Aboriginal Education, Culture, Curriculum And Change

Historical Background

Discuss about the Aboriginal Education, Culture, Curriculum and Change.

The term aboriginal is used to define the native people of a region or a country. There are evolutionary tales that describe the origin of a certain race or tribe. Virtually every region has a distinct group of people that are said to have existed there since antiquity. (Augoustinos et al. 2009). In Australia, the same phenomenon applies. There are people who lived in the country, occupying the coastal stretches and the vast land in the whole country. Australia as a country had a government that developed policies that influenced the general lifestyle of the aboriginal people. In this discussion, the impact of the policies on the aboriginal people together with the effects on their education will be discussed. (Berndt et al. 2012)

The aborigines of Australia can be dated back to the 19^th century. During this period, they were not endowed with the capacity to read and write. (Mellor et al. 2012).The mode of communication was verbal. They often used native languages and traditional forms of communication. It is for this reason that they were not acknowledged. The introduction of the colonial masters further demeaned the aborigines. They were exploited and regarded as second class human beings. (Broome 2014, p. 87-90). The Europeans forced them to work on farms and industries with very little or no pay. The whites’ dominance was so intense that the aborigines’ efforts to mount a resistance could not bear fruit.

Later on, there was a select group of people who were appointed to safeguard the rights of the aborigines. They included legal officers; although they were not remunerated appropriately thus their efforts were curtailed. The adoption of the Education Act was even detrimental to the lives of the aborigine children. This act gave power to the parents of European children to segregate them from those of the aborigines. This implied that the aborigine children were not supposed to study in the institutions where white children were taken. (Choo 2011, p. 165-173)

The Australian nation had different territories. The arms of governments drafted very oppressive laws that worked against the aborigines. In 1905, there was an act that was enforced, demanding that young people be reprimanded to serve in harsh conditions. This year marked the beginning of a tormenting period, characterised by little regard to human rights. The aborigines had no chance to express themselves to demand for their rights. (Jones 2008, p. 56-67). They were limited in all kinds of freedoms. More specifically, they could not move to urban centres. Special officers known as the protectors implemented laws that curtailed aborigines from occupying residential areas where non-aborigines stayed. More so, the intermarriage between the aborigines and non aborigines was prohibited. To sort out the mess, children born of the two parties would be secluded from the aboriginal surroundings. The authorities believed that such children would adopt the uncouth tendencies of the aborigines which they were fighting to eliminate. (Chesterman et al. 2007)

Oppressive Policies and Resistance Efforts

Racism took root and it was evident when policies were enacted to make it a law in Australia. The policies prevented the aborigines from intermingling with the public. Initially, the legislation was drafted with the intention to safeguard the rights of the aboriginal people but it was then turned against them. Deliberate attempts to change the laws could not favour the aborigines since they had already been affected by the ruthlessness of the law enforcers. (Berndt et al. 2012). The government machinery dug so deep into the welfare of the aborigines. Barely every aborigine can attest to the severity of the state influence.  It is for this reason that the societal perception grew, every individual adopted the belief that aborigines should be wiped out from the whole of Australia. (Choo 2011, p. 165-173). Consequently, freedom fighters and human rights enthusiasts formed movements to fight this form of discrimination. Within little time periods, the movements had spread into all corners of the Australian territories. People were emancipated through access to information and sensitisation of human rights. (Larson et al. 2007)

The Commonwealth Referendum of 1967 almost brought solace to the aboriginal race. The intention of this referendum was to empower the aborigines by granting them citizenship.  However, there woes were not anywhere close to over. The fight for recognition was not abandoned. It should be noted that before the commonwealth referendum, the Australian government had began to loosen the grip on punitive measures against the aborigines. There were legal frameworks that were designed specifically to focus on the grievances of the aboriginal people. We can conclude that the aboriginal people were treated separately, so that the nature of the laws that were drafted was not in tandem with that of the rest of the Australian population. (Paradies et al. 2009)

The aboriginal resistance was undertaken in various forms to dispute the oppressive measures cast upon them. One form of resistance was the journey they undertook on foot to demonstrate against forcible displacement from their land. This move was recognised in the whole region and more aborigines held rallies to demand for their rights. The efforts were rewarded through creation of an aborigine flag. Land laws were also enacted to protect the aboriginal land owners. (Larson et al. 2007).

Until today, the aborigine race is still suffering from the nightmares of the colonial rule. The effects are majorly psychological since neo-colonialism is no longer prevalent in Australia. If this was the case, more physical torture would have been recorded even today. Despite the initial occupation status, aborigines are considered as intruders. The thought that they do not belong to a country is disturbing. The consequence of this state of mind is that one cannot develop in all spheres of life. For instance, they are limited to expand economically because of the existing prejudice. (Pedersen et al 2014). Other races may not see any good in them, therefore their desire to form networks may not be realised. The perception from across the nation implying that the aborigines are second class humans is detrimental. It kills their esteem. When children are denied basic life requirements, it is an indication that the future is hopeless as well. (Mellor et al. 2012). Parents who care about the future of their children suffer more consequences. Physical suffering is indirectly inflicted on the aborigines. In the colonial era, they were subjected to corporal punishment. In the modern day, they have been denied access to important resources hence they must spend double their efforts to get these resources. (Mellor et al. 2012).

