EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR // DR TRACY WOODROFFE
What is ‘First Nations voice’ and what does it mean for education? DR TRACY WOODROFFE DISCUSSES FINDING A FIRST NATIONS VOICE IN EDUCATION AND INTEGRATING FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE, CULTURE AND PRIORITIES INTO THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM. SHE ALSO DISCUSSES THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM.
‘First Nations’ is the most recent term used to refer to the first peoples of Australia. It could be assumed that the first peoples of any country would be respected and central to learnings and understanding about that country. The debate is that the first peoples of Australia have not been duly recognised and respected. This disregard began with colonisation and has set us, as a nation, on a path to find reconciliation. A First Nations voice to parliament has been proposed to ensure that First Nations peoples are heard instead of just consulted, which can be tokenistic, and that it would be a tool to facilitate reconciliation. Not all Australians agree that there should be a First Nations voice to parliament, and it appears
Dr Tracy Woodroffe is a Lecturer and Course Coordinator in the College of Indigenous Futures, Arts & Society at Charles Darwin University– specialising in education, teaching Indigenous learners and Indigenous knowledge in education. She is a local Warumungu Luritja woman with extensive experience in early childhood, primary and secondary classrooms. Tracy is interested in educational pedagogy and the use of Indigenous knowledge to improve Indigenous academic achievement. Her work includes Indigenous methodology and examining the Australian education system through an Indigenous women’s standpoint.
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that this includes some First Nations people. This is not surprising considering that we live in a democratic country, but it does pose another perceived barrier to a united and more equitable Australia. The uncertainty or disagreement could stem from a lack of clarity around what a First Nations voice might look like. How would it be structured and what would it mean in practical terms for the Australian education system? Well, if we are open to possibilities, we should be asking ‘what could it mean’? If anything, a First Nations voice to parliament could be a fantastic opportunity to continue to shape and create a world class education system that is inclusive and inspirational for all Australian students. The possibility of a
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E The Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney announced that the vote to constitutionally enshrine a First Nations voice to parliament could be conducted as early as August this year.
education matters primary
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