RECONCILIATION IN EDUCATION: GUIDE FOR SCHOOL AND SERVICE LEADERS
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WHAT DOES RECONCILIATION MEAN?
Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
The reconciliation movement began in 1991 when the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody presented its final report and recommendations to the Australian Parliament, including calling for a process of national reconciliation and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) was established. In 2001 Reconciliation Australia was established from recommendations of CAR’s final report.
In 2016 Reconciliation Australia developed a shared language around reconciliation with the Five Dimensions of Reconciliation:
• Race Relations,
• Equality and Equity,
• Institutional Integrity,
• Unity,
• Historical Acceptance.
Through these interrelated dimensions, opportunities for Truth-Telling and improved relationships between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous Australians can drive reconciliation in Australia.
can drive reconciliation in Australia.
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HOW CAN SCHOOL AND SERVICE LEADERS CHAMPION RECONCILIATION?
LEADING AND MODELLING RECONCILIATION
School and service leaders can model reconciliation by using respectful and inclusive terminology when connecting with all members of the school/service community, through written or verbal communications. This helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel culturally safe and included, and models best practice to all children, students and staff. Relationships can be strengthened with respectful terminology – and partnerships can be damaged just as easily.
To create an education environment that has authentic and meaningful actions for reconciliation in place, school and service leaders must prioritise time and budgets to ensure that staff are afforded the training, resources and release time to responsively engage with reconciliation learning and activities.
To make sure First Nations’ voices and perspectives are informing process and practice, school and service leaders can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Representation on Committees and school/service governance structures. Another way to drive the development and implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and retention strategies within your school or service.
HOW CAN YOU DRIVE RECONCILIATION?
- Connect with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principals Association (NATSIPA) to learn about First Nations education leaders and how to best support reconciliation in education and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students.
- School and service leaders can ensure all staff are aware of school or service policies that are inclusive and refer specifically to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students and increasing knowledge of, and respect for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in Australia. Effective leaders of reconciliation have sustainable plans in place to ensure all staff are supported to comply with these policies in their daily practice.
- Engage with professional reading and research about reconciliation in education. AITSL’s Collaborate: Reconciliation in education: What we know and where we need to go (March 2023) article states “There is a clear and urgent need for early and ongoing exposure to reconciliation activities in order to combat racism and racial discrimination” and “schools as microcosms of social realities have the potential to change social attitudes gradually, including those about diversity, culture and race”. ACECQA’s resource Talking About Practice: Exploring Reconciliation in Early Childhood Practice, offers information and questions for service leaders to reflect on when driving reconciliation in early learning settings.
- Encourage staff to engage in the development and ongoing implementation of the school or services Reconciliation Action Plan and as a leader to drive reconciliation, be actively represented on the school or service’s RAP Working Group to ensure executive-level buy in, and commitment to, the reconciliation process.
- Continuously engage with the resources and RAP development process on the Narragunnawali platform to proactively consider how these can meaningfully connect with, and complement, other whole-school/service planning and priorities, and support your school or service to meet national professional/quality standards.
- Demonstrate leadership within the reconciliation-in-education movement by supporting the continual refreshment of your school or service’s RAP through time, and applying for the Narragunnawali Awards. Through this process, make sure to purposefully monitor and evaluate your school or service’s RAP progress.
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WHY IS RECONCILIATION IN EDUCATION IMPORTANT?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Historically, the formal education system in Australia has served as a tool of colonisation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, pedagogies and perspectives have been systematically excluded from, and silenced within, mainstream education institutions, policies and frameworks. As a result, generations of Australians have grown up with an inadequate understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and very limited awareness of the true histories of Australia.
Researching First Nations peoples’ early experiences of non-Indigenous education approaches and systems can help school and service leaders understand the hesitancy, discomfort and distrust some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel toward educational institutions. For a brief introductory example, educators can engage with this NSW timeline from NESA or this national perspective from AITSL.
The Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education program supports all people who work under the education umbrella to engage with reconciliation in schools and services across Australia. The Narragunnawali platform provides tools and professional learning and curriculum resources to assist in driving reconciliation in education.
Impact of reconciliation in education
Reconciliation in education supports whole-scale approaches to wellbeing frameworks. AITSL’s Spotlight Wellbeing in Australian Schools (March 2022) states ‘There is a clear expectation that schools, systems and sectors should make wellbeing as important an issue as literacy and numeracy. This assumes a whole-school community approach where everyone shares ownership for fostering wellbeing’.
