Home/Stories and news/Being, Becoming and Belonging: Indigenous Knowledges in Early Learning
Being, Becoming and Belonging: Indigenous Knowledges in Early Learning
ACARA states: ‘There is no excuse for not getting started’ (n. d.). This is true, particularly within colonised, hierarchical systems such as the Australian Government Departments of Education. In such systems, change begins at the top and needs to be embedded at every level of policy reform, however gaps between management tiers within hierarchical systems can disrupt best intentions in action.
These gaps exist as curriculum reforms are reliant on individuals apportioning importance and value to these changes, and there exist tiers of management who resist change and remain stagnant preventing the curriculum reforms from becoming reality. The provision of time for teachers within their allocated working hours to address the gaps between policy, curriculum and practice are rare.
Teaching is political and yet, teachers – being at the lowest tier of the hierarchy – are susceptible to blame for the lack of implementation of Government reforms. Unless school leaders/managers are cognisant of what is needed to get ‘started’ and actively support the implementation of Indigenous knowledge in curriculum, teachers remain unsupported and left to conduct this work in their own time.
This perpetuates highly variable interpretations of what is taught, creating inconsistent approaches to curriculum imperatives, inequitable and randomised learning outcomes for children which are often reliant on the ‘passion’ of the teacher for embedding Indigenous knowledge in practice. Children’s teaching and learning about Indigenous Knowledge is currently based on ‘the luck of the draw.’
All children have a right to know about the land they are on, to learn about First Nations cultures, languages, histories, knowledge systems, education and peoples.
Our aim is for all children to grow up with a secure sense of Belonging, Being and Becoming. Denying children the right to know and understand the history of Country, the communities and systems they live within is dishonest and can be alienating.
When teacher’s prioritise critical reflective practices, which unpack existing biases and understanding of First Nations knowledges they are getting started, when they ensure First Nations knowledges are number one on the agenda for curriculum reform, philosophy updates, child safe standards, compliance and professional development, they are starting to make a change within their teams, when they bring management’s attention to this, they are making changes across their organisation.
Children will lead the way if they have the knowledge, confidence and curiosity which comes from a strong sense of belonging:
The manager of the ELC invests her own time developing relationships with Boonwurrung Elders to create programs reflecting two-way learning, knowing the value and significance of First Nations knowledge for children. She writes: It is the first day of primary school for the ELC children. The teacher asks children to sit in front of the whiteboard, legs crossed so that everyone has space to sit comfortably. The teacher begins the first lesson of the day.
A child says, ‘You cannot start until everyone has Acknowledged the land, we have to thank the Boonwurrung people.’ The children showed their teacher what to do, and they sang the Acknowledgement together. It became part of daily practice, a partnership between the Primary and ELC environments and the beginning of change across the school environment and wider community.
When Indigenous Knowledge is valued as a curriculum priority, the necessary time and resources afforded to teachers will promote a wholistic approach to education.
Systemic change must facilitate processes which demonstrate societies value for and inclusion of Indigenous knowledges in curriculum – we all benefit from learning more about the importance, beauty and wonders of this ancient nation and the knowledge, culture and stories of its enduring owners – there is so much to learn.
Discussion after attending a DET Teaching Network Meeting
In early years education, where program plans are based on the interests of children, a high number of First Nations Early Childhood Intervention Practitioners (ECIP) experience a lack of cultural safety when presenting at the Department of Education and Training (DET) Teacher Network Meetings across Victoria.
DET facilitators typically fail to introduce ECIPs, acknowledge the work they are doing in partnership with kindergartens and schools, and provide less than 5 minutes for ECIPs to discuss their processes, services and resources designed to support teachers when integrating Indigenous Knowledge into programs, curriculum and practice.
The ECIPs are experts in this space, but the link between the services and the enormous benefits provided by the ECIPs is rarely made. In this instance, the modelling and messaging to educators attending network meetings undermines the efforts of First Nations providers to make an impact and develop relationships with services.
What Government Departments fail to understand is that First Nations people ‘started’ educating and caring for children over 60,000 years ago, within systems which demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of education and wellbeing for everyone and everything within their community. When we begin to understand this and think carefully about how best to educate and care for children and families, we have over 60,000 years of evidence to draw from.
Reflection
What are the complexities of embedding Indigenous Knowledge for you and how do they show up in your practice? Do you need more knowledge, or your organisations support for initiatives, or do your colleagues need to come on board… list the complexities. Think about what was missing from your education or teacher training? What are your beliefs? Get curious!
Expand on this practice example:
We went on an excursion to Science Works and learnt about the Emu in the Sky, looking at the spaces in between the stars to identify the constellation.
Followed up with some online research about First Nations astronomy and asked children to look for the Emu in the night sky with their families – it would appear as standing up or running during this season!
Found a children’s book by a First Nations author about the stars and links to songlines and major highway systems…
What could you do next?
Lovell, M. (2024). What’s racial literacy got to do with decolonising the curriculum? Non-Aboriginal teachers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Curric Perspect 44, 91–95 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00245-y
Contributor Bio
Dr Rachel Pollitt, Research Fellow
Rachel is an early year’s consultant, writer and researcher actively working with educators to explore and facilitate play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early years education. She works with leadership teams to promote teaching practice, curriculum development and pedagogy, critical thinking and the provision of professional learning for growth.
Rachel values Indigenous Knowledge in programs, practices and pedagogies, the development of ethical reasoning skills and respect for and an awareness of the diversity of human experiences. She works alongside many First Nations colleagues, companies and communities for curriculum reform and positive change, believing that evidence-based knowledge, communication and relationships are the foundation for all aspects of professional growth and meaningful change in education.
Learn more about Rachel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-pollitt-8b789a14b/
Are you an educator or school with a story to share about how you are incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cultures, histories, perspectives and knowledges into Australian education? We'd love to from you! Please get in touch with us via email.
