Hi Angela,
Since this important debate started I've been trying to compile a list of
comparative resources (incl examples of campaigning strategies on this
front; + ‘Black history’ online learning resources/OERs) which I will
submit to BlackPresence.
(I've been away from Australia for 10 years so I’ve sadly lost touch with
the latest in this area. I used to be a member of
ATSILIRN<http://aiatsis.gov.au/atsilirn/protocols.php>that you mention
below & the article by Henrietta
Fourmile <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Marrie> was a key reason
behind why I became an Archivist. I was never taught a complete or truthful
picture of Australian history at school… it was not until University (in
the early 90s), when I majored in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
Studies *streams* within Politics & History, that I was soon awakened to
the startling omissions in Australia’s history).
In addition to Jon Stratton’s helpful news links on the latest 'history
wars', the following might also be of immediate interest (as comparative
examples of ‘decolonising & democratising curriculum’):
*Australia:** *
Protest document/letter [Statement from Indigenous educators and community
members on the Inclusion of Indigenous Perspectives in the Australian
Curriculum To: The Hon Julia Gillard (when she was Deputy PM at the time)
http://www.whatsworking.com.au/what-could-work/statement-on-inclusion/
*Embedding Indigenous Perspectives in University Teaching and Learning:
Lessons Learnt and possibilities of reforming and decolonising curriculum:*
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/10350/1/10350.pdf
<http://eprints.qut.edu.au/10350/1/10350.pdf>
McLaughlin, Juliana
M.<http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/McLaughlin,_Juliana.html>&
Whatman,
Susan L. <http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Whatman,_Susan.html> (2011)
*The potential of critical race theory in decolonising university curricula.
* *Asia Pacific Journal of Education*. (In Press)
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/42346/ “*critical race theory’s emancipatory,
future and action-oriented goals for curricula (Dei, 2008) would enhance
effective and sustainable embedding initiatives, and ultimately, preventing
such initiatives from returning to the status quo”*
*
*
*Government initiatives:*
There are various State Initiatives in Australia e.g. *Aboriginal
Perspectives Across the Curriculum (APAC) project*:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/aboriginaleducation/apac/detcms/navigation/apac/and
*Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Schools: *
http://deta.qld.gov.au/indigenous/pdfs/eatsips_2011.pdf
*ACARA Australian Curriculum*, Assessment and Reporting Authority:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures: Framework
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Aboriginal-and-Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and-cultures
*Canada:*
*Silencing Aboriginal Content in the Canadian Curriculum: How are First
Nation Students denied access to a democratic Education* - “The modern-day
Canadian curriculum continues to silence Aboriginal students by overlooking
current Native issues and First Nations identity....Contemporary First
Nations issues are largely absent from the curriculum, thereby reinforcing
the social construction of ‘Natives’ as a historical people”.
https://sites.google.com/site/ebaxresidentialschools/
*International:*
*Decolonising Democratic Education: Trans-Disciplinary Dialogues*: Ali A.
Abdi & George Richardson (Eds.)
https://www.sensepublishers.com/media/229-decolonizing-democratic-education.pdf
* *
*NB: The views expressed here are my own and not those of SOAS or the
Bernie Grant Trust*
*
*
Kind regards
Joanne
On 9 January 2013 08:54, Angela Allison <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Thanks for the leads. I'll certainly follow them up.
>
> Prior to this, the only reference I'd come across was to the Australian
> Indigenous Rights Activist & Historian, Henrietta Fourmile ("Who Owns the
> Past? Aborigines as Captives of the Archives"
> http://epress.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/whole33.pdf presents
> powerful & global-wide reasons for why we need more Archivists from BAME
> backgrounds. (cf. ATSILIRN & its protocols
> http://www1.aiatsis.gov.au/atsilirn/protocols.atsilirn.asn.au/index6df0.html?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=6
>
> Angela Allison, Coventry UK
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jon Stratton <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:24:56 -0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: School History curriculum - A comparative consideration
>
> Hi Angela,
> You ask about Australia and a national curriculum. It is my very
> strong suspicion that what is happening in the UK is inspired by John
> Howard's determination to 'correct' the history curriculum in Australia.
> Here is Howard reported in Murdoch's conservative national newspaper from
> September last year:
> http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/john-howard-revives-history-wars-in-attack-on-labor-curriculum/story-fn59nlz9-1226482959782. Here is another version of Howard's recent intervention:
> http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/01/the-history-curriculum-debate-back-to-the-howard-future/.
> Howard spent much time when he was prime minister campaigning for a
> rewriting of the Australian history curriculum to reinstate a white,
> triumphalist version of Australian history. Here is an account by John
> Hirst, a conservative academic historian, of his involvement in this
> process:
> http://www.themonthly.com.au/official-history-australia-john-hirst-781 .
> The 'left wing' view of history which emphasises the destruction of
> Indigenous society and gives space to minority concerns in the development
> of twentieth century 'white Australia' was described as 'black armband'
> history because it sees white settlement of Australia in a negative light
> rather than as a civilising force.
> Here is an account from the 'left', by Robert Manne, of the history wars:
> http://www.themonthly.com.au/nation-reviewed-robert-manne-comment-history-wars-2119.
>
> You can find plenty more on the so-called history wars in Australia on the
> web.
>
> Hope this is of interest,
> Jon
>
> ________________________________________
> From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] on
> behalf of Angela Allison [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2013 6:47 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: School History curriculum - A comparative consideration
>
> Do other nations have a 'National Curriculum'?
> If so, to what extent are black nationals, the working class, women
> featured?
>
> eg. America, Australia, South Africa, Scotland, Canada, Jamaica etc.
>
> Angela Allison, Coventry UK
>
--
Joanne Anthony
Archivist
Archives & Special Collections
SOAS Library
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
Tel: +44 (0)20 7898 4181
Fax: +44 (0)20 7898 4189
www.soas.ac.uk
