Keywords
Remote schools
Indigenous Australians
Racism
Politics
Policy implications
Ethnographic reflection
Indigenous Australians
Racism
Politics
Policy implications
Ethnographic reflection
How to Cite
Cornelius, K., & Cornelius-Bell, A. (2022). Systemic racism, a prime minister, and the remote Australian school system. Radical Teacher, 122, 64–73. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2022.935
Abstract
Remote Australian schools face complex contextual issues due to systemic and enduring disadvantage. The structures and systems put in place to support and provide advantage for Indigenous Australians continually fail to meet their mark due to colonial structures, policies and inability to understand remote contextual demands. In South Australia, the context of this paper, systemic disadvantage disproportionately affects Indigenous people. This article explores the contemporary colonial landscape of a remote school context, provides background on the colonial institutions which shape the interactions and services provided to people in remote Australian areas, and provides two empirical examples of the contemporary, structural, and harmful influence of policy and political figures in a remote school. By examining the politics of being a school leader, the policy background for remote Australian schools, and the unique challenges of position both in policy and physical terms, we show how contemporary racism structures and conditions the lives of young people in remote contexts today.
References
Government of South Australia (2019a). Quality school improvement planning handbook. Adelaide, South Australia.
Government of South Australia (2019b). Raising Aboriginal Learner Achievement: Literacy and numeracy, a leaders’ resource for quality school improvement planning. Retrieved from Adelaide, South Australia: https://dlb.sa.edu.au/tlsmoodle/pluginfile.php/33197/mod_resource/content/2/Aboriginal-learner-achievement-leaders-resource.pdf
Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., & Bacon, V. (2011). What do we know? The experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work, 64(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2010.511677
Coory, M. D., Ho, T., & Jordan, S. J. (2013). Australia is continuing to make progress against cancer, but the regional and remote disadvantage remains. Medical Journal of Australia, 199(9), 605-608.
Cornelius-Bell, A., & Bell, P. A. (2020). Partnership as Student Power: Democracy and governance in a neoliberal university. Radical Teacher, 118(1), 21 – 30. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2020.797
Daniels-Mayes, S. (2017). Repurposing schooling for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander students, families and communities: Revealing the hidden purpose of education. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Australia Conference, Canberra, Australia.
Department for Education, Government of South Australia (2018). School Improvement Handbook: Building Foundations, Literacy. Adelaide, South Australia.
Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (2014). Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Commonwealth of Australia.
Durey, A., & Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus. BMC Health Services Research, 12(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-151
Fogarty, W., Lovell, M., Langenberg, J., & Heron, M.-J. (2018). Deficit discourse and strengths-based approaches: changing the narrative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. Retrieved from New South Wales, Australia: https://www.lowitja.org.au/content/Document/Lowitja-Publishing/deficit-discourse-strengths-based.pdf
Gething, L. (1997). Sources of double disadvantage for people with disabilities living in remote and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. Disability & Society, 12(4), 513-531.
Green, S., & Baldry, E. (2008). Building indigenous Australian social work. Australian Social Work, 61(4), 389-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/03124070802430718
Guenther, J. (2013a). Are we making education count in remote Australian communities or just counting education? The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 42(2), 157-170. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2013.23
Guenther, J. (2013b). Education is the key, but do we need to change the locks. Paper presented at the NARU Public Seminar Series.
Guenther, J., Disbray, S., & Osborne, S. (2014). Digging up the (red) dirt on education: one shovel at a time. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues (Special Edition), 17(4), 40-56. https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.230322176349062
Guenther, J., & Ober, R. (2017). Submission to the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education. Retrieved from Northern Territory, Australia: https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-schools-package/independent-review-regional-rural-and-remote-education
Holderhead, S. (2018, September 10). Tony Abbott given ‘free reign’ in new role as special envoy tasked with improving indigenous education. The Advertiser. https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/tony-abbott-given-free-reign-in-new-role-as-special-envoy-tasked-with-improving-indigenous-education/news-story/fe6a203c4bb1e06453599a091316c1ec
Hunter, E. (2007). Disadvantage and discontent: A review of issues relevant to the mental health of rural and remote Indigenous Australians. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 15(2), 88-93.
Jennings, W., Bond, C., & Hill, P. S. (2018). The power of talk and power in talk: a systematic review of Indigenous narratives of culturally safe healthcare communication. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 24(2), 109-115.
