Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are faced with a daily barrage of social and political issues around race and equity that challenge our resolve and mental energy. Black Lives Matter has successfully reminded us that race and equity are not just local issues, they are global issues.
In Australia, free the flag, the anniversary of Captain Cook, change the date, constitutional recognition, colourism, deaths in custody and devon v fritz v polony (it is devon) are just some of the issues that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people tirelessly contemplate. And, it is movements such as Black Lives Matter that have laid bare the lack of understanding and appreciation of these issues in Australia.
It is this ignorance that sustains the space for racism to live and breathe. And, in fact flourish.
Imagine a world where information is based on facts, not hyperbole and mistruths. A world where Australians truly appreciate and understand the trauma, context, history, and their impacts. Instead too much attention is paid to misinformation, and false narratives.
It is essential that as a nation we have these critical conversations and be privy to all sides of the narrative, to avoid making assumptions or biases based on ignorance and privilege.
Education is the key, and schools are the place for this to happen.
Our education system needs to reflect our shared Australian history of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and every other diverse Australian culture. Yet, this cannot happen until truth telling, reconciliation and cultural competency are front and centre of every classroom.
Our schools should be supported and encouraged to have challenging conversations about race and equity in their classrooms. Teachers and school leaders play critical roles in determining these narratives in schools; one that inspires self-reflection on internal biases, the historical legacy of colonisation, and cultural hegemony in Australia.
Our teachers need to feel confident to teach our children that Australian history is much larger and more varied than the one that is being told in classrooms today. That terrible things have happened in our shared past, the cause of much pain and trauma for many generations. Too many Australians do not know or understand about the genocide, the conflict and the historical relationship between Aboriginal people and settlers and how this has informed and continues to influence our future.
We need to teach our children about the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our national identity. Teach them to remember, commemorate and celebrate our past so that our futures are based on recognition and celebration, not continual conflict.
We need to teach our children the beauty and depth of our First Nations people. We are the oldest living culture in the world and from every corner of this country our culture is being maintained and revitalised. This is a cause for celebration and national pride. If only you could see what I see.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students must be seen, and importantly see themselves in the classroom, curriculum, and Australia’s future. We owe it to our students to equip our teachers and school leaders with the tools to achieve this.
There has never been a more critical time for teachers and school leaders to work towards being culturally competent. Gone are the days of looking for excuses, we must look for opportunities. It is also vital for the systems responsible for providing the conditions and environments, which support teachers and school leaders, to identify and respond effectively to the opportunities towards cultural competency.
What is cultural competency? It goes much deeper than having empathy and sympathy. It requires you to build a growth mindset and take charge of your own attitudes, beliefs and assumptions. It’s hard work. It requires commitment and dedication, otherwise we risk being perpetually stuck. Developing cultural competency can lead to a more meaningful and authentic relationship with yourself and those around you.
It requires us to take a step back and reflect on ourselves as individuals. It requires all of us to try and imagine the world through a lens other than our own. It demands that we ask ourselves difficult questions about what we understand.
A teacher once told me that culturally competent teachers see and embrace difference and use that difference to shape their pedagogy in a way that honours students’ cultural backgrounds and does not unintentionally shape them into a homogenous culture of sameness.
Culturally competent teachers share power that allows students to take control of their learning and be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders. They understand and see the cultural nuances in language, behaviour and values. They don’t judge but see it is different to theirs. No one is better than the other.
The opportunity to impact change is right now. We need you to join the conversation and help us create positive education experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership has just published a discussion paper – Indigenous cultural competency in the Australian teaching workforce
• Carly Jia is a Yidinji, Badulaig and Meriam woman from far north Queensland. She is senior advisor – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education at the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
