Koorie Education

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to support schools in providing quality and meaningful education to Koorie students, where Koorie students engage fully in their schooling years, and gain the knowledge and skills to excel at year 12 or its equivalent.

A note on terminology used

The term Koorie is used inclusively and refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria. The Department of Education and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), use the term throughout education documentation.

Koorie is a contemporary collective group term and may not be familiar to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As such, it is important to be respectful of how individual students, their families and community refer to themselves, and use this to guide the language used when referring to individuals or Community.

Terms such as Aboriginal, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous and First Nations Peoples are also commonly used in teaching and learning resources and practice guidance.

Details

Schools are expected to:

• work in partnership with the local Koorie community to develop place-based approaches to improving student outcomes
• support the development of high expectations and individualised learning for Koorie students
• ensure all Koorie students have an individual education plan
• create a learning environment for all students that acknowledges, respects and values Koorie cultures and identities
• view success for their Koorie students as core business.

Schools are also recommended to:

• reflect on current practice
• plan how to implement actions that strengthen self-determination
• plan for and implement actions that improve experiences and outcomes for Koorie learners.

For more information, refer to the Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education guidance chapter.

Background

Consistent with the principle of self-determination, Marrung: Aboriginal Education Plan 2016 to 2026 (Marrung) was developed in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI). Strong partnerships with the Koorie community will be the foundation for achieving outcomes for Koorie students in Victoria.

Programs, actions and reforms

Programs, actions, and reforms under Marrung include:

• Campfire Conversations and the Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report (PDF). For more information, refer to the Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education guidance chapter
• the Koorie literacy and numeracy program which are designed to support Koorie students in Victorian government schools to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes. This includes the extended Koorie Literacy and Numeracy program for Koorie students not meeting year 3 reading and numeracy benchmarks in years 4, 5 and 6
• Community Understanding and Safety Training (CUST) which empowers school staff to foster culturally inclusive environments that enhance Koorie students’ wellbeing
• guidance for schools on meeting the requirements of Child Safe Standard 1 – establishing a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued
• creating a school action plan for Aboriginal Learning, Wellbeing and Safety (DOCX)
• the department working with schools with high Koorie absences and sharing effective practice
• a review of the Koorie Academy of Excellence and exploring opportunities to roll out an expanded model across the 4 department regions
• supporting schools to use Individual Education Plans, including trialling Koorie student and family support plans through the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO)
• undertaking research to identify factors that contribute to academic achievement (including higher NAPLAN and ATAR score) and implementing supporting strategies
• Marrung education scholarships for high achieving Aboriginal students studying years 11 and 12 in government schools.

Koorie Education Workforce

The Koorie Education Workforce assist early years services and schools by providing guidance to enhance cultural inclusion practices, and to support the engagement, attendance, wellbeing and achievement of Koorie learners.

Koorie Education Managers

In Victoria there are 4 Koorie Education Managers (KEMs), one in each region, who work collaboratively to ensure delivery of consistently high quality and culturally inclusive practices across education settings for all learners. KEMs lead cohesive, consistent and strategic implementation of Koorie Education priorities and provide programmatic and cross portfolio oversight and expertise in their region supporting learners from 0 to 18 years.

The KEM supports contextually informed and evidence based practice to be embedded, and facilitates constructive relationships and collaborative networks through effective consultation, governance and in partnership with Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups and other community agencies, government departments and local communities to support improved student learning outcomes for all Koorie learners.

Koorie Education Coordinators

Koorie Education Coordinators (KECs) lead consistent area-based coordination and provision of support to early years services and schools from the regional Koorie Education Workforce through multi-disciplinary area teams. Early years’ service providers, schools, parents and community can obtain assistance with Koorie cultural inclusion, Koorie education guidance and support through their region by contacting the KEC with enquiries.

The KEC is able to arrange for a Koorie Engagement Support Officer (KESO) to work with early year’s services and schools providing guidance to enhance cultural inclusion practices, and to support the engagement, attendance and wellbeing of Koorie learners. KECs provide high level expertise to lead the implementation of education initiatives, Koorie specific programs and inclusive practices that privilege engagement with Koorie community and support parent/carer partnerships in education. Refer to: Contact details for KECs.

Koorie Engagement Support Officer

KESOs are area based professionals who are members of the local Aboriginal community with an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the histories. KESOs provide advice to schools about culturally inclusive learning environments, and the co-ordination of services to facilitate improved engagement of Koorie children and young people.

KESOs play an integral role to engage families, communities, education and service providers to facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners to participate fully in education. They support all learning settings to transition students and families across all learning stages where appropriate: into early years, primary, secondary and further education.

