Indigenous Education Perspective

Question: Discuss about theIndigenous Education Perspective. Answer: Introduction Indigenous Land Rights and Eductaion The cultures of indigenous Australia are one of the oldest historical cultures in the world. One of the main reasons due to which the cultures of indigenous Australia has survived for so long is that they have had the ability to adapting to the changing environment (Merlan, 2014). The cultural heritage of indigenous Australia are kept into practice by the local communities through transferring the knowledge they have of their ritual, customs, literature and art for one generation to another. The methods of protecting their culture, the ways of spreading education, and the practices of maintain sacred sites are all transferred by the communities to the coming generations (Altman, 2012). This essay discusses the impact of certain historical events on the present indigenous Australian society. Historical events, which have affected the lifestyle of the indigenous Australians, are discussed in details in this essay. The practice of land rights by the indigenous Australia communities and its effect at the time of practice as well as in the present day on the indigenous Australia society is discussed in this essay. Educators who have had knowledge about these historical and their relevance are discussed in this essay. The concept of land rights and its effects on primary education inn indigenous cultures are also discussed in this essay (Australia, 2015). The indigenous Australian community done not refer to land as only soil and rocks, for them land is the overall environment which is maintained by the community through its culture and customs. The indigenous Australians were hunters who had their own territories for the purpose of hunting and making a livelihood. The concept of land rights amongst the indigenous people of Australia refers to their individual or collective rights with respects to the land. According to the practices and culture of the indigenous people land provides for the essentials of human survivals and it is the responsibility of the of the humans to look after its sustenance (Langton, Palmer Rhea, 2014). The people of the indigenous society distribute the responsibility towards the maintenance of land within specific group and such a practice is the essence of the social relationship between them (Day Francisco, 2013). The recognition of the right of indigenous people towards their land plays a major role in providing them opportunities to bargain about the development of their land and its protection. For the indigenous people land is not only their mother but also their identity and spirituality, it is the main essence of their society (Langton, 2013). In the year 1966, then government of Australia took an initiative to start a mining project on the lands of the indigenous community, without any consultancy with the aboriginal people. this initiative taken by the government led to initiation of rival movement from the indigenous community. The movement was to prevent the relocation of the people the government had planned in order to mine bauxite from the area. The movement lasted for years and ultimately the Land Rights Act was passed in the year 1976. In the year 1983, the movement for land rights started by the indigenous people was finally reaching its goal. The indigenous people were given by the government inalienable free holding title of their lands. The government also promised to give total legal protection to the sacred sites of the indigenous Australians. The aboriginal people were also given control over mining on their land and were also provided with royalty on mining operations. The ministry of aboriginal affairs had also compensated the indigenous people for the land they had lost due to mining activities (Hanna Vanclay, 2013). The mining industry made a planned fight back against the rights of the aboriginal Australians in the year 1984. The mining industries were supported by WA labor minister Brian Burke who had started a major revolt against the land rights of the aboriginal people. Threatened by the loss of seats in the western Australia the prime minister also supported Burke and passed a resolution against land rights of the aboriginal people. Although the Australian public was in favor of land rights, it was published in The Australian newspaper that only a few people were in favor of land rights (Morris, 2014). The February of 1885 made the land rights of the aboriginal people insignificant. A changed Preferred National Land Rights Model was passed by the government which abolished as many as 4 provisions out of 5 of the original provisions given in 1983. The new model presented by the government did not have any provision for the consent of aboriginal people on mining activities with respect to their land. The new model also obstructed the aboriginal people to make claims for their land over pastoral leases, stock reserves, stock routs and limited their eligibility for excisions. The new provisions abolished the rights of the aboriginal people to veto on mining activities and in addition, they were made illegible for the mining royalty as well as compensations against the loss of their lands. This proposal by the government for the new model of land rights were opposed by both the western Australialabor party and the government of New South Wales. The opposition of this model came from both the parties but the reason for such opposition was different for them both. Whereas the New South Wales labor government opposed the bill as it made the aboriginal people powerless and diluted the provisions of the land rights model of 1983, the labor government of western Australia opposed by stating that this new model will give the aboriginal people more rights than they deserve (Brueckner et al., 2013). In the year 1993, the Australian government passed the Native Title Act 1993. This act was passed because of a land mark high court case of Mabo v. Queensland. The act was passed for the purpose of the recognition of the native title of the indigenous Australians. The act creates a system for the recognition and protection of indigenous people land rights. The basic principles of the acts are based on customs of the indigenous people and their right to common law. After the passing of this act there has been 27% titles of the native land had been determined as on 31stDecember 2014 (Cook, 2013). During the 1960s educators had a very respectable position in