Indigenous Education and Literacy Policy in Australia: Bringing Learning Back to the Debate

Fogarty, William; Riddle, Stewart; Lovell, Melissa; Wilson, Benjamin J.

doi:10.1017/jie.2017.18

Cited by 29 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The work of AEWs must first be considered against the backdrop of Indigenous education in Australia since colonisation. Indigenous education has been described as a ‘tool for acculturation and assimilation’ (Fogarty, 2014, np). This is supported by Green's (2004) comprehensive history of schooling for Indigenous children in Western Australia between 1840 and 1978.…”

Section: Indigenous Education In Australiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Complex Work of Aboriginal Education Workers in Schools

Price

Jackson-Barrett

Gower

et al. 2019

AJIE

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The work of Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs) in Australian schools is complex and multifaceted, and yet it is often misunderstood, or worse, devalued. Added to this, the conditions of employment for many AEWs is often insecure, with minimal pay, few opportunities for career progression or meaningful professional development. Despite this there continues to be, as there have been for decades, research findings, policies and reports attesting to the invaluable role of AEWs in schools and communities. The theoretical standpoint of Nakata's (2007) ‘cultural interface’ is used in this paper to critically (re) examine the role of AEWs in Australian schools. Drawing from relevant past and contemporary literature, this paper draws attention to past and contemporary theorising and policy concerning the roles of AEWs. It asserts that if the work of AEWs is to be better understood and valued then it must be reconsidered in a more transformative way that benefits both the students and schools which they support.

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Section: Indigenous Education In Australiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Complex Work of Aboriginal Education Workers in Schools

Price

Jackson-Barrett

Gower

et al. 2019

AJIE

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“…Using a qualitative intersectional perspective (Else-Quest & Hyde, 2016a, 2016b) we also considered if the Indigenous gap in high school non-completion varied as a function of SES, gender, and place. Such an approach provides more useful information for policy and intervention, going beyond a mere reporting of gaps that can contribute to a deficit view of Indigenous Australians (Fogarty et al, 2017) . Finally, by exploring a policy response that many countries have used to try to increase high school completion, we tested whether the Indigenous gap in high school non-completion narrowed from 2004 to 2010…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Achievement, Gender, SES, Location, and Policy in Explaining the Indigenous Gap in High-School Completion

Schellekens¹,

Ciarrochi²,

Dillon³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Internationally there is a gap in high school completion rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. In Australia, gap estimates are commonly based on lag indicators, precluding examination of underlying mechanisms. Using two longitudinal and representative samples of Australian youth, we explored differences in high school completion between Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous rates and whether the gap varies for students of similar academic ability. Using an intersectional approach, we show the Indigenous gap varies by SES and location. Specifically, high SES and living in urban settings are protective factors for non-Indigenous students, but not so for Indigenous students. Results also show the Indigenous gap declined in response to government policy that increased the compulsory school leaving age.

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“…Despite the lack of evidence for programmatic approaches, Fogarty et al . (2018) argue that many still pursue the literacy myth as though literacy education is a ‘panacea to social troubles’ (p. 190)—a kind of silver bullet. They go on to warn that ‘any program or package that claims to be a one-size-fits-all approach to “fixing” Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander literacy should be treated with caution’ (p. 190).…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Did DI do it? The impact of a programme designed to improve literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote schools

Guenther

Osborne

2020

AJIE

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Over the 10 years of ‘Closing the Gap’, several interventions designed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been trialled. In 2014 the Australian Government announced the ‘Flexible Literacy for Remote Primary Schools Programme’ (FLFRPSP) which was designed primarily to improve the literacy outcomes of students in remote schools with mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The programme, using Direct Instruction (DI) or Explicit Direct Instruction, was extended to 2019 with more than $30 million invested. By 2017, 34 remote schools were participating in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. This paper analyses My School data for 25 ‘very remote’ FLFRPSP schools with more than 80% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students. It considers Year 3 and 5 NAPLAN reading results and attendance rates for participating and non-participating primary schools in the 3 years before the programme's implementation and compares them with results since. Findings show that, compared to very remote schools without FLFRPSP, the programme has not improved students' literacy abilities and results. Attendance rates for intervention schools have declined faster than for non-intervention schools. The paper questions the ethics of policy implementation and the role of evidence as a tool for accountability.

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Indigenous Education and Literacy Policy in Australia: Bringing Learning Back to the Debate

Cited by 29 publications

References 39 publications

Understanding the Complex Work of Aboriginal Education Workers in Schools

Understanding the Complex Work of Aboriginal Education Workers in Schools

The Role of Achievement, Gender, SES, Location, and Policy in Explaining the Indigenous Gap in High-School Completion

Did DI do it? The impact of a programme designed to improve literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote schools

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