It was only recently that Aunty Jackie Huggins, an accomplished author and academic herself, recounted her own paradigm-shifting experiences as a young Aboriginal student. Her testimony opened the door to discuss how more Indigenous representation in Australian education is long overdue. Huggins is a Bidjara and Birri Gubba Juru woman. As a primary school student in Inala, Brisbane in the 1960s, she was the only Aboriginal child in her Year Three class. This experience brought to light the disparities and obstacles Indigenous students encounter. It put a glaring spotlight on the need for a more equitable educational space that is more inclusive and representative.
Throughout her schooling, Huggins recalls an experience where a teacher made her and her classmates stand up if they considered themselves Australian. This moment had a profound effect on her, redefining her perception of who she was and where she belonged. “He based his whole class lesson around the fact that I was Aboriginal, and that I was here for a very long time, and we were the first peoples of this country, and it made me feel so proud,” Huggins recalled.
Despite these odds, including bigotry and expectations of failure at every turn, Huggins persisted to become one of the most respected and appreciated figures in academia. She has seen huge shifts in public perception throughout her life but admitted there was still much to do. “I’ve always said to younger people, you’ve got to have an education because that is about your liberation in this country,” she stated.
As Huggins and fellow advocate Dr. Tracy Woodroffe draw attention to in this sobering statistic. Currently, Indigenous teachers account for less than 2 percent of all registered teachers across Australia. The authors contend that raising the number of Indigenous teachers and mentors is key to improving outcomes for First Nations students. Dr. Woodroffe emphasised the importance of incorporating First Nations teachers and perspectives into our learning environments. He’s convinced that this is the way to propel sustained change from the inside out.
“You know, you have that power to really make or break a child’s life in terms of their own identity,” Huggins added, highlighting the responsibility teachers have in shaping the experiences of their students. She further explained that if more students had inspiring experiences through their own schooling, they could be encouraged to take up teaching themselves.
In 2008, national agreement on Closing the Gap was officially signed. It specifically promises to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in health, life expectancy, employment, and education by 2031. According to this year’s Progress on education targets report, only 1 out of 5 education-related targets is even considered on track. As the recent Pulse Survey measured, Indigenous students continue to experience aggravation and harassment within the educational environment. As a consequence, they remain several steps behind their white contemporaries.
“Education is fundamental to improving outcomes for First Nations people,” Huggins asserted. She believes that for real change to occur, teachers must engage with their students in meaningful ways that foster a sense of belonging within schools.
When we asked Dr Woodroffe how she felt about the current education up-skilling, she shared her anger at the lack of progress made. “It’s just kind of a cop-out, I feel like,” she said about not having Indigenous voices in curricula. She insisted, “We’re adults, and if we are setting out on this path to be educators, we should be educated and understand how to find the answer to something that we don’t know.”