the society as they had the role to build the future of young children in the country. Courses related to teaching in the 1960s prepared new graduates to take teaching as a profession. In the last decade, the Australian government has taken the initiative to bring together states and territories to address educational polices for the indigenous society. The educators who have knowledge of the indigenous societies were embedded into the education systems to help the aboriginal students to achieve their educational goals. The educators of the indigenous communities of Australia for many decades have been demanding efficient resources in the classroom that will help the teachers to impart proper education in the indigenous children. For the proper development of social and economical security of Australia, it is very essential that quality teaching be provided to the children. The personal experience of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander is very essential to understand the basis of imparting education among children. It has been backed by facts that the most essential factor to make students achieve their goals is quality teaching. The educators of the indigenous community give the teachers resources to help them get accustomed to their history since colonization, and also to understand that this history has an important role to play in the performance of Aboriginal and Torres Island students (Tuck, McKENZIE McCOY, 2014). The low number of indigenous educators in Australia is hammering the education of the aboriginal students. The wide culture and native knowledge, these educators bring into the schools and the society provides great help for the indigenous students. Educators having knowledge of the native customs not only understand the indigenous students better but also the students tend to feel more comfortable around them. In the modern day the there are many issues which are acting as an obstacle between the indigenous students and education. There are only 0.7% aboriginal teachers in Australia. These teachers bring along with them a broad range of cultures into the surrounding society and the schools. The indigenous students are also suffering due to poverty and lack of educational infrastructure. Most of the indigenous parents cannot afford to send their children to schools. The government spends only 47 cents on the indigenous student education as compared to ever dollar spent on the students of modern Australia. Moreover, the indigenous students have a very strong bond with their indigenous community and they do not like to leave their native place for skilled education training (Day et al. 2015). The indigenous people had a very different style of primary education from what we have in the modern day. The children in the young age were not given books to read as a part of their education rather they were educated very practically by the indigenous people who also played the role of educators. The experience individuals of the indigenous society having knowledge about their land and environment took the responsibility to educated the children in their society (Price, 2015). These individuals had immense knowledge about their surroundings which they passed on to the next generation so that they learn how to preserve the values of the indigenous society. The children in the indigenous society did not choose their futures based on books they rather learnt through observation of what the adults use to do. Every group in the indigenous society had a different responsibility towards their land and water. The educators used to distinguish the children in the groups by observing them right from the primary stages. Thus, the child who had a good eye was to be a hunter, the one who was interested in stars was to be an astrologer; the child who took interest in herbs was to be a doctor (Bowes Grace, 2014). The land rights movement brought the indigenous Australian community even closer to their land, values and cultures. The strong bond between the indigenous community and their land is the foundation of the primary education received by the children. The indigenous Australian community imparts in their children the importance of land and nature. They are made aware of the ways to protect and conserve the environment and benefit from its sustainable use (Behrendt et al., 2012). Mathematics is thought to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by way of storytelling and by mathematics as a dance. If a reasonable relationship is created between students and mathematics, it can be observed as a cultural expression or a social construct. With this vision of mathematics, different cultural expression of mathematics come up in a similar fashion to music or art and allow students to express themselves through mathematics (Owens, 2015). The subject was thought to the indigenous students on the basis of what they see and observe in their surroundings. Mathematics was thought to the indigenous student by way of storytelling about their connection with the land, various fun events like dancing and playing and signifying the importance of land and its protection in such events. The land right movement was started by the indigenous community to get the hold they had on their land back. The government had assured them of powers and rights towards their land. They were given powers to control the mining activity, which occurred in Western Australia. They were also made entitled to royalty on mining. However, these powers were short lived and were soon taken away from them through the new model of land rights. The education system of the indigenous people was different to regular societies. They imparted primary education in their children practically and not theoretically. The teachers need to be made accustomed to the history of the indigenous people to and understand its impact on the performance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students. Teachers who are well accustomed with the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders will be very effective in imparting education among its children, which will eventually lead to their lifelong succes s. More the teachers understands the cultures of the indigenous community, the better will be the development of the students. The education in the field of English literacy and mathematics are the most important sectors in which development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is needed. 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