Braydon Webb University of Western Sydney

Question 2: Meeting the challenge of equity and access in schools

Braydon Webb

17506739

Education in Australia is currently facing a big challenge within schools, concerning equity

and access to quality teaching and learning for all students (Monash University, 2014). While

Australian academic achievements are among the best in the world, there is still a clear

disparity in achievements between diverse groups of students in Australian schools especially

those from aboriginal backgrounds (Kenway, 2013). This essay will discuss how Australian

schools are meeting the challenge of equity and access by looking at different educational

initiatives to try and decrease the gap of achievements between indigenous Australians and

those who have access to good learning and school environments. The essay will then use

sociological theories to help explain the inequalities experience by the aboriginal people,

which will help to demonstrate intercultural understanding. The essay will then argue how the

government is meeting up to the challenge of equity and access concerning diverse groups in

Australian schools by analysing different initiatives and reflecting on personal experience.

Equity is providing all students with similar opportunities to benefit from education,

regardless of their gender, socio-economic status or ethnic origin (Thompson, 2013). Equity

aims to reduce the gap in students achievement which is evident in some groups in Australia

including aboriginals. Access according to the Gonski report is that every students should

have access to the best possible education, regardless of where they live, their socio-

economic status or the school they attend (2008). By these two definitions of equity and

access we can see that they are very relatable to one another. The basic breakdown of equity

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and access is an anti-bias education systems which doesnt discriminate any groups in society

and gives all students the same treatment and resources to give them the highest possibility of

high achievement regardless of where they live or their background.

Australian education system is trying to meet the requirements to ensure equity and access is

being addressed to help reduce the gap of achievement levels between Indigenous Australians

and non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal people have much lower levels of education

(Hunt, 2013). Aboriginals have lower literacy and numeracy rates, with only 75 percent of

year 3 and year 7 aboriginals students met the national minimum standards in 2009 (ABS,

2011). School retention rates for aboriginals students are much lower than non-Indigenous

students. In 2010 the retention rate from year 7 to year 12 was only 47 percent, while in non-

indigenous students it was 79 percent (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2011).

Retention rates are substantially increasing, in between 1996 and 2010 the retention rate

increase by more than 30 percent (ABS, 2011). While there is still much to be done to bring

achievement levels in line between aboriginal students and non-indigenous students it does

help to highlight that the government is meeting up to the challenge of equity and access.

These low rates of retention and low numeracy and literacy levels if highly reflective into

aboriginals attainment of higher education with only 1.3% of students attending universities

being Indigenous (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience Indigenous Corporation

2014). These alarming statistics decreases aboriginals life chances after school, which need

to be addressed in schools.

Aboriginals have on average lower incomes and are in the lower quarter of the distribution of

wealth in Australia. These social justice issues are key reasons why aboriginals students

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struggle in school as they come from backgrounds of low income which is proven to be an

independent variable when concerning achievement levels (Hampshire). North suggested that

social justice in education is defined through cultural groups including aboriginals who

struggle to defend their identities, he continues to suggest ending cultural domination and

winning recognition due to their ability and not economic status will greatly improve their

education (2006). Cassells suggest that aboriginals students are discriminated against in

schools which decrease their chances of having better life chances (2011). This essay will

examine how the Australian government is trying to increase opportunity for aboriginals to

better education opportunity which will lead to a better life chances regardless of these

social justice issues.

The gap of achievement between aboriginal and non-aboriginals students in school has long

been ingrained within society that few people have challenged this norm. This pre-conceived

assumption that Indigenous students will underperform lower effects both teacher and

students. From day one in school, they have a lower chance of positive life chances as they

start a year behind in school results suggested by the Australian bureau of statistics (2008).

Media plays a big part in these assumptions with regularly publishing common conceptions

of aboriginal people and life which help to drive indigenous stereotypes, which are usually

pejorative in Australia (Walker, 2008).