From findings in the Longitudinal Survey of Indigenous Children (LSIC), the external Evaluation of Narragunnawali has highlighted that students who attend schools that their parents know have a RAP are:
- Less likely to be reported to not want to go to school
- More likely to be reported as attending a school that understands their needs
- More likely to say that their school is good for them.
That is, “the results from the LSIC give prima facie evidence that the presence of a RAP in a school leads to better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children” [ibid]. More generally, in analysing RAP Reflection Survey data through time, there is also a very strong indication that “having a RAP is associated with an increase in regularly and confidently incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, perspectives and contemporary issues into curriculum planning and teaching”.
This demonstrates the very important role of the education system - and school and service leaders’ roles within it - in both:
- Giving young Australians the skills and insight to make a direct and informed contribution to the reconciliation process
- Encouraging teachers, educators and adult learners to critically engage in their own ongoing learning, ‘un-learning’ and ‘re-learning’ about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
According to The Importance of Reconciliation in Education literature review (2019), there are many diverse positive effects of reconciliation Including greater social interaction, reduced stress, improved productivity, and more positive views about society. Programs focused on reconciliation in education, such as Narragunnawali, support such positive effects.
The external Evaluation of Narragunnawali found those engaged with Narragunnawali feel that it has “increased [their] confidence in addressing reconciliation and driving meaningful change within their schools and early learning services. Engaging with Narragunnawali provides a formalised means of delivering students, staff and families with regular opportunities to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Engagement with Narragunnawali also encouraged the forging of new relationships between schools and services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities”.
Learn more:
- Narragunnawali – Evaluation and Impact
- The State of Reconciliation in Australia (2016 and 2021 reports)
- Australian Reconciliation Barometer (2022 report)
- The Importance of Reconciliation in Education literature review
- Reconciliation in education: What we know and where we need to go Collaborate article
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WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AROUND RECONCILIATION IN EDUCATION?
Educating children and students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, histories, and contributions strengthens relationships between non-Indigenous and First Nations peoples, promotes wellbeing and drives reconciliation in Australia.
Mparntwe Education Declaration
Building on the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, the 2019 Mparntwe Education Declaration specifically states that “Australian Governments commit to working in collaboration with the education community to support all young Australians to become…active and informed members of the community…who possess the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and benefit from, reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians”. School and service leaders have a key role, within education systems and settings, and in partnership with young Australians, families and carers, and the broader community, to advance such Goals towards reconciliation in education.
National Quality Standard (NQS)
The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a high benchmark for early childhood education and care services. The NQS encompasses 7 Quality Areas (each with aligned Standards and Elements) to guide professional practice for early learning directors, service leaders and educators. NQS Quality Area 6 asks directors, service leaders and educators to make connections and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It’s also important to recognise that reconciliation and engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and perspectives are also relevant to all other Quality Areas. For example, there are interrelationships right across from Quality Area 1, which recognises the link between curriculum decision-making and community connections, through into Quality Area 7, which points to the importance of good governance and leadership in the reconciliation process.
Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and My Time, Our Place
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and My Time, Our Place Framework similarly requires directors, service leaders and educators in early childhood education and care settings to actively acknowledge the histories, cultures, languages, traditions, child rearing practices and lifestyle choices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. This is evident across multiple principles, practices and outcomes within both frameworks, such as the ‘Cultural Responsiveness’ outcome, and the ‘Respect for Diversity’ and ‘Equity, Inclusion and High Expectations’ principles. It is specifically addressed in the ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives’ principle and is also reflected in the overarching vision for children’s learning in the EYLF and MTOP whereby “All children engage in learning that promotes confident and creative individuals and successful lifelong learners. All children are active and informed members of their communities with knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.”
Australian Professional Standards for Principals
The Australian Professional Standard for Principals states all “principals have the responsibility to work with members of the school community to ensure a knowledge and understanding of the traditional rights, beliefs and culture of Australia’s Indigenous peoples”. Effective principals and school leaders see a focus on reconciliation, including one’s own ongoing learning, unlearning and relearning, as central to their professional lives. Professional responsibility to promote and lead reconciliation begins in early childhood education and care services, through primary and secondary years and into tertiary education and beyond into the workplace. Principals and school leaders are the leading educational professionals in the school. They inspire students, staff and members of the community to continuously to understand and drive reconciliation between non-Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
There are five Professional Practices particular to the role of the principal. Understanding, modelling and driving reconciliation applies to each, but is most integral in Professional Practice: Engaging and working with the community, where it specifies [principals] ‘foster understanding and reconciliation with Indigenous cultures’. Through this Professional Practice, principals lead an inclusive curriculum and school culture that promotes understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages. This includes a focus on wellbeing, reciprocal relationships with community to ensure respectful consultation and engagement, working with a strengths-based approach to promote high expectations and achievement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
It is important school and service leaders understand the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers so they can support educators to have maximum impact on the educational experiences and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous learners alike.
