industry & reform
‘ Dangerous territory ’
We have to get the balance right and I ’ m concerned that we haven ’ t in the draft that ’ s been put out .
Political figures take aim at proposed changes to national curriculum .
By Wade Zaglas
Critics have been quick to voice concerns over the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority ( ACARA ) releasing its proposed changes to the national curriculum .
Among the hundreds of pages of suggestions and recommendations released , education minister Alan Tudge highlighted problems with the way Australia ’ s colonisation by the British would be taught , voicing a particular aversion to the word “ invasion ” being used in such discussions , Guardian Australia reported .
Prominent Indigenous leader Warren Mundine told The Daily Telegraph that the curriculum ’ s authors were injecting “ critical race theory ” into classrooms , creating a more divided society .
“ We ’ re really heading into dangerous territory ,” the former chair of Tony Abbott ’ s Indigenous Affairs Council said . “ I have major concerns . It ’ s indoctrination ,” he said . In the same article , Minister Stuart Robert derided the draft as “ neo-Marxist Rubbish ”. One of the issues for Indigenous Australians , Mundine warned , was that the draft “ got it all wrong ”, arguing colonisation was a more accurate term for how Indigenous Australians would have perceived the event at the time , not an invasion .
SO WHAT ARE THE KEY CHANGES AND WHEN WILL THEY TAKE EFFECT ? The new draft document for the K-10 national curriculum has been released by ACARA for consultation ; feedback on the recommendation can be submitted until 8 July . The state , territory and federal education ministers will then have to consider such feedback before signing off on the final version .
One of the major points of contention is the inclusion of the word “ invasion ” when teaching primary school history and school humanities .
ACARA believes students should know that “ people have different points of view on some commemorations ”, including that some “ First Nations Australians regard ‘ Australia Day ’ as ‘ Invasion Day ’”. The draft curriculum document also explains that the colonisation of Australia by the British was “ perceived by the First Nations Australians as an invasion ”.
Changes recommended for Year 3 History include a deeper understanding and recognition “ that people have different points of view on some commemorations and celebrations ”, including how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People might interpret the meaning and significance of Christmas , Anzac Day and Australia Day very differently from non-Indigenous students and families .
While students in Year 4 already study “ the impact that British colonisation had on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples ,” the new draft curriculum will require them to go deeper in their analysis , questioning why the British wanted to colonise Australia .
Under the proposed changes , students would be additionally taught about “ the reasons for Britain deciding to colonise Australia ”, “ the role of Captain Cook and Joseph Banks in the establishment of Australia as a British colony ” and “ the effects of contact with other people on First Nations People ”.
In a bold and exciting move , the new curriculum aspires to teach Year 4 students about the various Indigenous language groups in Australia prior to colonisation .
In terms of the maths K-10 curriculum , little appears to be taken out or added , however there are proposed changes to the year levels in which particular skills should be taught . Percentages are recommended to be taught in year 5 ( rather than year 6 ), and the Pythagorean theorem taught in year 8 ( rather than year 9 ).
TUDGE ’ S RESPONSE ON SKY NEWS The Federal Education Minister was concerned that words such as “ invasion ” could lead to “ students dishonouring our western heritage ”.
“ I don ’ t want students to be turned into activists ,” he said .
“ I want them to be taught the facts . Certainly some people from an Indigenous perspective saw things very differently to what the settlers saw it from and that should be taught as well .
“ I think we should honour our Indigenous history and teach that well . Equally , that should not come at the expense of dishonouring our western heritage … We have to get the balance right and I ’ m concerned that we haven ’ t in the draft that ’ s been put out .”
Year 9 student Dujuan Hoosan , who gave a speech at the United Nations aged 12 , told the Sydney Morning Herald “ he supported the changes ”.
“ I feel really happy about those changes because that would mean we are actually telling the truth ,” he said . “ I think this will change people ’ s lives – all kids ’ lives . So they won ’ t have to grow up thinking that Aboriginal people just gave up this country .” ■
educationreview . com . au | 13