University Essay: Advocacy and Social Justice in Australian Education

This essay delves into the critical themes of advocacy and social justice within the Australian education system, with a particular focus on the historical and ongoing impacts of the 'stolen generation' on Aboriginal students and communities. It examines the concept of social justice, highlighting the importance of equitable resource distribution and equal treatment in education. The essay explores the issue of the stolen generation, detailing the forced removal of indigenous children from their families and its lasting consequences. It discusses contributing factors to the issue, challenges and barriers, and possible effects on equity and inclusion in early childhood education. The essay identifies ethical duties of advocates and recommends strategies to improve the psychological health and welfare of Aboriginal children, emphasizing the need for inclusive learning environments and the recognition of children's rights, interests, and needs. It underscores the importance of parental involvement and supportive educational practices to foster an inclusive and just educational experience for all.

Running head: ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Advocacy and Social Justice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

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Executive Summary
In the development of any nation, education play an active role. The importance of
education in this regard cannot be ignored. Usually, food, clothes and shelter are considered to be
the basic needs of human beings, but now in the present scenario which develops day by day,
education is also considered to be a basic need. Almost all the countries all over the world
guaranteed basic education as a fundamental right under the constitution of that country.
Although constitution guaranteed basic education irrespective of discrimination on the ground of
race, sex, caste, creed, religion, sexual orientation and disability, but sometimes discrimination
has been observed. In case of Australia, the aboriginal children discriminated in getting basic
education. The issue of ‘stolen generation’ is completely opposite of this view and has a great
impact in the early childhood education system of the Australian aboriginal children. Under this
issue, enormous indigenous children were detached compulsorily from their homes and relatives
in order to get education under several policies of the government. The aim of this paper is to
discuss the problem of stolen generation and its impact on the aboriginal students and
community of Australia. While discussing the same, this paper also sheds light on the
contemporary approaches of social justice education, identification of ethical duties of the
advocates and recommendation of various measures to improve the psychological health and
welfare of the aboriginal children.

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Introduction
The concept of social justice deals with fair, just and reasonable distribution of various
resources. This concept also treats every individuals of the society equally and helps to feel them
safe and secure both physically and mentally. Here, the term ‘people’ includes students also. It
helps to feel the students safe and secure within the society. However, it has been observed that it
is not possible to distribute resources fairly and treat all the students equally. Every individuals
of a particular country need to be educated irrespective of their age, sex, race, caste, creed,
religion, sexual orientation and mental and physical disability in order to develop that country.
Through various researches it has been observed that students from those schools which are
poorly-funded, deprived from getting technology, books and several cultural programs which is
also a part of the education system. Many authors are of the view that relationships with the
family, teachers and society as well as experience play an important role in the early childhood
education system. It is a proven fact that both the sense of belonging and cultural uniqueness
help to improve the psychological health and welfare of the children. The issue of ‘stolen
generation’ is completely opposite of this view and has a great impact in the early childhood
education system of the Australian aboriginal children (Cuthbert & Quartly, 2013). This report
mainly focuses on the discussion of stolen generation and its impact on the aboriginal students
and community of Australia while reviewing the contemporary approaches of education related
to social justice with aboriginal children and their relatives. This report also identifies the ethical
duties of the advocates towards aboriginal children and their relatives intending to create a safe
environment for them. Finally, it recommends various measures to develop the psychological
health and welfare of the children by endorsing child-friendly communities.

