Expansion & Disruption in Indigenous Education

learning, earning, & the missing piece: yearning Expansion & Disruption in Indigenous Education Tony Dreise

Acknowledgement • As is our custom, • I acknowledge the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of these lands and waters of the Adelaide plains, and pay my deep respect to their Elders of yesterday, today and tomorrow

This presentation • Opening thoughts – framing big questions • An ongoing case for positive change • A big picture conversation • Finding conceptual guidance in models from throughout the world • An Indigenous model for consideration • A timely discussion – ‘straight’ talking

Methodology • Stemming out of my current PhD studies (at ANU) • Over 60 interviews with Indigenous community members, educators, government policy makers and philanthropists • More than 100 participants in two strategic dialogues involving representatives of Indigenous, education and philanthropic sectors (held at the Melbourne Business School) • Literature review – traversing diverse and rich fields of thought and practice leadership

The challenge • Relevancy • Agency ...... of learning experiences among Indigenous young people

Opening thoughts • The Good Life

Stumbling across Christopher MorleyUS poet and journalist, 1890-1957

Discontentment • Morley ‘........all the great things are done by discontented people. There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning. A man should be learning as he goes; and he should be earning bread for himself and others; and he should be yearning, too: yearning to know the unknowable.’

A cautionary tale Today, I’m hoping to avoid another lesson from Morley: ‘The unluckiest insolvent in the world is the man whose expenditure of speech is too great for his income of ideas.’ !! 

Aboriginal young person ‘What for, I do this?’

Aboriginal young person ‘What for, I do this?’ ...orwhy?

Too often in complex environments we start with............ What?

.....then we move to How? What?

When perhaps we should start with... Why?

The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek) Why? How? What?

The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek) Why? How? What? Wright brothers Apple Luther King

The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek) Why? ‘I have a dream’ v ‘I have a plan’

The Golden question in education - Why? ‘In any society, beyond the physical survival of its members, education is probably the most important activity people can create together, for education, along with the family, is the means by which we understand and reach our full potential as human beings. Education can enable us to flourish as individuals, helps build cohesive communities and innovative enterprises, fosters the skills and knowledge to participate in the world, and provides ways of seeing beyond our current condition and reaching beyond our grasp. Education is society’s prime means of helping us learn how we can live together.’ Professor Ken Spours & others 2014 UK

An example ……..of the discontented people that Morley spoke of.

Let’s begin to park this.... ...... conversation into Indigenous Australian frames and drivers

Colonisation

Globalisation

Globalisation Crash?

Globalisation Crash .....or ride?

Waves

Questions • Why do we need change? • What do we need to change? • How to change?

Securing an ongoing guardianship........ ..... of the oldest continuing cultures on Earth

Securing an ongoing guardianship........ ..... of the oldest continuing cultures on Earth Which means resourcing Indigenous people to maintain cultures, not just a curriculum that encourages non-Indigenous people to learn more about them, as important as this is

Why: Demand + Supply an international economy

Demand + Supply with a premium on creativity & agency

Demand + Supply mines or minds?

Demand + Supply Mining 9 per cent of GDP compared with the services sector at 68 per cent ABS Data 2011

Demand + Supply Mining 9 per cent of GDP compared with the services sector at 68 per cent • Health and community services now the biggest employer (11.6 per cent) followed by retail and construction; with mining at just 1.8 per cent ABS Data 2011

Demand + Supply Education has raced to number 3 in terms of our biggest exporter DFAT 2013

innovationunit.org ‘In the US, the ten jobs most in demand (now) didn’t exist in 2004 – 21st century education needs to prepare young people for jobs that don’t exist yet, using technologies that haven’t even been invented, for which competition will be global.’

Social wellbeing of Indigenous young people Many travelling ok or well

Indigenous children Many others at risk

Bigger picture considerations • How Indigenous young people are faring • Not just educationally and technologically but............. • Personal and community safety • Self esteem and mental health • Alcohol, drugs and violence • Juvenile justice • Teenage pregnancy • Their dreaming: Culture, life prospects, future jobs

The Whole Child - Wellbeing

The Whole Child - Wellbeing Implications for schools of today and tomorrow?

This conference • Quality • Equity

My question Like beauty, is it in the eye of the beholder? • Quality

Session topics • Quality • The shortcomings of an ‘equity’ (closing the gap) only approach • Disrupting the learning experience

Topics • Quality • The shortcomings of ‘equity’ only • Disrupting the learning experience Underpinned by research............................................and

Topics • Quality • The shortcomings of ‘equity’ only • Disrupting the learning experience Underpinned by research..............and a pressing demand for greater innovation

Evidence?

Innovation?

Expansion and innovation • Quality • What we expect for all of our kids • Opportunity & Access • Positive learning experiences and outcomes • Quality teaching and learning • False Dichotomy: Concentration v Expansion of Curriculum • Classic disputes in education: concentrating on basics versus expanding into the great theatres of learning • Disruption and innovation • Something has got to give

Expansion & Disruption in Indigenous Education