How to attract and retain

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers at your school

Successful engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the teaching profession is essential for greater education success for all students. More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI) Project Leader and Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) Board Member Professor Peter Buckskin provided IE Journalist Sue Osborne with a few ideas schools might implement to improve their recruitment and retention rates.

Schools need to be places that acknowledge and respect diversity. Australian schools should be places where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures are acknowledged and celebrated, Professor Buckskin said.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives need to be “built in, not bolted on”, with a cross curriculum emphasis, he said.

Schools should ensure teacher recruitment materials make it clear that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are welcomed and encouraged.

The school culture and atmosphere should be inclusive. Professor Buckskin recommends schools consider developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali policy will assist schools in this matter.

However, there are some practical steps schools could take immediately to create a better awareness of Aboriginal histories and cultures, such as putting a sign by the school gate acknowledging the Aboriginal peoples whose traditional land the school is built upon. Flying the Aboriginal flag and acknowledging significant dates such as Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week are other practical steps.

“All these actions are culturally respectful and will assist schools to start a conversation with the local Aboriginal communities” Professor Buckskin said.

“There should be a natural preparedness to create a culture where negative comments from parents are dealt with immediately in a positive way by all the staff,” Professor Buckskin said.

Similarly, staff should not stay quiet when racist comments are made in the staffroom or classroom. Like all teachers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers need to feel culturally safe in their school environment.

Using the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teacher as the school’s defacto ‘Aboriginal liaison officer’ to deal with all student/family issues, or discipline issues involving Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students, was also inappropriate.

“They should no more be earmarked for that role than any other teachers, unless they particularly volunteer for it”, Professor Buckskin said.

“Similarly, staff should not stay quiet when racist comments are made in the staffroom or classroom. Like all teachers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers need to feel culturally safe in their school environment.

“First and foremost, schools should respect the person as a teacher with equal standing with all other teachers, and accept the rich cultural knowledge they bring to the school as a bonus for the school community,” he said.

“Assuming that the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teacher knows everything about Aboriginal culture and can deal with all matters regarding that is a mistake. They may be working in a different language group area and in a different community from their own, where they do not have the connections.”

Finally, Professor Buckskin recommends schools create a relationship with the elders and leaders in their community, by including them as guests at significant school events.

Fast facts - Australia wide
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples comprise only 1.2% of the teaching workforce but 4.9% of school students.
  • In 2012, 2661 out of 450,000 teachers identified as Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander people.
  • In 2015 there were 3100 Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander peoples in the teaching workforce.
  • The median age of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers is 40.
  • 83% of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers are classroom teachers, 7% are deputy principals, and 3% are principals. the remainder were not specified.
  • 80% of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers are in ongoingemployment, 17% are on fixed term contracts, and 3% are casual.
  • Nearly half (49%) of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers are employed in major cities, while one in 10 are employed in remote or very remote areas.
  • The number of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students in teacher education has doubled (an increase of 53%) between 2001 and 2014.
Case Study

Christopher Duncan

Good Samaritan Catholic College teacher Christopher Duncan graduated from the Australian Catholic University last year.

He’s teaching legal studies, history, geography and religion at a south western Sydney school
He had his heart set on a teaching career from early in his high school days, having had some ‘fantastic teachers’ and an urge to “impart knowledge and help shape the future”, although no one in his family is a teacher.
Having a support person or mentor with an Aboriginal perspective through university, the practicums and at his first year of teaching had been invaluable.
Christopher draws on the support of the Aboriginal advisor supplied by Sydney Catholic Schools. When such a support is not available, schools should look to having someone connected with community that can provide support to new teachers, he said.
Regardless of Aboriginality, it’s crucial there is a school based mentor to assist new teachers through their tricky first few years of teaching.
“Having an Aboriginal teacher in a school brings huge benefits and providing that presence that Aboriginal students can look to makes a big difference to them,” Christopher said.
“You can attract Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander teachers by proving you have strong support and a network in place for them. It’s a cyclical thing, the more support you have, the more you will attract teachers.”
Christopher agreed with Professor Buckskin’s comment that it is most important to respect each teacher as a professional in their field.
He had witnessed the burden placed on others when they are made to be the standard bearer of everything Aboriginal.
“As a legal studies teacher I certainly would not like to be put in front of a class in music to teach them about Aboriginal music,” he said.
“My own experience throughout university, my four pracs, including 10 weeks at Patrician Brothers Fairfield, have all been positive and I’ve been respected as a teacher at all times,” he said.