Discourses can be understood as a bounded system of social knowledge that establishes what

is accepted as reality within a given society. Society is made up of certain assumptions,

prejudices, blindnesss and insights which all have historical provenance (Ferfolji, 2015).

Problems with this have been highlighted in an article by Jen Korff (2015). She explains

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some of the issues surrounding aboriginals at schools, as they differed from the dominant

discourse of most students. Usually teachers in schools misinterpret behaviours of aboriginal

students as they differ from Anglo students. An example of this is explained by Kroff.

Aboriginal children are taught in their culture that eye contact with and elder is rude, this

results in aboriginal children not looking teachers in the eyes. This comes access as

misbehaving as this is considered rude in Western societies. This takes power away from

aboriginal students by analysing aboriginal culture and having a better understanding will

have a positive effect on student/teacher relationship, which will improve results.

To help unfold these social justice issues a sociology theory can be used to help explain the

relationship between an individual and the greater society. The theory post-colonialism is

used to describe how cultures are affected by the imperial process of colonisation to the

present day (Ferfolji, 2015). Australia is subjected to colonial domination in which power

relations and internal divisions based on ethnic, racial and language. This produced an

unequal power relationship with indigenous peoples and dominant white Australians (Chillds,

2014). Post colonialism helps to break down consequences of colonisation which are rooted

in social structure in Australia. While it is widely known the Australian government tried to

assimilate indigenous peoples which has created long lasting effect on aboriginals education.

This has created a loss of identity for indigenous people, which has changed aboriginals

values and beliefs. Indigenous people commonly feel dehumanized as they are the subject of

multiple historical events trying to eliminate their existence. Post colonialism theory

highlights the loss of personal and national identity which is linked to low self-esteem

(Ashcroft, 2013). The Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting Authority has taken up

the challenge of trying to eliminate the post-colonialism effects on aboriginals. Currently a

nationwide curriculum is being developed to help align all states to teach the same topics and

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also to increase teacher quality when concerning these type of issues. The ACARA

recognises that all students across Australia must learn about aboriginal culture and history

which helps to empower indigenous students at schools. The ACARA released a national

history curriculum highlighting the need for aboriginal history to be taught as cultural

diversity is a high priority (2009). This new Australian Curriculum sets expectations for all

young people in Australia should be taught, regardless of where they live in Australia or their

background to treat everyone equally. The ACARA also stated that dreaming should be

addressed at a higher year level due to the importance of their connection to the land and the

disconnection that aboriginal people have with society now (ACARA, 2010, pg 53).

Statements like these shows how the government is trying to eliminate the current hegemonic

system, by incorporating aboriginal values into schools and move away from traditional

Western ways.

Critical Race theory has been used to unravel how the supremacy of whiteness has continued

to subordinate peoples of colour (Ferfolja, 2015).By using the CRT in education it helps to

illuminate the hegemonic and appropriating capacities of western discipline that exists in

Australian schools. CRT helps highlight that racism is normal in Australian schools, which

has recognised the need for better professional development on how to deal with diverse

groups (McLaughlin, 2011). Australia has moved from a diaspora standing on diverse affairs

and moved towards a more hybridity approach. This was clearly stated in the reconciliation

speech given by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008 who stated To close the gap in

education and economic opportunity. From this speech, government has been trying to

improve professional development to close the gap in educational achievements. CRT has

helped highlight how schools lack professional skills to deal with diverse students. The new

national curriculum has been backed up by new professional development training to help

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enhance teacher quality when dealing with diverse communities. The Australian Institute for

Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) outlines the standards that teachers must meet

before they are allowed to teach in Australian schools. One of the standards states Pre-

service teachers must demonstrate knowledge of teacher strategies that are responsive to the

learning strengths and needs of students from diverse cultures, religions, and socioeconomic

backgrounds (2015). This initiative funded by the Australian government helps to argue that

