More than 100 teachers from NSW public schools have taken part in a State-first cultural conference, hearing from First Nations leaders to help improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal, Māori and Pasifika students.
Celebrating the milestone, the Department of Education said the First Nations Cultural Circle Conference aimed to deepen educators’ understanding of how to create culturally safe learning environments to engage and support First Nations students.
“Research conducted by the Department has shown that culturally safe schools, culturally responsive teaching, positive relationships and personalised learning can help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students succeed,” the Department said.
“Culturally safe schools recognise that individual students have distinct cultural identities that shape their school experience,” it said.
“These schools use whole-of-school practices to make students feel welcome and supported, and families and communities feel connected to the school.”
Aboriginal educator and Briar Road Public School principal, Tammy Anderson said she’d seen the benefits of strengthening culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, “and we can definitely transfer these teaching practices with the other First Nations students, taking what works in one space and applying it to another”.
She said teachers did not often get the opportunity to hear about Māori and Pasifika cultures in depth, even though they shared some of the challenges and opportunities faced by members of Aboriginal communities.
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy and Leadership, at the University of Newcastle, Nathan Towney presented at the Conference.
“It’s really looking at the historical perspective of education in schools from a First Nations and Pasifika/Māori perspective,” Mr Towney said.
“We obviously have a number of those cohorts in our schools, and education and schools can often mean different things to those populations,” he said.
“It’s about discussing what those specific needs are and how schools can best cater for those students.
“It’s the first I’ve been aware of in terms of coming together like this in NSW public schools.”
Presenting along with Mr Towney was Professor Bob Morgan, Elder, Chair of the Board of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Education and Research (BATSIER) at University of Newcastle, and David Lakisa, former Eaglevale and Granville Boys teacher, now Managing Director of Talanoa Consultancy.
