A signed and mounted reproduction of the Uluru Statement from the Heart will be copied and distributed to Catholic primary and secondary schools across the Manning and Great Lakes following a professional learning day in late June.
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Signed by 160 staff from Forster, Taree, Bulahdelah, Gloucester and Wingham, the autographed board was a reminder of the success of the 'Learning for justice, raising awareness for change in our schools' day held at Club Forster.
The day was designed to build staff capacity to create culturally sensitive and safe educational environments through considered factors that impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and families.
"Our focus was on the academic outlook for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, which is about closing the gap," Holy Name Primary School principal, Brooke Stephens said.
"Today was about building our cultural understanding, the factors that impact negatively on Aboriginal students and achieving positive outcomes," she said.
"It is about identifying what we are missing."
Thirteen to 40 per cent of students across the region identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Throughout the day staff took part in various activities, including receiving an overview in data trends relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students compared with non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, heard from television news presenter and proud Aboriginal man Stan Grant, as well as from the Catholic Schools Office Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island educators.
By the end of the day, the aim was those taking part would be able to:
- Describe why it is important to create culturally sensitive educational environments
- Identify factors that impact the educational outcomes of staff and students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from other cultural groups.
- Discuss where these factors are found in Manning region schools.
- Identify tangible changes that they could make in our Manning school settings that will help to create culturally sensitive and safe educational environments.
"One of the things this region does differently is our collaboration between (other Mid-Coast) schools," Ms Stephens said.
Three years in the planning, the day-long event was a first for the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.
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Jeanene Duncan
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
