Indigenous education policy discourses in Australia: Rethinking the "problem"

Abstract

Despite small improvements in Year 12 attainment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students over the past 10 years, convergence with non-Indigenous achievement remains slow and narratives of deficiency continue to dominate public discourse and policy in this area. This chapter examines recommendations and goals across three policy periods, identifying prevailing and shifting discourses and their effects on achieving intended aims. Our analysis illustrates that little has changed in the discourses and the effects of Commonwealth policy in this area over the past 50 years. That is, while numerous attempts have been made in policy and practice to address participation and attainment levels, the effects of these initiatives have been limited in terms of outcomes. We argue that going forward into the 21st century, a major rethink of the representation of the 'problem' is required. This historical analysis enables us to identify how policy might be enacted in the future, and to provide suggestions for how to move forward productively in order to enhance the learning and lives of indigenous people.