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Findings and Discussion
Issue
Many authors are of the view that the main problem which is related to the concept of
early childhood is stolen generation. It has been observed that from 1910 to 1970, enormous
indigenous children were detached compulsorily from their house and relatives in order to get
education under several policies of the government. The generation of children, who were
detached from their relatives were called as Stolen Generation (Petchkovsky et al., 2004).
The compulsory exclusion of Indigenous children from their relatives formed part of
Assimilation strategy. The basis of assimilation is the presumption of black inferiority and white
superiority people. According to this presumption of black inferiority and white superiority, it
can be stated that indigenous people must be permitted to ‘die out’ through a normal removal
procedure or, where probable, need to be integrated into the culture of white people.
These types of policies were considered to be a part of the Assimilation policy.
Indigenous children detached from their parents and relatives were given training so that they
can reject their indigenous legacy. Not only is that, they were also compelled to adopt the culture
of the white people. Many authors stated that these policies aimed to change the entire identity of
an aboriginal people.
Presently the situation has been changed comprehensively. The Australian government
took several steps to remove this discrimination from the society and involve several individuals,
such as teachers, educators and advocates in order to remove social injustice from the education
system and learning environment of Australia related to the aboriginal people.

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Factors contributing to the issue
Although problems such as housing, jobs, and education disturb everyone, there are also
unique protective and risk factors that have a high effect on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people’s social emotional well-being and depression levels. By the help of factors of protection,
people feel strong and resistant. The following may apply to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities:
 Communal connectivity and sense of belonging
 Connecting to land, philosophy, holiness and ancestry
 Living on or near customary lands
 Strong self-determination of community governance through cultural practice.
Substantial risk factors that can affect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations’
social emotional health include:
 Widespread sorrow and displacement
 Effects of Stolen Generations and alienation of children
 Unresolved children trauma
 Isolation from family and identity
 Prejudice based on race or gender
 Economic and social deprivation
 Physical health problems
 Prison crime
 Substance abuse.

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From different studies and researches it has been observed by the researchers that the malpractice
of stolen generation has a negative effect in the minds of the children. In the childhood, children
get their primary education at home itself. Unfortunately, due to this removal of the aboriginal
children, they cannot learn from their families. Nowadays, in order to eliminate the problem of
stolen generation the Australian government took several initiatives to protect the rights and
interests of the indigenous individuals including children (Barney & Mackinlay, 2010). It is the
responsibility of the teachers and educators to treat all the students equally. Teachers must not
discriminate among the students. The teachers and educators must involve children, their
families and community for faster and stronger development of the society. To ensure the
implementation of social justice in the environment of education, it is crucial to recognize the
key dynamics leading to the effect of stolen generation on kids, their relatives and values.
Challenge and barrier related to the issue
Teachers face the daily challenge of dealing with kids from diverse cultures and
recognizing definite situations by cultivating diverse expertise and taking into account the
significant aspects of early education for children. It is the main duty of the early childhood
educators and teachers to gain knowledge on cultural and social position of the aboriginal people
in order to help them to be educated. However, the teacher and educator must involve only in
those matters which are related to the education of aboriginal people. The educators and teachers
must influence the aboriginal students to believe in their social and cultural values. In order to
endorse social justice and equality, it is important that experts recognize the communal, radical
and financial dynamics affecting children and their relatives. It has been observed that in the
learning environment, aboriginal children face many challenges. Therefore, it is the duty of the
teachers and educators to develop relationships with the families of the aboriginal children in

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order to understand the key role played by the families in the learning and development of
children. The teachers and educators must need to focus also on equality and social justice in
order to recognize the rights of the individual to accept and respect children and their families
(Halloran, 2004).
The possible effect on equity and inclusion in ECE
Various studies and researches regarding the emphasized intergenerational significances
of elimination, observing that devastating proof is the effect that does not end with the children
being detached. It is transmitted in nuanced and sometimes heightened ways by their own
children. Curing is needed for those children detached from their relatives, as well as for the left
behind mothers, relatives and groups.
Some authors described the malpractice of stolen generation as unresolved displacement,
suffering and sorrow related with forced removal as one of the utmost serious issues fronting by
indigenous people nowadays, while other authors conclude that compulsorily eliminating
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their relatives has left a strong legacy of
unrecognized and unsettled sorrow that has debilitating impact.
Educators must promote a generation with a solid sense of self-esteem, valuing racial
values of other people and principles within the public. An educator or a teacher must possess
the quality of a patient person. Being inclusive and valuing other cultures may encourage
friendly collaborations and decrease the probability of prejudice and segregation. The educators
of early childhood have a critical obligation to understand the dynamics of aboriginal culture and
connections with separate identities, experiences and principles. Early childhood settings are
needed in order to sustain and improve strategies and practices which replicate on relatives from

