Foreword - Cindy BerwickThe Teaching the Teachers Story - Nigel ParburyAcknowledgementsContributors1 Why teach Aboriginal Studies? - Rhonda Craven2 Living cultures - Uncle Charles Moran, Uncle Norm Newlin, Terry Mason & Rhoda Roberts3 Misconceptions, stereotypes and racism: Let's face the facts - Rhonda Craven & Kaye Price4 Terra nullius: Invasion and colonization - Nigel Parbury5 A history of special treatment: The impact of government policies - James Wilson-Miller6 Discovering shared history: Moving towards new understanding in Australian schools - Paddy Cavanagh7 A history of Aboriginal education - Nigel Parbury8 Reconciliation matters - Nina Burridge9 Educating for the future - Rhonda Craven10 Community involvement - Bev Smith11 What research can tell us - Rhonda Craven & Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews12 Closing the gap - John Lester & Geoff Munns13 Working with Aboriginal students - Christine Halse & Aunty Mae Robinson14 Teaching resources - Rhonda Craven, Mark d'Arbon & Sharon Galleguillos15 Developing teaching activities - Rhonda Craven, Mark d'Arbon & James Wilson-Miller16 Together we can't lose - Rhonda CravenReferencesIndex
Why are so many Aboriginal Australians still disadvantaged? Why is so much potential still wasted? Why is 'the Aboriginal problem' still intractable? Why can we not even agree on the causes, let alone ways forward? Why have billions on special programs had such little effect? Is it all bad news? How can we: realise the talents of all Australia's Aboriginal citizens, eradicate disadvantage, grow Aboriginal success, and achieve at last the real potential of this country? In Black and White: Australians All at the Crossroads seeks to illuminate the issues through perspectives of concerned blackfellas and whitefellas, both, on root causes, how issues play out on the ground, and what needs to be done. It is the hope of the editors that experiences and ideas, from the community base to the heights of policy, may reveal the common ground that is sine-qua-non to working out real answers and practical programs that will make a difference. As the subtitle's reference to our National Anthem suggests, all Australians - that's all of us - must put an end to the wastage of Indigenous talent and the denial of the real Australia that has diminished our nation far too long. Aussies can do anything. Together we can't lose!
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveIn Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), children must start school in the year they turn five, unless they are born between February-July, in which case they can delay starting until the year they turn six. Consequently, children start their first year of school aged 4.5-6 years. This may translate into a wide range of developmental ability in the classroom in the first year of school and may impact on the magnitude of inequalities in longer-term educational outcomes. To inform how this policy currently translates into the demographic composition of NSW classrooms, this study aims to identify child, family, and area-level characteristics associated with the practice of delaying school entry.
ApproachThe 'Seeding Success' study cohort (N=154,936) includes an almost complete population of children who started school in NSW in 2009 or 2012, and were born in NSW, identified by linking the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data to perinatal and birth registry data. Restricting this analysis to the 88,716 (57%) children born in February-July, we defined 'delayed school entry' as children who were eligible to start school the previous year (i.e. 2008 or 2011), but started in the AEDC data collection years (i.e. 2009 or 2012). Multilevel regression models were used to investigate child, family and area-level characteristics associated with delayed school entry.
ResultsThe prevalence of delayed school entry was 46% in the 2009 AEDC cohort and 47% in the 2012 AEDC cohort. Boys and children born closer to July were more likely to be delayed, as were children of older mothers. Prevalence of delay was similar in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, however, children of mothers born overseas were less likely to delay school entry compared to Australian-born mothers. Delaying was less common in major cities compared to remote and regional areas, and less common in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
ConclusionChildren born in February-July who live in socio-economically disadvantaged urban areas are more likely to start school up to a year earlier than their peers, with poorly understood educational consequences. The current policy on school starting age results in an 18-month age range in classrooms, which may be challenging for teachers and confusing for parents who need to make a decision regarding their child's 'school readiness'. It is likely that access and affordability of childcare during the study period impacted on parent's decisions about when to send their children to school.