Focus Area 1.4 ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ requires teachers to purposefully provide pedagogical classroom and learning environment strategies as best practice for teaching First Nations children and students, to design and implement effective teaching strategies that are responsive to the local community and cultural setting, linguistic background and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students.
Focus Area 2.4 ‘Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’ requires educators provide opportunities for both First Nation and non-Indigenous children and students to develop understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
Australian Curriculum
Throughout the Australian Curriculum’s eight learning areas and seven general capabilities are three cross curriculum priorities. Through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority, the Australian Curriculum reminds principals and school leaders that curriculum planning at their school must provide opportunities for all students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by learning about the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority enables schools to engage with First Nations peoples’ knowledges, experiences, values and perspectives. Through the successful implementation of these curriculum requirements, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will positively see themselves and their cultures reflected in their learning, and all students will appreciate that First Nations communities in Australia are strong, resilient, rich, and diverse.
The standards and frameworks above align with, and support, wider (inter)national policies and agreements, such as the Closing the Gap targets relating to Education and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. See the information, ideas and resources within the Inclusive Policies and Curriculum Planning RAP Action pages on the Narragunnawali platform for additional support.
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WHAT IS CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS?
School and service leaders network and collaborate with a wide range of people to secure the best possible learning outcomes and wellbeing of all children and students. They must be skilled at establishing and maintaining professional relationships and structures. To work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous communities, colleagues, students, and families effectively and drive a stronger future of reconciliation in and through education, school and service leaders must understand and commit to establishing culturally safe and responsive learning environments and experiences for all.
According to the final report of AITSL’s Building a culturally responsive Australian teaching workforce project, all [people who work in education] “play a formative role in the lives of all Australian children – and so it is incumbent on each of us to advance the important work of reconciliation. We must be prepared to have uncomfortable conversations, to reflect on our unconscious biases, to acknowledge the great wrongs that occurred in our past, and to challenge ourselves to work towards a better future.” AITSL’s Indigenous cultural responsiveness toolkit provides school and service leaders and educators with an Indigenous cultural responsiveness self-reflection tool, which can be used alongside an Indigenous cultural responsiveness framework and continuum to critically reflect on their current awareness, attitudes and assumptions in relation to personal culture and identity, and to carve out a pathway forward on the otherwise non-linear and lifelong journey of building cultural responsiveness.
Given the importance of cultural responsiveness to reconciliation, and vice versa, it is essential that school and service leaders commit to a focus on cultural responsiveness as part of their ongoing personal and professional development, and reconciliation journey. Understanding the term positionality and how cultural identity, life experiences and the lens you view the world through influence the way you lead, role-model and share knowledge. Reading critically and widely, and engaging with diverse media, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authored texts and engaging in Truth-telling opportunities within one’s local area are some great ways to understand and enact the continuing commitment to reconciliation and the professional practice obligations for school and service leaders. Learning about local cultural protocols and children and students' individual cultural identities, expressions, and preferences can help support behaviour management relationships and high expectationsFurthermore, from a wellbeing and relationships perspective, consider engaging with the Be You resource Reflect, Respect, Respond: Protocols for culturally respectful engagement with First Nations communities to assist with authentic and respectful relationship building.
For further guidance see the information, ideas and resources within the following RAP Action pages on the Narragunnawali platform and watch the Narragunnawali Cultural Responsiveness for Staff RAP Action video:
Cultural Responsiveness for Students and Children
Elders and Traditional Owners Share Histories and Cultures
Take Action Against Racism -
WHAT ARE RECONCILIATION ACTION PLANS (RAPs)?
It is the role of school and service leaders to drive reconciliation and whole-scale change within the school or service setting to enable positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children and students.
Driving whole-scale reconciliation in schools or services ensures First Nations’ voices, perspectives and content are included in culturally responsive ways. School and service leaders can drive a holistic, sustainable approach to reconciliation by developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). A RAP is a formal commitment to reconciliation. It documents how schools or services will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities not only in the classroom or learning environment (teaching and learning), but also around the school or service (the philosophy and activities within the wider school/service environment) and with the community (the partnerships that extend beyond the school or service gates). Schools and services can develop a RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register and extend on existing initiatives, or to begin their reconciliation journeys. To learn more about the Narragunnawali RAP development process, visit What is a RAP?