Australia is implementing strategies to improve equity and access for diverse students. A

study by Craven and Colleagues highlights how important it is to equip teachers with

professional skills on how to teach diverse students. In their research they concluded that pre-

service teacher education on how to deal with diverse students helped to rise academic

achievement levels. This changes teachers pedagogy to help deal with diverse students

which reflects positively on results. Cravens study is reinforced by NSW government policy

in aboriginal education and training policy (2004). It states the NSW department of education

and Communities is committed to improve educational outcomes and wellbeing of aboriginal

students so they excel and achieve in every aspect of education and training. This is evidence

that both federal and state government are implementing initiatives to address the issues

surrounding equity and access in culturally diverse groups.

The Gonski report highlights that more funding was needed for schools with high diversity

students. (2008). The funding is used to employ better quality teaching, employ more teacher

aids to help close the gap in achievement levels. For example in a regional coastal town in

NSW called Nowra, Shoalhaven High School has a total enrolment of 850 students which

25% of these students comes from aboriginal backgrounds. On the government website

Myschool it shows that Shoalhaven high has increased funding with an extra 2 million more

dollars (2015). The site shows why this is allocated with the schools NAPLAN results 10%

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lower than the national average (my school, 2015). Using this personal example, we can

identify policy being implemented to help close the gap between achievement levels.

This essay has covered how the challenge of equity and access is being dealt with by the

Australian Government using aboriginals as the prime exemplar. It is clear that the Australian

government is working tirelessly to try to close the gap of achievement of diverse groups of

students with a variety of different intervention including different methods of pedagogy, a

national curriculum with cultural elements, and other community interventions. This is

backed up by the increased funding given to schools with high diverse populations as

suggested by the Gonski report to help close the gap (2008). Using indigenous Australians we

can see the government is trying to deal with issues concerning equity and access with

diverse groups in schools to help give students equal opportunity in life.

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REFERENCE LIST

ACARA (2009). National History Curriculum : Framing paper, National Curriculum board.
Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_History_Curriculum_-
_Framing_Paper.pdf#search=aboriginals

ACARA (2010). Report on Trial School Consultation. Retrieved from

http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Report_on_Trial_School_Consultation.pdf#search
=aboriginals

Ashcroft, B, Griffiths G, & Tiffin, H. (2013). Postcolonial Studies: The Key Concepts. 2(3).
244-258

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Australian Social Trends March 2011. Education
and indigenous wellbeing. Retrieved from
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.116/$File/41020_Indigenouseducation_Mar2011.pdf

Cassells, R. (2011). Unequal opportunities: Life chances for children in the Lucky Country.
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Chillds, P, Williams, P. (2014). Introduction to Post-Colonial Theory: Points of Departure. 3-

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Craven, R. G., Yeung, A. S., & Han, F. (2014). The Impact of Professional Development and
Indigenous Education Officers on Australian Teachers Indigenous Teaching and Learning.
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Hampshire, A (2013). Early Intervention: The Key to preventing entrenched disadvantage.

Retrieved from
https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/~/media/Files/Research%20and%20Advocacy%20PDFs
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Hunt, J. (2013). Engaging with Indigenous Australia Exploring the conditions for effect
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clearing house, 5(1). Retrieved from

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http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2013/ctgc-
ip5.pdf

Kenway, J. (2013). Challenging inequity in Australian Schools: Gonski and beyond.

Discourse studies in the cultural politics of education, 34(2), 286-308. Doi:
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McLaughlin, J. (2011). The potential of Critical Race theory in Decolonising University

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My School (2015) Retrieved from http://www.myschool.edu.au/

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http://www.nap.edu.au/about/about.html

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North, C. (2006). More than words? Delving into the substantive meaning(s) of Social
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Thompson, S. (2013, December 3). New PISA results show education decline its time to
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Walter, M. (2010). Keeping our Distance: Non-Indigenous/Aboriginal relations in Australian

Society. 19(3): 15-31