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diverse ethnic circumstances. Therefore, the difficulty of issues related to kids, their relatives and
the community need to be addressed to the educators and it is their obligation to tackle it
appropriately (Dudgeon et al., 2010).
It has been observed that, children play a vital role in order to remove social inequalities
from the education system by communicating with their families and community. In order to
ensure inclusive learning, several professionals engage in the procedure of constructing
associations between kids and relatives. In order to become confidant citizen, inclusive education
play a vital role. This learning system help the community to know about their rights, interests
and necessity to donate within the society as an active resident.
Impacts in relation to the rights, interest and needs
It is the key function of the educators and teachers to assure and respect the rights,
interests and requirements of the aboriginal kids without discriminating on the ground of race,
sex, caste, creed, religion, color, sexual orientation and disability. With the promotion of this
rights and interest, a strong relationship of trust and understanding may arise between the
teachers, educators, aboriginal children and their families. Positive changes in the learning
environment is helpful for good health and wellbeing (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005).
Advocating for children’s rights, desires and needs, educational practitioners have a sense
of responsibility for their activism of social justice. It has been seen that when the children are
comfortable with the environment, they are able to meet the learning needs, desires and rights
more that children deserve. Considerably, specialists who do not understand the needs and
interests of children can lead to a damage of membership in the learning environment. Early
childhood programs therefore have a responsibility to help families feel linked and improve a

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sense of belonging by offering those opportunities to encourage comprehensive learning for all
kids, regardless of their aboriginal values (Grace et al., 2013).
Strategies and Recommendation
In order to form an inclusive learning environment, the help of supportive and educated
parents are necessary because parents are those persons who have knowledge about their
children. The strategies include:
 Recognize and endorse Aboriginal and Islander children's rights and well-being along
with their families and groups;
 Support national programs to improve consequences for Aboriginal and Islander children,
including those encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation and integrated service
provision;
 Encourage Aboriginal and Islander children to participate actively in early childhood
education and treatment (Early childhood resource hub., 2016);
 Implement the ECA Action Plan for Reconciliation and support branches that also have
action plans for Reconciliation.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that, the aboriginal children
also have the same right like the other children in terms of getting education. In order to abolish
discrimination from the learning system, it is important to promote a learning environment in
order to show respect for all cultural differences and to provide equal opportunities of education.

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Recommendation
 Use of technical acquaintance and expertise to involve kids in communication with
teachers and educators in order to recognize and acknowledge dissimilarities of
aboriginal culture from other cultures;
 Address different family histories, cultures and beliefs honestly and openly to promote
constructive attitudes towards dissimilarities through humble communication and
collaborations;
 While communicating with the aboriginal children, educators and teachers must show
their respect towards aboriginal culture.

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Reference
Barney, K., & Mackinlay, E. (2010). 'Singing Trauma Trails': Songs of the Stolen Generations in
Indigenous Australia. Music and Politics, 4(2).
Commonwealth of Australia. (2005). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: Social and Emotional
Wellbeing. Retrieved from
http://www.responseability.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/4795/Aboriginal-and-Torres-
Strait-Islander-Social-and-Emotional-Wellbeing.pdf
Commonwealth of Australia. (2005). Bringing Them Home National Inquiry into the Separation
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. Retrieved from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/pdf/social_justice/
bringing_them_home_report.pdf
Cuthbert, D., & Quartly, M. (2013). Forced child removal and the politics of national apologies
in Australia. American Indian Quarterly, 37(1-2), 178-202.
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Dudgeon, P., Wright, M., Paradies, Y., Garvey, D., & Walker, I. (2010). The social, cultural and
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