Contemporary Challenges

It is the sole responsibility of parents and the society to provide education to the children. This is one of the basic requirements in the growth stages of any individual. Education is an aspect that equips children with the capacity and skills that are relevant in the society. Through education, people become important members of society because they are able to trigger positive impacts upon others. Education is said to be formal and informal. Informal education takes place during early stages of life where children acquire skills by watching and listening to their peers during play time. (Paradies et al. 2009). Formal education is acquired in schools whereby skills are passed over to children. Here they get an opportunity to interact and develop on the knowledge they acquire in the informal set up. (Garvey 2007, p. 89-100)

Education is an empowering tool and it is believed that the aboriginal people can gain access to vital social amenities if they embrace education. However, there are reasons why the aborigines have not been incorporated in learning institutions. Non-aboriginal people are more dominant. One reason is that many of the aborigines have been secluded and they live in areas that are remote. Their children cannot afford to travel to the learning centres. (Garvey 2007, p. 89-100). Given that aborigines are isolated in terms of resource allocation, many of them live devastating lifestyles and by consequence they are not able to pay for their education. Other livelihood demands are given priority since they need to sustain their families. Education does not feature among top priorities for the aborigines. The Australian government has laid strategies to change the status quo for this group of people but it still remains a tall order for them. For instance, there is a team of researchers trying to unravel the mysteries that bedevil the aboriginal population. They are trying to establish the reasons why there are large discrepancies in the admission of aborigines and other populations. (Campbell 2012, p. 54-55)

Any government should focus on the education of its people. In this sense, the Australian government has the mandate to enlighten the citizens without any form of discrimination. The critical part is to ensure that policies are formulated in line with the demands of the current job specifications. It should also provide funds to assist families to pay for education. Australian state government enjoys a mutual relationship with the territorial set ups. (Campbell 2012, p. 54-55). They work jointly to finance and draft policies that sustain the Australian education system. They specifically address the needs of the aboriginal people by financing their education. Apparently, the Commonwealth organisation remits funds that are allocated towards aborigine education. More so, the government invests in research to upgrade the educational services rendered to this group. (Blagg et al. 2007)

Importance of Education for Aboriginal People

In the early 20^th century, there was a widespread belief that the aboriginal people should not gain access to education. Despite the general mandate of state governments to emancipate aborigines, the policy to segregate aboriginal children from government institutions was still in force. It has to be noted that even the children were not allowed to intermingle because the aborigines were regarded as an inferior race. Due to this condition, very few aborigine children were educated. The restrictive policies forced them to be adopted in Christian centres. At least the environment here was accommodative hence they were able to study without prejudicial abuses. (Benterrak et al. 2006)

The government of Australia later adopted a more hostile policy. It employed the services of officers who forced children to leave their homes and stay in the government owned schools and Christian outfits. It is regrettable that the nature of education offered was far from formal. The institutions trained on the Christian norms and virtues. (Blagg et al. 2007). They ignored the sole aim of inculcating life skills in the students. Unfortunately the training centres paid little regard to the ways of life of the aborigine population. This policy can be analysed from the perspective that many aborigines did not gain from the intended purpose of education. Instead it bred more deficiency to the population. (Barwick 2008, p. 78-88)

The period before the 1960s was characterised by neglect of the aborigine grievances.  Fortunately, the Commonwealth referendum was adopted. This was a reprieve venture for the aboriginal people because the referendum enabled the organisation to enact laws that would look into their interests. (Barwick 2008, p. 78-88). During this period, the Aboriginal Study Grants Scheme was also taking off. The Commonwealth legislation and formation of the above organisation was a formidable step that would lead to retention of aboriginal students in the learning centres. Aborigines could now have a voice. They were spirited and hopeful of a great future. The years went by but their dreams were shuttered along the way. Aborigines who finished their education could not secure white collar jobs. They were still discriminated against by the employers who preferred other races. (Augoustinos et al. 2009). In the 1980s, the Commonwealth body together with the federal state governments formed educational policies that still exist until today. The aims of the policies were limited to aboriginal education and overshadowed other factors. For instance, the poor conditions of living and low income levels were issues that were not addressed yet they are so critical. (Larson et al. 2007).

Barriers to Education Access

Conclusion

The education policies were created in order to enlighten the aboriginal population. However, the policies could not be implemented by most of the schools because of limited government support. In addition, the policies have been criticised by many scholars who believe that the policies do not represent the needs of the aborigines in an adequate manner. The history of the aborigines has been described and the gradual improvement is evident. In most cases, there are institutions such as the government and the non-governmental organisations that have attempted to emancipate the aboriginal people. Although the efforts have been quashed by several factors, most of the issues were addressed. It is wise for the other races to recognise that aborigines are human beings and they deserve respect too. If they abandon the discriminatory tendencies, then the world will be a better place for every person.

References

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Benterrak, K., Muecke, S., & Roe, P. (2006). Reading the Country. Perth: Fremantle Arts Press, 6(4), 78-88

Berndt, R. M., & Berndt, C. H. (2012). The World of The First Australians: Aboriginal Traditional Life, Past and Present. Canberra: AIATSIS, 67(7), 334-345

Blagg, H., Morgan, N., Cunneen, C., & Ferrante, A. (2007). Systemic racism as a factor in the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the Victorian criminal justice system. Report to the Equal Opportunity Commission and Aboriginal Justice Forum. Melbourne: Victorian Government, 54(76), 98-111

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Choo, C. (2011). Mission Girls: Aboriginal women on Catholic missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia, 1900–1930. Perth: University of Western Australia Press, 45(6), 165-173

Garvey, D. (2007).The 3Rs of teaching Torres Strait Islander students…relationships, respect and reciprocity. In D. Garvey. Indigenous identity in contemporary psychology. Melbourne: Thomson, 78(43), 89-100

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Pedersen, A., Beven, J., Walker, I., & Griffiths, B. (2014). Attitudes toward Indigenous Australians: The role of empathy and guilt. Community and Applied Social Psychology, 14(5), 233–249.