Family Supporting Schools Brisbane Schools Tuesday 1 December 2009

Relationships Building and maintaining relationships with your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community is no different from building and maintaining relationship with any other education interest group or stakeholder. This requires an approach of equality and respect, good listening skills, clear communication, and a commitment to a productive, ongoing relationship with the community and parents.

Relationships Journey 2. Relationship 3. Partnership 1. Conversation

Relationship Processes Listen and reach out to community Yarning Build trust and respect Value Community and their input Follow through Inform community

Four Stages This project proposes four (4) stages to building and maintaining relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and communities, consisting of a preparatory stage and three levels of engagement. These four stages are: Acknowledge, identify and recognise your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community; Making introductions; Maintaining communication; and Building positive relationships.

Stage One Key ElementGoalSuggested Strategies Acknowledge, identify and recognise your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community To identify and recognise the school’s local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. To identify opportunities for acknowledgement of the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.  Examine the level of awareness and understanding of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community within school personnel. Consider the following: o Staff perceptions of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. o Community perceptions of the school and schooling. o School-community profile – historical, socio-cultural, economic factors.  Scan/audit the range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups within the local community.  Identify key resource people to facilitate communication.  Utilise local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to conduct cultural awareness activities with school staff.

Stage Two Key ElementGoalSuggested Strategies Making introductions To establish a relationship with the school’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.  Establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education committee/reference group.  Appoint an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community liaison officer.  Engage community members and organisations in the planning, development and implementation of school programs.  Utilise social and informal activities for meeting with parents and community.

Stage Three Key ElementGoalSuggested Strategies Maintaining communication To enhance the level of participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in school activities.  Develop a school-community engagement plan that identifies opportunities and enablers for increased community involvement.  Align school practice with National and State policy directions, e.g. learning partnerships, community-based learning.  Undertake a skills audit of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community – develop a school-community resource database based on skills and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and agencies.  Maintain a range of ongoing communication processes with parents and community members.

Stage Four Key ElementGoalSuggested Strategies Building positive relationships To recognise the value of working collaboratively and in partnership to support educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.  Identify areas of mutual concern through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education committee/reference group - generate strategies to address these.  Develop strategic alliances or linkages with community agencies and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.  Establish school-community support networks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

General Strategies There is a range of activities that schools and their staff can utilise in engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; the following general strategies may be of assistance. Utilise Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community members as guest speakers who address specific topic areas in school curriculum, e.g. justice, health, housing, education, spirituality, etc. Acknowledge Elders and traditional custodians of the local area in school/community ceremonies and events. Undertake a skills audit of the wider school-community – use this as a basis for mentoring programs, guest speakers and other resource persons that can support school activities, e.g. cultural talks, artist-in-residence; writer-in-residence programs, storytelling, etc. Conduct social-cultural events for students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community, e.g. BBQs, Morning Teas. Involve local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in cultural awareness activities for school staff – staff induction programs include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community induction component. Involve parents and community members in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural celebrations, e.g. NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, and Harmony Day.

General Strategies Encourage a close liaison between the Parents and Citizens Association and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parent committees – develop joint initiatives/projects. Establish school-community mentoring programs that enhance the skills of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the areas of social, cultural, sporting and academic endeavours. Explore the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander history of your school-community with parents and/or members of the local community. In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, develop a community-based cultural trail or visit local/regional cultural sites. Collaborate with community members and/or community organisations to research and document the oral histories of the local/regional community. Undertake a Reconciliation Learning Circle program within the school community with Elders and other respected persons as key figures. Incorporate community members, especially Elders and community organisations as community-based approaches to provide mentoring and role models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Committee to oversee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues within the school-community, e.g. IESIP, literacy and numeracy, behaviour management, social justice, etc. Implement an Adopt-an-Elder program.

References and Further Reading Board of Studies NSW (2001) Working with Aboriginal Communities: A Guide to Community Consultation and Protocols. Board of Studies NSW: Sydney. Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (1994) Improving Relationships: Better Relationships between Indigenous Australians and the Wider Community. Key Issue Paper No. 2. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service (AGPS). Curriculum Corporation (2001) Community Matters: Working with Diversity and Wellbeing. Curriculum Corporation: Canberra. Department of Families, Youth and Community Care (1997) Aboriginal Protocols. Queensland Government Printing Service: Brisbane. Department of Families, Youth and Community Care (1997) Mina mir lo ailan mun Proper communication with Torres Strait Islander people. Queensland Government Printing Service: Brisbane. Education Queensland (2000). Partners for success strategy for the continuous improvement of educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Education Queensland. Queensland Government Printing Service: Brisbane. Harslett, M., Harrison, B., Godfrey, J., Partington, G. and Richer, K. (2000) Indigenous Parent Participation in School Education. Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. Heslop, J (1998) Making the School Relevant: Schools and Community in Partnership. In G Partington (Ed.) Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. Social Science Press, Katoomba. McRae, D., Ainsworth, G., Cumming, J., Hughes, P., Mackay, T., Price, K., Rowland, M., Warhurst, J., Woods, D. & Zbar, V. (2000) What Works? Explorations in Improving Outcomes for Indigenous Students. Australian Curriculum Studies Association and National Curriculum Services: Canberra. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (1996) A National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1996–2002. Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra. Munns, G. (1998). ‘They just can’t hack that’: Aboriginal students, their teachers and responses to schools and classrooms, in Partington, G. (Ed.) Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. Katoomba: Social Science Press. National Board of Employment, Education and Training (1995). Meeting the needs of Aboriginal adolescents – Commissioned report No. 35. Canberra: National Board of Employment, Education and Training. Purdie, N., Boulton-Lewis, G., Fanshawe, J. Tripcony, P. Price, K & Gunston, A. (2000) Positive Self-Identity for Indigenous Students and its Relationship to School Outcomes: Final Report. Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs: Canberra. Schwab, R. and Sutherland, D. (2001) Building Indigenous learning communities. Research Paper 225. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, Canberra.