Other initiatives

Other initiatives to support the learning, development and educational outcomes of Koorie learners include:

• Catch Up funding
• Education Justice Initiative
• Team Around the Learner (TAL)
• School-wide positive behaviour support
• Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support Initiative (secondary specific additional teaching support)
• LOOKOUT Education Support Centres
• The Navigator Program may also be relevant for individual learners dependent upon their context

Related policies

• Aboriginal Employment
• Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Welcome to Country in Schools
• Child Safe Standards
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)
• Student Engagement

Strengthening Aboriginal self-determination in education

Throughout 2022, over 180 Campfire Conversations on Aboriginal self-determination in education were held across Victoria featuring more than 3,000 participants, bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and schools to listen, share and connect about the possibilities and opportunities for strengthening self-determination in education.

The purpose of the Campfire Conversations, storytelling and deep listening was to:

• build and strengthen partnerships between Koorie communities and schools
• provide schools with an opportunity to better understand how they can strengthen self-determination in everyday practice
• improve attendance, engagement and achievement for Koorie learners
• develop a range of changes to improve agency and success for Koorie people in schools.

Marrung and self-determination

Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 is the department’s 10-year Aboriginal Education Plan, which envisions that:

Victoria will be a state where the rich and thriving culture, knowledge and experience of our First Nations peoples are celebrated by all Victorians; where our universal service systems are inclusive, responsive and respectful of Koorie people at every stage of their learning and development journey; and where every Koorie person achieves their potential, succeeds in life, and feels strong in their cultural identity.

Aboriginal self-determination in education centres community voice in actions that progress the vision of Marrung expressed above. The vision not only strives for excellence for Koorie learners, but recognises the importance and benefit for all Victorians in celebrating and recognising Koorie communities and cultures.

The Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report

The Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report (PDF) (the Report), contains reform directions devised in response to the perspectives and advice of Aboriginal students, families, educators and broader community members from across Victoria. It is critical for schools to use the guiding questions in the report to reflect on their current practice before undertaking next steps, including the ‘What Can Schools Do Now?’ section.

Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual Framework provides a high-level summary of themes and feedback from the Campfire Conversations and maps how all the elements are interconnected and need to be considered holistically.

This Conceptual Framework animation provides an overview of what was learned through the Campfire Conversations and introduces the Conceptual Framework that was developed to illustrate the interconnected and interdependent nature of the Campfire Conversation findings and how they inform the ongoing work.

Actions for schools

Following on from the Campfire Conversations, schools are recommended to reflect on current practice and plan how to implement actions that strengthen self-determination and improve experiences and outcomes for Koorie learners.

Schools can better understand their role in strengthening self-determination by:

• reading the Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Report to understand the experiences and conversations shared at the Campfire Conversations
• as a collective, engaging with the ‘What Can Schools Do Now’ reflection questions on page 88 of the report
• watching the Conceptual Framework video to see how it could inform school planning and practice.

Resources

For educators

Practice notes

Koorie Cultural inclusion is a system-wide shared responsibility at all levels of our department. In early years settings and schools, it is an important part of deepening learners' knowledge and understanding of their world, their country, their community and identity.

The Koorie Cultural Inclusion Practice Notes Resource was developed to facilitate reflection on existing Koorie cultural inclusion practices within schools – what it looks like at a whole school and classroom level. This resource provides examples of ways in which educators can enhance their practice to cultivate a culturally supportive and responsive learning environment in which Australia's First Nations Peoples contributions are visible and celebrated. It includes a school-based case study, teacher tips and leadership guidance that expands on Professional Practice Note 19 published in the teaching and learning professional practice suite in July 2019.

Koorie Cultural Inclusion Consolidated Practice Notes

This professional practice note supports teachers and school leaders to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural inclusion, as an enabling foundation for learning in all Victorian Government schools.

Professional practice note 19: Koorie cultural inclusion

Other resources for educators

• Koorie teaching resources — Resources for teachers covering topics such as protocols for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and teaching Aboriginal languages.
• Arc contains various education materials, including Koorie English Online
• Careers and further education
• Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups (PDF)

Strengthening self-determination in education resources

• The Strengthening self-determination in education report (PDF)
• The Strengthening self-determination in education report (DOCX) (accessible version)
• Videos:
  • Reflections of Campfire Conversations on Vimeo
  • Conceptual Framework animation on Vimeo
  • Possum skin statements on Vimeo

Programs and reforms

• Early Years Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program
• Marrung education scholarships
• LOOKOUT education support centres
• Navigator Program

Further department support

• Student Resource Package (SRP) — Equity Funding (Student Based Funding)
• List of scholarships and financial support for Koorie young people