THE INDIGENOUS flora recently planted at Mt Stromlo High School are a visible manifestation of a cultural shift happening within the school.
The ACT school has a well-established Buunji class, which is part of an evolving partnership between the school, Aboriginal families and Torres Strait Islander families, community members and local Elders to provide an integrated learning program for Year 7 to 10 Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students.
This year the school started a new First Nations Future class, which is open to all Year 9 and 10 students, and is helping to foster a greater recognition, understanding and valuing of Aboriginal culture and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Deputy principal Greg Stirling says the student response to the new elective is overwhelming. The focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and artifacts, flora, culture and Acknowledgement of Country is building pride, cultural connections and enabling Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students to share their own stories.
“Our First Nations kids are just feeling on top of the world because their culture is front and centre and other kids are taking an interest in it,” he says. The school’s Indigenous education officer, Brent Lamb, is the driving force behind the Buunji and First Nations Futures classes. Local Elders attend lessons and run an art program for all students.
First Nations Futures is also designed to provide additional leadership opportunities for Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students.
In Term 4, the class will look at curriculum documents from other faculties in the school and ensure all the learning outcomes have Aboriginal culture and issues and Torres Strait Islander culture and issues reflected in them.
Stirling says the school is looking at running the class over both semesters next year with a possible expansion of the time spent on Country. “This is still in its infancy. We will be listening to the kids and what they are interested in,” he says.
The Investments We Need:
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Increase the number of teachers, principals, specialist language teachers and education support personnel who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
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Enhance pathways for Aboriginal education support personnel and Torres Strait Islander education support personnel to transition to careers as teachers.
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Ensure that all Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students in remote communities have access to public secondary schools in their community.
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Resource the provision of cultural competencies and responsive teaching practices for the teaching workforce and education support personnel.
