Self-Governance for Indigenous Early Childhood Education in Australia: the challenges ahead.

Self-Governance for Indigenous Early Childhood Education in

Australia: the challenges ahead.

Self-Governance for Indigenous Early Childhood Education in

Australia: the challenges ahead.

About Me

Biripi WorimiIrish

Eora CountryAwabakal CountryBundjalung Country

Indigenous World-Views

Indigenous World-Views

Diverse, Holistic cultures

Dreamtime/DreamingRelationships and Balance.“core business of uniting hearts and establishing order” (Stanner, 1983).

“to be is to relate” (Lawlor, 1991: 172)

Diverse, Holistic cultures

Dreamtime/DreamingRelationships and Balance.“core business of uniting hearts and establishing order” (Stanner, 1983).

“to be is to relate” (Lawlor, 1991: 172)

Indigenous Education SystemsIndigenous Education Systems

Indigenous peoples have had their own successful education systems for hundreds of generations.

Indigenous peoples have had their own successful education systems for hundreds of generations.

Based on the values of Care, Share, Respect, Relationships & Balance;

Life-long learning involving family, community, society, environment.

Based on the values of Care, Share, Respect, Relationships & Balance;

Life-long learning involving family, community, society, environment.

Indigenous LiteratureIndigenous Literature

ORALITY - language, song lyrics, narrative, story telling, oral history.

ICONOGRAPHY - symbolism, visual symbols (referred to as ‘Aboriginal Art’).

DRAMA/RITUAL - ceremony; respect for tradition, process, participation; dramatic enactments and re-enactments.

ORALITY - language, song lyrics, narrative, story telling, oral history.

ICONOGRAPHY - symbolism, visual symbols (referred to as ‘Aboriginal Art’).

DRAMA/RITUAL - ceremony; respect for tradition, process, participation; dramatic enactments and re-enactments.

An Historical Overview of the Indigenous Experience with Colonial Education in NSW

‘Civilising’ and Education

‘Civilising the natives’ via education meant providing a servant class that could function passively in a colonial society.

A very constructed and controlled process of conditional assimilation.

Today? Huge disparities - little change Extreme difference in statistics between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous populations in Australia; Similar to the difference between a wealthy

European nation and a ‘poor’ country in Asia or Africa.

Indigenous populations make up such a tiny minority of the Australian population (less than 3%);

Why is it so hard to close the gap? How can the disparity be increasing in some

primary socio/economic measures such as education, health and employment?

Aboriginality as a disadvantage?Aboriginality as a disadvantage?

• Australia has tended to define difference as deviant or less than ideal.

• Australia has tended to define difference as deviant or less than ideal.

We want to be different!We want to be different!

Indigenous Australian peoples maintain and celebrate diversity as a healthy and positive social and environmental outcome.

Indigenous people generally do not want to assimilate into ‘mainstream society’. This does not mean they wish to remain marginalised.

Indigenous Australian peoples maintain and celebrate diversity as a healthy and positive social and environmental outcome.

Indigenous people generally do not want to assimilate into ‘mainstream society’. This does not mean they wish to remain marginalised.

Education as a rightEducation as a right

The right to determine what education means is just as important as the right to access such an education.

How we define ‘education’?How we define ‘education’?

Culturally healthy and responsive learning environments and

processes.

Culturally healthy and responsive learning environments and

processes.

EducareEducare

the teacher and the taught together create the teaching.

(Tolle, 2002: 85)

Educare - “to lead out from, to show the way under principles of teaching and learning reciprocity.” (Atkinson, 2003)

Educaring - a powerful tool for social change.

the teacher and the taught together create the teaching.

(Tolle, 2002: 85)

Educare - “to lead out from, to show the way under principles of teaching and learning reciprocity.” (Atkinson, 2003)

Educaring - a powerful tool for social change.

Learning:

Community Cultural Safety Story, art, music, theatre,

dance & ceremony Experiential Adventurous Self-directed

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

Every Child from every way

Have rights to be

Who they are, where they’re from

We gotta see

Value in what they give and bring

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

Every Child from everywhere

Have rights to learn

In their way, from their place

It’s their turn

Valuing what they give and bring

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We connect through Relationships of love

A sea of humanity

Different places and cultures

Of care we come

Listen, to the Children

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

Recent times, sorry days

For many Children

Now respect many ways

Ancient duty

Valuing what we give and bring

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We connect through Relationships of love

A sea of humanity

Different places and cultures

Of care we come

Listen, Learn from the Children

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We are many

We are one

Toward the future,

We become

United by the side of the Child.

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

Little Peoples, a human phase

We’ve all travelled

Carers now, must relate

To Family, Elders

The future, we care, from everywhere

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We respect through Relationships of love

A Sea humanity

Different places and cultures

Of care we come

Listen, Learn From the Children

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We are many

We are one

Toward the future,

We become

United by the side of the Child.

EVERY CHILD By Chris Fisher and Marcelle Townsend-Cross © 2003.

We respect through Relationships of love

A Sea humanity

Different places and cultures

Of care we come

Listen, to the Children