SA Hot Topic: Transformational Leadership - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education is everyone’s business!


Date: Wednesday 7th November 2018
Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA)
128 Greenhill Road, Unley 5061 South Australia
Cost: Complimentary
Click here to register online

How well our schools and teachers promote student engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) cultures and perspectives is inextricably linked to the role of school leaders. Nevertheless, in many schools, responsibility for ATSI education falls to a designated teacher or team with little or no support.

As the professional standards for teachers and principals states, Principals “model values and ethical perspectives in relation to their own and the school’s practice and organisation. They promote democratic values including active citizenship and inclusion.”

All teachers whether experienced or new to the profession, need to be adequately prepared to teach:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (AITSL Standard 1.4)

and need to:

  • understand and respect their cultures, histories and perspectives to promote reconciliation (AITSL Standard 2.4)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education is, therefore, everybody’s responsibility.

The Australian Curriculum aims to address two distinct needs in ATSI education:

  • that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are able to see themselves, their identities and their cultures reflected in the curriculum of each of the learning areas, can fully participate in the curriculum and can build their self-esteem
  • that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.

In this professional learning session, Kathy Stringer will provide an overview of this Cross-Curriculum Priority and will provide strategies for school leaders to help them develop the cultural capacity of their staff and students.