ABSTRACT
Australian Indigenous people generally want what all people want for their children; access to a high-quality education. However, it is clear that they also want their children to have a strong sense of their own identity and their uniqueness as Australia’s First Peoples. Curriculum is a very broad concept that many institutions (including schools) find difficult to define. It includes knowledge, skills and content, delivery and teaching, assessment and reporting to parents. Research indicates that negative stereotypes in curriculum materials presented to students can damage self-concept. This can result in negative behaviours by students. According to the Standards, good teachers know their students and how they learn. They also know the content to be taught and how best to teach it and recognise that this involves knowing the students’ interests, home backgrounds, languages and cultures.
