Reducing racism in education: embedding Indigenous perspectives in curriculum

Abstract

AbstractThis paper begins with a discussion of a program of work to map and embed Indigenous perspectives at RMIT University, outlines issues relating to the uptake of its guiding principles and actions, and then proposes a rethinking of the work. The authors argue that non-Indigenous educators are often ill equipped to undertake curriculum deconstruction or review. They lack a comprehensive understanding of colonial history, truth telling, racism, and the impact of power dynamics, with its institutional privileging of whiteness. It is often only with this foundational knowledge that staff are positioned to undertake curriculum analysis and ensure that their teaching environments are culturally safe. While this paper is case specific, the original project and the reconsideration of behaviours and actions are relevant to all educational institutions facing similar stumbling blocks when it comes to informing educators in the knowledge and capabilities required to include Indigenous perspectives in curricula and to create safe teaching environments.