Watch Reconciliation Australia's video about developing RAPs in schools and services:
Check out the Who has a RAP? map as a stimulus for establishing and engaging in wider professional learning and reconciliation networks with other school and service leaders in your local area or sector.
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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN DRIVING RECONCILIATION?
When driving reconciliation in your school or service, and enacting cultural responsiveness, it is important to critically consider your positionality and role as an education leader. That is, how to best support First Nations and non-Indigenous staff, children and students.
When developing policies, planning and events with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, and when interacting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, families and communities, always follow advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in the community. While neither prescriptive nor exhaustive, the considerations below may also be useful.
Acknowledgement of Country
A Welcome to Country is a formal welcome onto Land. Only Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with permission from Traditional Owners, can welcome visitors to their Country. An Acknowledgment of Country shows respect for the Traditional Owners. Non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are connected to another place can give an Acknowledgement of Country.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students need to feel they belong in a school or service community and educators must provide opportunities for them to participate in culture. However, when organising activities such as an Acknowledgement of Country, don’t expect every First Nations child or student to know how or want to present or talk publicly about cultures, families, histories or issues. Continue to check in and offer the opportunity to build on their strengths and ability to participate in extracurricular activities. It is both appropriate and essential to reconciliation to involve non-Indigenous children and students in acknowledging Country too, as a sign of respect to their First Nations peers and wider local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Cultural representation
If you are organising a meeting with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, student or family, always provide opportunities for a cultural representative to be present. For example, Indigenous Education Workers or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education/Liaison Officers can work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, students and families to support in these meetings. Having inclusive practices in place will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, students and families and help build positive and respectful relationships. As part of the leadership team at your learning environment if there is no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander representatives, consider the opportunity to fill this need in your staffing and create identified positions. It is at the discretion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families if they would like a cultural representative and allow flexibility for families to bring external support like family, sister, friend etc.
Gender roles In education settings, our understanding of ‘gender roles’ is predominantly a Western understanding. In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, there are specific practices for specific gender roles. This includes Women’s Business and Men’s Business. An example of this is the use of the Didgeridoo or Yidaki, being a male only instrument, which can mean some First Nations women will refuse to handle the instrument. Be respectful and sensitive around specific gender-based cultural protocols – asking first is always best practice. Language There are over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages (not one ‘Aboriginal Language’) across Australia. There are cultural protocols for teaching, learning or using Language both on and off Country. Consult with your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community and/or Language and Cultural Centre for guidance on understanding and actively respecting these protocols. Colonisation and past policies of assimilation, including systemic condemnation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language use and forced separation of children from their families, have impacted on the practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Some languages are being revitalised and Elders hold knowledge not ready to be shared. Not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know their traditional language; be sensitive and considerate for communities whose Languages might be endangered, or 'sleeping'.
For further guidance, see the Narragunnawali Languages Resource Guide, the Talking the Walk webinar, and wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages RAP Action.Remember also to focus on using respectful and inclusive language and terminology more generally, in all policies and communications.
Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community engagement Having respectful reciprocal relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members is critical to establishing school as a place of belonging and relevance for First Nations learners. When school and service leaders acknowledge the histories and contributions of the community and respect their role in the lives and development of children and students, they provide warm and culturally safe learning environments. Education leaders must also value the learning that happens out of the classroom or learning environment and on Country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers and community members can support a collaborative approach to teaching and learning which successfully in engages First Nations and non-Indigenous children and students. See the Build Relationships with Community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Classroom RAP Actions and always factor into budgets remuneration for community consultation, facilitation, etc. Remember that different families may have different experiences, values and cultural beliefs, even if they are from the same community, so it can be important to engage with diverse people and perspectives. Always be mindful of cultural load when engaging with community especially around significant dates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. National Anthem and Australia Day Never force Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children or students to sing the Australian National Anthem if they don’t want to. Also understand the cultural, historical, personal, and emotional complexities regarding celebrating Australia Day/Invasion Day on January 26 for First Nations peoples. Keep this consideration in mind when engaging with the Teach about Days of National Significance and Celebrate Days of National Significance RAP Actions.
