reaching their potential, where the students who do not have this opportunity
are more likely to fail (Behrendt, 2012, p. 44). The school includes the elders of the
community in the running of the program; this helps the teacher with the allocation of
time for this program (Behrendt, 2012, p. 368). There has been some success in the
running of the Bilingual education and one of these can be found in the little school of
One Arm Point Remote Community School (2010), in the Kimberley Region of
Western Australia. The school has worked with the elders of the Ardiyooloon
community to pass on the language and cultural traditions to the children of the school
(One Arm Point Remote Community School, 2010).
There are four current perspectives which have shaped Indigenous education to what
it is today. The first perspective is the Functionalist perspective (Partington, 2005, p.
10-11), this perspective sees the goal of the school is to push its values onto the
students. The students are expected to conform to the ways and rules of the school.
This perspective also sees that if the Indigenous student does not conform, then there
is need for disciplinary action. The limitation with this perspective is that society and
the school view the socioeconomically placing in society as a reflection on the
learning abilities of the individual (Partington, 2005, p. 10-11).
The next current perspective is the Conflict perspective (Partington, 2005, p. 11-12),
which looks at the different levels within society and how each works with the other.
The Indigenous student is dictated to by the school authorities in what is taught to the
students. The schools view the fact that if the Indigenous student is poor, then the
student is less likely to achieve. And therefore the teacher will assign to the student
easy and less challenging work. And therefore the student will loss interest in learning
and striving to reach the higher goal (Partington, 2005, p. 11-12).
The other current perspective is the Interactionist perspective (Partington, 2005, p.
12-13), which has at its centre, is the relationship of the individual and their
community. This perspective values the use of language by the individual and their
community. This is important for the Indigenous student, as they often speak two
languages, their tribal language at home and English in school. When an Indigenous
student has a teacher who does not understand this, then there is conflict between the

Student Name and Number: Georgia Stewart 226337

Subject Name and Code: Teaching Indigenous Learners EIP310
Assignment Number and Name: Assignment 1 Minor Essay
two. This lack of understanding in the importance of language by the teacher is the
limitation of this perspective (Partington, 2005, p. 12-13).
The last current perspective is the Critical perspective (Partington, 2005, p. 14-15),
just as the name suggests, the focus of this perspective is criticism. Indigenous
students are expected to conform to the authorities in charge. In the Indigenous
education the traditional language of the Indigenous student is not encouraged and
this leads to the student losing touch with their traditions. The school curriculum
needs to be changed to fit the lives of the Indigenous student. So that the student is
encouraged to strive to learn more, and this also hinders the teachers being capable of
reaching and engaging their students (Partington, 2005, p. 14-15).
There is clear proof that the current perspectives which shape the Indigenous
education of today have their origins in the past. The displacement of the Indigenous
people from their traditional land to the missions, has redefined the value of
education. The parents of Indigenous students are influenced by the past in the
choices that are made on a day to day basic. The past influences have also defined the
shape of Indigenous education, by making the Indigenous students parents to be more
conscious how their parenting is perceived by society. Indigenous teachers and
assistants can make all the difference for an Indigenous student who is looking for a
role model. Overall all of these different aspects have made the current perspectives
of Indigenous education, what it is today.

Student Name and Number: Georgia Stewart 226337

Subject Name and Code: Teaching Indigenous Learners EIP310
Assignment Number and Name: Assignment 1 Minor Essay

References
Behrendt, L. (2012). Indigenous Australia for Dummies. Milton: Wiley Publishing
Australia Pty Ltd.
Beresford, Q., & Partington, G. (Eds.). (2003). Reform and resistance in Aboriginal
education: The Australian experience. Crawley: University of Western Australia
Press.
Donovan, V. (2002). The reality of a dark history: From contact and conflict to
cultural recognition. Brisbane: Platypus Graphics.
Klenowski, V. (2009). Australian Indigenous students: addressing equity issues in
assessment. Teaching Education, 20(1), 77-93. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from
EBSCOhost database.
Lea, T., Thompson, H., McRae-Williams, E. & Wegner, A. (2011). Policy fuzz and
fuzzy logic: researching contemporary Indigenous education and parent-school
engagement in north Australia. Journal of Education Policy, 26(3), 321-339.
Retrieved on July 14, 2012, from EBSCOhost database.
One Arm Point Remote Community School, (2010). Our World: Bardijaawi: Life at
Ardiyooloon. Broome: Magabala books Aboriginal Corporation.
Partington, G. (Eds.). (2005). Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.
Taylor, A. (2010). Here and now: the attendance issue in Indigenous early childhood
education. Journal of Education Policy, 25(5), 677-699. Retrieved on July 14,
2012, from EBSCOhost database.