One step forward, two steps back: the historical and social context of Indigenous education policy

One step forward, two steps back: the historical and social context of Indigenous education policy

The gap between the educational outcomes of Indigenous students and their non-Indigenous counterparts remains a significant issue for Federal and State Government since their introduction into the Eurocentric classroom setting. Indigenous policy has sought to address the disparity since the late 1960s (Beresford 2012; Hickling-Hudson & Ahlquist 2003; Vass 2012). Present policy developed from the review and recommendations of previous policy are encouraged to break the ‘deficit view’, that is, the devaluation of Indigenous students’ educational potential (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs [MCEECDYA] 2006). However, there is little alignment between the historical and social context of policy, Indigenous education and the maintenance of the dominant ideology. Within this paper, an overview of current policy that addresses the gap is provided. This is juxtaposed against the recommendations of the Schools Commission Report provided in 1975 (“Education for Aborigines: Report to the Schools Commission by the Aboriginal Consultative Group - June 1975” 1975). In turn, the paper encourages critical dialogue around policy decision making and potential policy revision.

Copyright 2016 Swinburne University. Special issue: 2015 Indigenous Content in Education Symposium: Engaging Indigenous Knowledges, Pedagogies and Curriculum.