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 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 (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 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.
Reviewed 20 May 2025