ABSTRACT
ObjectivesA key target to reduce the gap in early childhood outcomes between Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children has been to increase preschool enrolment rates, particularly in remote communities. However, there is little population-based information on preschool attendance and its impact on child development for Aboriginal children specifically. This study aims to examine: (i) the characteristics of children, families and areas associated with preschool attendance; and (ii) the association between preschool attendance and childhood development in the first year of school for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW).
ApproachRoutinely-collected birth registration, perinatal, health and education data were used to create a linked dataset consisting of an almost complete population of children known as the 'Seeding Success' cohort. These children were born in NSW and had an Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) checklist completed by their teacher in their first year of school in NSW in 2009 and 2012 (n=154,936). Multilevel Poisson regression modelling was used to determine child-, family- and area-level characteristics associated with preschool attendance in the year before starting school. The association between preschool attendance and childhood development in the first year of school, as measured across five AEDC developmental domains, was also examined.
Results71% of Aboriginal children attended preschool in the year before school (95% CI: 70% to 72%) compared with 76% of non-Aboriginal children (95% CI: 76% to 77%). The prevalence of preschool attendance was lower in major cities compared with regional and remote areas, with 65% of Aboriginal children attending preschool in major cities compared with 73% in outer regional and 79% in remote areas. Factors associated with preschool attendance in the year before starting school included being non-Aboriginal, speaking English as a first language, having a mother with a partner, having fewer older siblings, living in a more remote area and living in a less socioeconomically disadvantaged area. After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, Aboriginal children who attended preschool were more likely to be developmentally 'on track' compared with Aboriginal children who did not attend preschool, in four of the five AEDC domains.
ConclusionThe barriers to preschool attendance for Aboriginal children living in major cities should be further explored. Targeted support for families and areas where preschool attendance is lower is likely required to ensure children have access to the apparent benefits of preschool education.
As a social justice endeavor, one of the goals of inclusive education is to bolster the education of all students by promoting equal opportunities for all, and investing sufficient support, curriculum and pedagogy that cultivates high self-concepts, emphasizes students' strengths rather than weaknesses, and assists students to reach their optimal potential to make a contribution to society. Dedicated to the identification of international strategies to achieve this goal, Inclusive Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities presents examples of theory, research, policy, and practice that will advance our understanding of how best to educate and more generally structure educational environments to promote social justice and equity. Importantly, this discussion transcends research methodology, context, and geographical locations and may lead to far-reaching applications. As such, the focus is placed on research-derived educational and psycho-educative practices that seed success for students with intellectual disabilities in inclusive educational settings and the volume showcases new directions in theory, research, and practice that may inform the education and psychosocial development of students with intellectual disabilities globally. The chapter contributors in this volume consist of 31 scholars from ten different countries, and they come from a great variety of research areas (i.e., teacher education, educational psychology, special education and disability policy, special needs and inclusive education, health sciences). This volume, with a series of subsections, offers insights and useful strategies to promote meaningful advances for students with intellectual disabilities globally.
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Introduction: Australian Aboriginal children are more likely than non-Aboriginal children to have developmental vulnerability at school entry that tracks through to poorer literacy and numeracy outcomes and multiple social and health disadvantages in later life. Empirical evidence identifying the key drivers of positive early childhood development in Aboriginal children, and supportive features of local communities and early childhood service provision, are lacking. Methods and analysis: The study population will be identified via linkage of Australian Early Development Census data to perinatal and birth registration data sets. It will include an almost complete population of children who started their first year of full-time school in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2009 and 2012. Early childhood health and development trajectories for these children will be constructed via linkage to a range of administrative data sets relating to birth outcomes, congenital conditions, hospital admissions, emergency department presentations, receipt of ambulatory mental healthcare services, use of general practitioner services, contact with child protection and out-of-home care services, receipt of income assistance and fact of death. Using multilevel modelling techniques, we will quantify the contributions of individual-level and area-level factors to variation in early childhood development outcomes in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. Additionally, we will evaluate the impact of two government programmes that aim to address early childhood disadvantage, the NSW Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service and the Brighter Futures Program. These evaluations will use propensity score matching methods and multilevel modelling. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained for this study. Dissemination mechanisms include engagement of stakeholders (including representatives from Aboriginal community controlled organisations, policy agencies, service providers) through a reference group, and writing of summary reports for policy and community audiences in parallel with scientific papers.