Read, P. (2020). A Rape of the Soul So Profound: The return of the Stolen Generation. Routledge.
Schaffer, K. (2002). Stolen Generation Narratives in Local and Global Contexts. Antipodes, 16(1), 5–10.
Stanley, J., Tomison, A. M., & Pocock, J. (2003). Child abuse and neglect in Indigenous Australian communities: Australian Institute of Family Studies Canberra.
Terszak, M. (2015). Orphaned by the Colour of My Skin: A Stolen Generation Story. Routledge.
Tregenza, J. (1996). Collegiate School of St. Peter, Adelaide: The founding years 1847 - 1878. Collegiate School of St. Peter.
Government of South Australia (2019b). Raising Aboriginal Learner Achievement: Literacy and numeracy, a leaders’ resource for quality school improvement planning. Retrieved from Adelaide, South Australia: https://dlb.sa.edu.au/tlsmoodle/pluginfile.php/33197/mod_resource/content/2/Aboriginal-learner-achievement-leaders-resource.pdf
Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., & Bacon, V. (2011). What do we know? The experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work, 64(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2010.511677
Coory, M. D., Ho, T., & Jordan, S. J. (2013). Australia is continuing to make progress against cancer, but the regional and remote disadvantage remains. Medical Journal of Australia, 199(9), 605-608.
Cornelius-Bell, A., & Bell, P. A. (2020). Partnership as Student Power: Democracy and governance in a neoliberal university. Radical Teacher, 118(1), 21 – 30. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2020.797
Daniels-Mayes, S. (2017). Repurposing schooling for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander students, families and communities: Revealing the hidden purpose of education. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Australia Conference, Canberra, Australia.
Department for Education, Government of South Australia (2018). School Improvement Handbook: Building Foundations, Literacy. Adelaide, South Australia.
Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (2014). Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Commonwealth of Australia.
Durey, A., & Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus. BMC Health Services Research, 12(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-151
Fogarty, W., Lovell, M., Langenberg, J., & Heron, M.-J. (2018). Deficit discourse and strengths-based approaches: changing the narrative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. Retrieved from New South Wales, Australia: https://www.lowitja.org.au/content/Document/Lowitja-Publishing/deficit-discourse-strengths-based.pdf
Gething, L. (1997). Sources of double disadvantage for people with disabilities living in remote and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. Disability & Society, 12(4), 513-531.
Green, S., & Baldry, E. (2008). Building indigenous Australian social work. Australian Social Work, 61(4), 389-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/03124070802430718
Guenther, J. (2013a). Are we making education count in remote Australian communities or just counting education? The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 42(2), 157-170. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2013.23
Guenther, J. (2013b). Education is the key, but do we need to change the locks. Paper presented at the NARU Public Seminar Series.
Guenther, J., Disbray, S., & Osborne, S. (2014). Digging up the (red) dirt on education: one shovel at a time. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues (Special Edition), 17(4), 40-56. https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.230322176349062
Guenther, J., & Ober, R. (2017). Submission to the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education. Retrieved from Northern Territory, Australia: https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-schools-package/independent-review-regional-rural-and-remote-education
Holderhead, S. (2018, September 10). Tony Abbott given ‘free reign’ in new role as special envoy tasked with improving indigenous education. The Advertiser. https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/tony-abbott-given-free-reign-in-new-role-as-special-envoy-tasked-with-improving-indigenous-education/news-story/fe6a203c4bb1e06453599a091316c1ec
Hunter, E. (2007). Disadvantage and discontent: A review of issues relevant to the mental health of rural and remote Indigenous Australians. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 15(2), 88-93.
Jennings, W., Bond, C., & Hill, P. S. (2018). The power of talk and power in talk: a systematic review of Indigenous narratives of culturally safe healthcare communication. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 24(2), 109-115.
Read, P. (2020). A Rape of the Soul So Profound: The return of the Stolen Generation. Routledge.
Schaffer, K. (2002). Stolen Generation Narratives in Local and Global Contexts. Antipodes, 16(1), 5–10.
Stanley, J., Tomison, A. M., & Pocock, J. (2003). Child abuse and neglect in Indigenous Australian communities: Australian Institute of Family Studies Canberra.
Terszak, M. (2015). Orphaned by the Colour of My Skin: A Stolen Generation Story. Routledge.
Tregenza, J. (1996). Collegiate School of St. Peter, Adelaide: The founding years 1847 - 1878. Collegiate School of St. Peter.