Aboriginal education primary schools

Many factors influence aboriginal education within Australia, from clothing to community housing and their peers in the classroom environment. As an early and important role model in a child's life, teachers play a vital role in helping the child to acquire foundation skills of future learning. Their work directly affects the child's development of language and communication skills, motor skills, social skills, emotional and behavioral skills, and critical thinking skills all of which assist in the child’s growth and eventual adulthood. Many factors influence a student's success at school. Among these, consistent attendance is often cited as important, but a range of other factors also influence the way students access and engage with schooling.

The main aim of <> is to evaluate the impact of pre-service education in Aboriginal studies of primary school teachers. Specifically, it aims to measure the self-perceived abilities of educators to appreciate, understand and teach Aboriginal studies and perspectives in Australian schools. The studies also compared and contrasted these teachers self perceptions with teachers who had not undertaken an Aboriginal studies subject as part of their initial teacher education course. The project sought to identify useful structure and content that would strengthen teacher’s ability to teach Aboriginal studies and Aboriginal students.

Analysis of data found that pre-service education of Aboriginal studies make a positive difference for teachers. Teachers felt they knew more about Aboriginal history, current issues, pedagogy for teaching Aboriginal studies and generally were more effective teachers for Aboriginal students. These findings also offer insights into how to strengthen Aboriginal studies courses.

Health is an issue for a lot of Aboriginal families. It has been discovered that many of the children have little or no breakfast. One solution is to have some "brain food" available for the children to snack on during the morning session. Classroom refrigerators should be stocked with cheese-sticks and popcorn. Prior to the cyclone bananas were also an option, but some schools cannot afford this right now. Hydration is not typically a problem, as most children have access to bottled water during school hours. A child's education requires much more than just attendance. Students who are hungry, unwell or can’t hear the teacher properly are not in a position to learn. It’s up to the individual teacher to manage this. Some teachers have little plates of food on the children’s desks while others just have a quick break. The point is to make sure it’s available to the children. It’s not a meal, it’s just a very small snack just to keep the brain going. Foods that are both nutritious and easily accessible are especially valued.

"How we learn what we need to know" is a selection of literacy and numeracy case studies from NSW primary schools that have achieved enhanced outcomes for Aboriginal students. This publication presents case studies of seven New South Wales primary schools that developed educational programs and teaching strategies specifically for Aboriginal students. The aim of the case studies project was to identify programs, strategies and processes which, in the opinion of regional Aboriginal Educational consultants and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, work effectively with Aboriginal students, and to describe how those programs were developed. This program acknowledges and endorses Indigenous world views and promotes greater understanding and respect for Indigenous peoples, cultures, histories and languages.

Aboriginal grandmothers (grannies) in many communities throughout Australia are considered the backbone of the social structure. This is the case for the Murri Granies in a town in regional eastern Australia. Many of these women are also their grandchildren's primary caregivers and disciplinarians, and sometimes this role is detrimental to their own care and well-being. As a response to this stress, the local Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS), which includes a comprehensive primary health care facility, began promoting the program 'Relax to the Max' to the Grannies as part of the holistic care they offer. Since these humble beginnings some three years ago, the group has grown to become the "Graniators" support group. In addition to their initial work of supporting each other, the group extended their field of action to the entire community to address social issues, particularly those around youth and children. To complement and strengthen their initiative, the Graniators partnered with other organizations in the community including the police, the municipal council, the state government's department of housing, the local primary school and a special youth service group. The program's evaluation has proven to be extremely positive in providing others in the community a clear and positive formula for driving change at a grass roots level

Compared with non-Indigenous Australians, Australian Aborigines have higher levels of infant mortality, greater incidence of infectious diseases, and a life expectancy that is fifteen to twenty years lower (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1997, 2002). In the early childhood years (0-8 years), Indigenous students are less likely to participate in pre-schooling than their non-Indigenous peers. They have higher rates of absenteeism beginning in primary school, and the early indications of their educational achievement, as measured by state-wide English literacy assessments, indicate that, as a group, they perform at a lower level compared to their non-Indigenous peers. Aboriginal educators (both Aboriginal teachers and Aboriginal Education Assistants) have been employed to implement appropriate learning and teaching strategies, enhance the involvement of Aboriginal families in their children's schooling, and improve the learning outcomes of Aboriginal students. By focusing on effective transitions to school programs, much can be done to support Aboriginal children, families, and communities and to promote their positive engagement in education. In addition, evidence indicates that the presence of Aboriginal people within a school, such as teachers, aides, general staff, or members of school councils and committees, is crucial to helping make young Aboriginal children feel as if they belong in the school environment.