Common Themes and Priorities identified by the National Indigenous Education and Boarding Symposium workshop groups

Summary Funding for Indigenous boarding The following are the key themes and priorities from the workshops held at National Indigenous Education and Boarding Symposium: Funding for Indigenous boarding High quality mandatory national boarding standard Transition processes Boarding workforce development and training Student health and wellbeing Community engagement incorporating cultural practices Cross sector partnerships and communication These themes and priorities, expanded in the following slides, were identified as issues for further exploration and action. They were presented in the final session of the Symposium.

Funding for Indigenous boarding ABSTUDY - defining it as educational not welfare Equity of outcome, current distribution of resources is inequitable, this needs to be considered in order to obtain equitable outcomes for all Funding needs to be student centred and needs based Look at current funding in sector and ensure that there is appropriate provision for all not just some.

High quality mandatory national boarding standard Independently reviewed Self assessment not sufficient Should incorporate peer review and external oversight Formal governance The current document must be reviewed in light of the knowledge currently available, regarding risk etc, within the document there must be a section that specifically addresses Indigenous boarding and scholarship. Establishing a National Indigenous Education and Boarding group to develop a National Framework. 

Transition processes from community to boarding and also returning to community after boarding Culture shock upon leaving Maintaining Cultural connectedness- essential not negotiable Assisting with the transition process back to community Child safety in travel to and from Boarding Need to consider the impact of exclusions.  

Boarding workforce development and training Professionalising the workforce and industry (in-service and pre-service) Minimum Cert 4 and be working towards a diploma Staff development always with cultural competency at the centre Qualifications for the leadership roles as it is a key component Appropriate remuneration to attract and retain suitably qualified staff Essential that there is qualified and trained Indigenous staff within Boarding Increasing the number of qualified and trained Indigenous staff Trauma informed training is necessary.

Student health and wellbeing Knowing the history of the student and having appropriate medical and trauma informed care processes: What’s the best practice of information sharing? Medical history Social, family, community history FASD diagnoses Health: having accessibility to health services to deal with medical conditions and understand the social determinants of Indigenous health All ties in to boarding and schools being prepared and ready to home and educate the children coming from a remote community Child wellbeing services Emphasising and listening to the student voice! Action - Tap into the national mental health framework that will be released Life changing education, creating opportunities beyond schooling Having child safe policies, going beyond policy to nurture student wellbeing Child safety in travel to and from boarding.  

Increasing community engagement incorporating more cultural practices into boarding and education Importance of culture and language Increased governance by Indigenous communities and families within education and boarding Community voice must be captured, respected, listened to and enacted upon In order for change to occur the industry must work collaboratively together, in the interest of the child, not the organisation’s incentives Cultural competency and awareness training and evaluation within all sectors is essential  

Cross sector partnerships and communication All sectors collaborate with a student based focus Partnerships and information being shared between parents, teachers, community knowledge, students and boarding Information sharing protocols established so boarding providers have full information  

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