- Title
- The development of Aboriginal education policy in Australia - voices of the National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC)
- Creator
- Holt, Leanne
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2016
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- If there is going to be harmony between our two societies then it will have to be through education. When white people have a better awareness of Aboriginals then maybe our kids will have a better time. Stephen Albert. (Ohlsson, 1977, p. 2) I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands in which this thesis is connected, is written on and is examined on. I pay my respect to the Elders past and present who have and continue to pass on their knowledge and wisdom for the sustainability of our environment, our culture and our education. Responding to the activist movements of the 1960s, the Commonwealth Government introduced new policy directions that called for the Self-Determination and Self-Management of Aboriginal peoples; to have a strong voice in their own future directions and their own affairs. Education was no exception. In 1973 the Schools in Australia Report identified the poor educational conditions and outcomes of Aboriginal children (Karmel, 1973). In 1977 the National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC) was established. The new Committee was to ensure a national Aboriginal voice in the development and implementation of Aboriginal education programs, initiatives and policies across all levels of education for Aboriginal people. The NAEC was active until 1989. The 1970s and 1980s transpired to be a fundamental time for Aboriginal affairs and Aboriginal education. Past policies had stifled Aboriginal people’s progression socially and academically, resulting in extremely low educational outcomes. The 1980s witnessed the biggest growth in the access and participation of Aboriginal people in all levels of education in nearly 200 years. Through the voices of the NAEC members, this study maps the journey of the NAEC and the major priorities at this time. The study also determines the impact of the NAEC on the development of national Aboriginal education policy that would lead the future directions and strategies for the access, participation, retention and success of Aboriginal people through education. An Indigenous methodology that included storytelling is applied to the study. Storytelling is vital in Aboriginal communities to teach and pass on important lessons. Throughout this study participants, as co-researchers, assisted me in sharing their stories that respond to the research question posed in the thesis – How did the NAEC contribute to the development of Aboriginal education policy in Australia? The study revealed that the NAEC contributed significantly to the development of Aboriginal education policy, establishing structures and relationships that empowered Aboriginal communities to have a voice in decision making related to Aboriginal education. This resulted in significant educational outcomes for Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities that were sustained after the NAEC was abolished.
- Subject
- Aboriginal; education; policy
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1335368
- Identifier
- uon:27425
- Rights
- Copyright 2016 Leanne Holt
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 116 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |