1. Rallying the hearts and minds of potential
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
teachers for Australian schools:
Making it Happen!
Professor Peter Buckskin PSM FACE
Emeritus Professor Dr Paul Hughes AM FACE
2014 World Indigenous Peoples Conference on
Education (WiPC:E), Hawaii

2. 1990s – 2000s: Howard, Rudd and Gillard Administrations
Mainstreaming of
IndigenousAffairs
Northern Territory
Intervention
Closing the Gap
1980s: the Hawke and Keating Administrations
Establishment of the
National Aboriginal
Education Committee
NationalAboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
Education Policy
AThousandAboriginal
Teachers by 1990
1970s: Whitlam and Fraser Administrations
Commonwealth Schools
Commission
Standing Committee on
Aboriginal Education
Release of the Schools
Commission Report

3. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education Action Plan;
• National Australian Curriculum;
• National standards for teachers and
leaders; and
• More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Teachers Initiative (MATSITI).
National Policy Context

4. More Aboriginal & Torres Strait
Islander Teachers Initiative
1. Leadership, quality teaching and
workforce development;
2. Increase the numbers of and
retention of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Teachers; and
3. Identify and develop strategies to
support the leadership aspirations
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Teachers.
www.matsiti.edu.au

6. MATSITI Outcomes
• Comprehensive qualitative and quantitative
research on factors and effectiveness of
strategies to increase;
• Building partnerships and co-investment
agreement s to increase recruitment, retention
and leadership in teacher education and schools;
• National community engagement and marketing
strategy to promote teaching as a career option.

7. MATSITI
Need for a cultural shift by;
- Schools
- Universities
- Education Jurisdictions
- Professional Bodies
- Governments

8. Barriers to Higher
Initial Teacher Education Progams
• Academic success of schools leavers;
• Financial pressures;
• Isolation & loneliness and cultural dislocation;
• Lack of Indigenous academics and advisers in
University’s Schools of Education; and
• Racism

9. • Planting the seed in primary school students to
aspire to be teachers;
• Stronger targeting of school leavers -Year 12;
• Focus on mature students - University graduates
wishing to make a career change;
• Provision of scholarships for school leavers and
mature age students.
Recruitment

10. • Improved provision of mentoring programs
for early career teachers;
• Improved provision of mentoring for teachers
aspiring to leadership positions; and
• Need for more scholarships for the current
workforce to upgrade qualifications and
experience in a culturally empowering
context.
Retention

11. • Campaign to promote teaching as a preferred
position by better use of IT and social media;
• Development and constructions of Online
Living archives of Indigenous Teachers Stories;
• Promoting successful Indigenous Teachers
engaging students and community as
ambassadors for the profession.
Promotion of the Profession

12. • School Leaders Forum
www.matsiti.edu.au/events/leaders
• Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander
Academics lecturing inTeacher
Education Programs Forum
www.matsiti.edu.au/events/natsiates
2014 Forums

13. Photos courtesy of Google Images
www.matsiti.edu.au