Relationships and high expectations Effective leaders build positive relationships and make authentic connections. Show interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students’ lives and listen when they talk about their own identity, experience and perspective, but do not single out, or expect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children or students to share their experiences or speak on behalf of all First Nations people. Demonstrate a willingness to negotiate and allow for flexibility around behaviour management strategies. Conflict can be inflamed by inflexibility and calmed through understanding and transparency. Include the cultural needs and interests of your learners when supporting behaviour.
Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and children to be involved in planning activities to include diverse ways of knowing and learning. Show confidence in First Nations children and students as learners (and as leaders) and set co-constructed high and attainable learning goals. Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and students to (safely) provide feedback on the school’s curriculum and its delivery.
Sorry Business Sometimes when someone passes away in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the whole community comes together to grieve through a process of cultural practices called Sorry Business. Know that Sorry Business may impact on the school or service’s timeline and allow for understanding and empathy during assessment schedules and implementation of school policies. Discuss matters with curriculum lead teachers on how to best support First Nations children and students during this time. Stereotyped portrayals Not every resource in the school or service library may be appropriate or culturally responsive to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children or students. See the Evaluating Resources Guide for further considerations about representation and resource reviews and audits. Tokenism Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities and ways of knowing, being and doing are complex and diverse. Even if planning meaningful and respectful school or service events, a standalone activity (like in a yarning circle) does not always represent a holistic or ‘authentic’ experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, pedagogies and perspectives. Leaders must contextualise both opportunities and limitations of a given activity and ensure that children and students are exposed to a range of other learning experiences relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions. See the Tackling Tokenism professional learning resource on the Narragunnawali platform for additional strategies. Traditional cultural and creative expression Traditional dance techniques and dance stories are gifted by Elders and knowledge holders and not all First Nations or non-Indigenous children and students are permitted to engage with or perform these. They should never be performed or presented in a tokenistic way and respect must be shown for all performers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children or students, who are dancing and sharing their culture not just for entertainment. See the Narragunnawali Dance Resource Guide for further guiding advice.
School and service leaders must be aware that traditional and continuing or contemporary visual art practices vary across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations. Art is storytelling, it teaches morals, social order and Lore, and some stories are sacred to local places and communities. Artmaking styles should not be appropriated and leaders should consider Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights (ICIP) when purchasing authentic resources for their schools or services. See the Visual Arts Resource Guide and wider RAP Action for further guiding advice.Truth-Telling When including potentially sensitive content in communications and/or curriculum, such as discussing Frontier Wars or massacre sites, be mindful and approach these with compassion, caution, and with attention to age, stage, and cultural appropriateness. Include trigger warnings and always support First Nations children, students, families and communities prior, during and after the event. When talking about historical events, use the principles of Truth-telling to guide you. Students, children and families may be directly or indirectly affected by historical and intergenerational traumas such as Stolen Generations experiences. Engaging in conversations or activities relating to such experiences can be confronting and (re)traumatising and school and leaders must create a school or service environment that provides cultural safety and respect. Other examples of topics that require leaders to consider with caution are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody, Native Title and Land Rights, Racism, and local and systemic inequalities and inequities. Warnings and disclaimers
In some First Nations communities, hearing recordings, seeing images or the names of deceased persons may cause sadness or distress and sometimes offend against strongly held cultural prohibitions. Always use warnings and disclaimers when presenting images or speaking the name of deceased peoples. Include trigger warnings and always support First Nations children, students, families and communities prior, during and after events or communications that include potential sensitive content. Warnings and disclaimer protocols are diverse, research the local context to find suitable protocols, for example naming protocols differ across Countries and clans. -
ADDITIONAL GUIDES
If your school or service already has a Reconciliation Action Plan, consider how the Reconciliation Teacher Toolkit could support teachers (and wider staff who may not be on the RAP Working Group) to understand and contribute to the implementation of your RAP commitments. Staff Engagement with RAP is one of the minimally required Actions within the Narragunnawali RAP framework, and all RAP Actions are supported by a suite of aligned professional learning resources for all staff to engage with. Staff are also encouraged to consider how the RAP Action-aligned curriculum resources can further add meaning to your reconciliation journey and for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous students and children in your education setting.
The Narragunnawali platform has a suite of guides to assist all members of the community to engage in reconciliation, in addition to this Guide to Leading Reconciliation in Education. These resources can assist school and service leaders to inform and communicate their school or service’s reconciliation journey and provide information and supporting resources for parents and carers, First Nations community members, children and students
This Reconciliation in Education: Guide for School and Service Leaders has been developed to use with additional support resources found in the Reconciliation Leader Toolkit.