Task One: Annotated Bibliography

3 Pages • Essays / Projects • Year: Pre-2021

Nakata, M. (2011). Pathways for Indigenous Education in the Australian Curriculum Framework. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 40, 1-8. In this article, the author talks about the changed policy of teaching and position of teacher to embed indigenous students into Australia curriculum. Due to the differences between indigenous and non-indigenous such as culture, language and perspectives for education, they would influence the contents of teaching in these areas. To develop indigenous context in Australia curriculum, the points were mentioned by Nakata which are the interface and intercultural understandings and the needs of indigenous in learning. Firstly, there is a gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal. To close this gap, indigenous knowledge and contents could be added into curriculum for helping students to understand and respect indigenous students. Moreover, teachers also should know indigenous students’ perspective for assisting them on language, thinking and skills. Secondly, the contents are not sufficient to support the entire study of indigenous students because indigenous contents will be translated to English. As English is their additional language, they have to improve their comprehension in English to understand the contents, also to improve their communication skills in English. Furthermore, teachers should pay more attention at needs of indigenous students and integrate them into the class. Author feels positive about change and changing is the way to merge and develop the indigenous contents to Australia curriculum such as the selection of indigenous content, hence changing could bring a more suitable and complete course in school. Along, I think teachers cannot just treat students in one way because all of students come from different background and ability. Teachers should set up appropriate standard for students. For example, some students may not good at mathematics; perhaps they have talent at music or art. So you can’t expect highly that they can be fabulous at science. To know the needs of students are also important in education, particularly the students come from overseas who are not speaking English in their countries. The overseas students have to adapt a new circumstance, language and teaching method so these are the main reasons that teacher should pay more attention. This article guides me to think about those aspects because the responsibilities of teachers are not just teaching the knowledge to students, also have the responsibility to lead them enjoy their school life with schoolmates. Therefore we must make the connection between students who come from different background. If students can understand the gap of each others, it will reduce the number of bullying. De Plevitz, L. (2007). Systemic racism: The hidden barrier to educational success for Indigenous school students. Australian Journal of Education, 51(1), 54-71. In this article, Dr. Loretta de Plevitz argued that Indigenous school students in Australia are poor educational experiences and outcomes which are caused by the legislation and policy. She analysed about the discrimination law and hidden barriers for indigenous students. Firstly, the discrimination law is not fully covering all of indigenous school students. For instance, Australian Postal Commission is required to pass the medical examination that included assessment against a height-to-weight ratio determined on Australian norms. However, these norms are based on white Australia policy so indigenous people are hard to work in these jobs. From this we can see that indigenous people are not getting equally opportunities. Secondly, School require students to achieve the regular attendance while indigenous students have high rate to be absent because of heath and hearing, Criminal justice and unemployment. Indigenous are more likely to get chronic illness such as rheumatic fever, middle ear infection, those could affect them to be absent. In addition, family factor also is a barrier for indigenous students. Their parents have higher proportion to involve in criminal offence and unemployment; hence they may lose the parental support in livelihood and be more absence rate. Author concluded indigenous family should be consulted that what kinds of barrier they would encounter and preventing the simular incident happen to their children. The opportunity and support for indigenous family are not sufficient in Australia society. They are ignored in schooling system and treated as same standard or approach as non-indigenous students but they are different in culture, language and ethnic. This might be the reason to happen discrimination and bullying in school. At the beginning, indigenous students might not speak English fluently and feel shy in new circumstance. And classmates would feel weird because their classmates are not familiar with them. However, if they encounter bullying, they will lose the interest in going school. Hence, they may leave school earlier but they are hard to get a job due to lack of knowledge, professional skill and experience. Consequently they will become low literacy and high unemployment comparing with others in the society. Failure to fully engage parents is another reason of low attendance rate. That is the reason that indigenous content should be embed into the curriculum. It can help indigenous students to merge into the classroom. Additionally, government can implement some policies which benefit for them such as school welfare to encourage the attendance.

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