Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the educational opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and The power of education: from surviving to thriving. I acknowledge the traditional owners of these lands, the Ngunawal people, and their elders past and present and, in doing so, recommit myself to ending the scourge that is entrenched Aboriginal disadvantage. I also take this opportunity to specifically acknowledge the thorough and thoughtful work of the members of the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs and the secretariat staff, who put in an inordinate amount of time. I wasn't a member of this committee, but I have a reasonable interest in it given that I am from Western Sydney, where we have the highest urban Aboriginal population rate in the country and some of my high schools have a 20 per cent Aboriginal and first-nation student population. Recognition must go to the member for Hasluck and the member for Lingiari for their ongoing dedication and direction in this committee. It is important that we acknowledge their deep professional and personal connection which has helped shape a report that, while at times might be confronting, will help guide this House in its deliberations and policy direction—and goodness knows we need a lot of that.

Importantly, acknowledgement and thanks must go to everyone who took the time to make submissions and offer their thoughts to help guide the committee. This input is often made with the background of scant resources and, at times, imparting knowledge through traditional contexts, which are not always easy to explain and not always easy to put into words. It is done with passion, with compassion and with understanding. The committee has made a series of recommendations that have the capacity to not only improve our interactions within the confines of education but also increase the capacities of Indigenous communities overall. We know that education is the great leveller and we know that it's a game changer, and in Indigenous communities this couldn't be any more significant. It is important in rural and regional area has but also in urban settings, like in my electorate of Lindsay.

At the outset, I note that the chair has stated it is essential that Indigenous students and their families be able to choose from a range of well-supported options for secondary education, public and independent, within their local region and further afield should they choose. This is a particularly relevant statement for Indigenous students, their families and the teaching staff involved. It came as no surprise to me that the committee raised concerns regarding the lack of reliable data on the students' achievements. It is critical that we improve and that the government improves the methods of data collection, and not just through standardised testing. The data is critical to guide education professionals, community workers and communities themselves. I raise this issue as a member of parliament who, as I said, lives in a region with the highest population of urban settlement of Aboriginal people. It is vital that all of us can identify the issues and develop specific policies that address inequality, effectively helping to close that very stubborn gap.

Addressing cultural safety is vital in maintaining connection to people's communities. There is the recommendation that training in how to teach people for whom English is a second language or dialect be made a compulsory component for teachers whether they are completing their degrees or already working in schools. I note that every time we hear this Prime Minister give an address in relation to first nations people, he does so in traditional language. I would implore him to listen half as much as he speaks in relation to first nations and first nation voices. I specifically call out the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It is to the committee's credit that they recognise that it should be treated as a matter of urgency to make it compulsory to train teachers in teaching people for whom English is a second dialect.

Data retention, collation and availability will also assist educators and policymakers alike. The fact that the committee has acknowledged and raised serious concerns regarding the significant disparity about accessibility and funding for engagement between boys and girls is deeply concerning. We spent some time in Alice Springs late last year, and met the Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group. We know that the effects of family violence in these communities are incredibly difficult. We know that women are more likely to be affected. The committee has rightly stated that girls are the mothers and carers of the next generation—without being too stereotypical—it's a fact of life; women carry babies and it is our predominant responsibility to care for them. The women are actually our future, and these girls are not getting access to the education. So there is concern regarding the focus on sports based programs. While they can be effective at engaging boys, these programs should not be regarded as the only hook for increasing participation and attendance. Certainly in my electorate we do see that a fair bit too.

I agree with the committee that encouragement and funding equality for girls and the promotion of art, cultural education and gender and culturally specific education programs is a whole-of-community outcome. It won't just affect or impact or make better the lives of first nations people; it's something that will make better the lives of every Australian. The report correctly identifies this as a matter of urgency. I would implore the government to get on with these recommendations and the implementation around them.

I have noted the committee has identified the need for cultural training for teachers and recognises that one size fits all is not the answer. When I was a university student I famously had a university lecturers come in and play the song 'Another brick in the wall', by Pink Floyd, encouraging us as educators not to take the one-size-fits-all approach, and that is still relevant to me now—less than 20 years later, without giving away how old I actually am.

The committee rightfully identifies and clarifies that tailoring the needs of disparate communities often requires a less formative approach that allows educators to tailor programs in specific areas. That's what we would have set out as the Labor government to do with the Gonski funding as well. This has the added advantage of helping address wellbeing and health, and aids that assist teachers as they strive for cultural understanding, better awareness and a better way of integrating that into a very formal curriculum.

It is also significant that the committee's report addresses the urgent need for Indigenous culture to be included in teaching degrees. Support should be provided to teachers in communities with a high number of Indigenous students to ensure they have appropriate skills to learn language, culture and history. And I want to give a shout-out to Kristine MacPhail, the principal at Cambridge Park High School. Every year, she never fails to ensure that Aboriginal students in her school are recognised through her active and energised participation in NAIDOC Week. It's always my great pleasure to go along and have wattleseed pancakes and to participate in the special Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander celebrations of that week. It is an absolute honour to do so and it is a credit to the school for allowing that to happen. Also Caroline Chisholm, my former school, a Catholic school, has an Aboriginal advisory group, which is headed up by their students, by the kids that this impacts, and they are making gains and they are striving in our community.

Sometimes we can falter, though, in our enthusiasm to improve our approach to education, not only educationally but institutionally. If organisations receive funding, they ought to be producing results. While we strive to reach for answers, sometimes we might fall short. I do applaud the committee's recommendation that highlights the Queensland government's findings into direct instruction. To give the children the best start possible despite the hurdles, disparate curriculums sometimes do not meet community expectations. In the search to tailor for specific community needs, we require community accountability. It is hoped that the review into this program provides significant insight, and I urge the government to act on the committee's funding recommendation to expedite any action that is required.

We turn to the need now for flexibility, and the recognition that displacement from your community is difficult and it is fraught. Attending a boarding school affects every child, regardless of their circumstance. It is especially difficult for first nation kids. In this place, we need to imagine a world where English can be at times your second or third language. We need to acknowledge the cultural shock that people from remote and even urban communities will experience when attending boarding schools. The recommendations by this committee to establish dedicated public accommodation as close as practicable to where it is needed will surely assist those children affected by sudden changes. A broad strategy to ensure that cultural, health and wellbeing standards are met is a laudable goal.

You might be surprised that these comments are just as relevant in Western Sydney as they are in rural and regional and remote areas. I acknowledge that education is primarily the responsibility of state governments but, federally, we can ensure that people needing to travel or requiring assistance to further their studies are encouraged and not thwarted. In respect of ABSTUDY funding, it is clear the government has dropped the ball on this. As with Centrelink, procedures regarding the facilitation, certainty and—most importantly—confidence that a child will be able to continue their studies are vital to ensuring that inclusion, not exclusion, is our goal. I commend this report and I commit myself to continuing advocacy for those people who need a voice here.

Debate adjourned.

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