Introduction: Australian Aboriginal children are more likely than non-Aboriginal children to have developmental vulnerability at school entry that tracks through to poorer literacy and numeracy outcomes and multiple social and health disadvantages in later life. Empirical evidence identifying the key drivers of positive early childhood development in Aboriginal children, and supportive features of local communities and early childhood service provision, are lacking. Methods and analysis: The study population will be identified via linkage of Australian Early Development Census data to perinatal and birth registration data sets. It will include an almost complete population of children who started their first year of full-time school in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2009 and 2012. Early childhood health and development trajectories for these children will be constructed via linkage to a range of administrative data sets relating to birth outcomes, congenital conditions, hospital admissions, emergency department presentations, receipt of ambulatory mental healthcare services, use of general practitioner services, contact with child protection and out-of-home care services, receipt of income assistance and fact of death. Using multilevel modelling techniques, we will quantify the contributions of individual-level and area-level factors to variation in early childhood development outcomes in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. Additionally, we will evaluate the impact of two government programmes that aim to address early childhood disadvantage, the NSW Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service and the Brighter Futures Program. These evaluations will use propensity score matching methods and multilevel modelling. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained for this study. Dissemination mechanisms include engagement of stakeholders (including representatives from Aboriginal community controlled organisations, policy agencies, service providers) through a reference group, and writing of summary reports for policy and community audiences in parallel with scientific papers.
We investigated how satisfaction of the basic psychological needs at work was associated with the psychological and physical wellbeing of Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees both within and outside of the workplace. Participants included 1,146 Indigenous ( n = 559) and non-Indigenous Australians (60.9% female), aged 18 to 81 years ( Mage = 43.54) who were recruited through their employer or online advertisements. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data, and Indigenous status and occupation type were investigated as moderators. Results revealed that independent of income, autonomy satisfaction was related to better physical and psychological health, satisfaction of the need for relatedness was associated with increased family and community thriving, and competence satisfaction was linked to decreased psychological distress. Results also showed that autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction was lower among Indigenous employees compared to non-Indigenous employees. Moderation analyses suggested that relatedness at work was especially important for non-Indigenous employees' connection with their community, as were high levels of competence satisfaction for Indigenous employees. These findings are discussed in the context of self-determination theory and the implications for organizations wanting to improve the wellbeing of their Indigenous and non-Indigenous workforce.
Introduction: Australian Aboriginal children are more likely than non-Aboriginal children to have developmental vulnerability at school entry that tracks through to poorer literacy and numeracy outcomes and multiple social and health disadvantages in later life. Empirical evidence identifying the key drivers of positive early childhood development in Aboriginal children, and supportive features of local communities and early childhood service provision, are lacking. Methods and analysis: The study population will be identified via linkage of Australian Early Development Census data to perinatal and birth registration data sets. It will include an almost complete population of children who started their first year of full-time school in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2009 and 2012. Early childhood health and development trajectories for these children will be constructed via linkage to a range of administrative data sets relating to birth outcomes, congenital conditions, hospital admissions, emergency department presentations, receipt of ambulatory mental healthcare services, use of general practitioner services, contact with child protection and out-of-home care services, receipt of income assistance and fact of death. Using multilevel modelling techniques, we will quantify the contributions of individual-level and area-level factors to variation in early childhood development outcomes in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. Additionally, we will evaluate the impact of two government programmes that aim to address early childhood disadvantage, the NSW Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service and the Brighter Futures Program. These evaluations will use propensity score matching methods and multilevel modelling. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained for this study. Dissemination mechanisms include engagement of stakeholders (including representatives from Aboriginal community controlled organisations, policy agencies, service providers) through a reference group, and writing of summary reports for policy and community audiences in parallel with scientific papers.
