Changing school culture
One of the greatest concerns that is influencing the level of success of Indigenous students is the deficit model of thinking that is quite often embedded within school culture. Please look at the diagram above and take notice of the cyclical nature of the deficit model. This diagram does not encourage blame, but instead highlights the need for school culture to change.
One example of changing school culture was the controversial Strong and Smart program implemented at Cherbourg State School from 1998 to 2003 by the school’s first Indigenous Principal, Chris Sarra (Sarra 2003). Cherbourg State School is a success story that underpins the advantages of a changing school culture and how this changing culture has supported Indigenous Australian educational success.
One example of changing school culture was the controversial Strong and Smart program implemented at Cherbourg State School from 1998 to 2003 by the school’s first Indigenous Principal, Chris Sarra (Sarra 2003). Cherbourg State School is a success story that underpins the advantages of a changing school culture and how this changing culture has supported Indigenous Australian educational success.
Changing School Culture: Sarra's Challenge in Cherbourg
Sarra believed that in order to facilitate change at Cherbourg State School (CSS), he had to approach challenges and issues differently. Before Sarra became the principal at CSS, the school reflected: a lack of pride in self, school and Aboriginality; extremely poor attendance rates; low expectations of students’ behaviour and student performance; and had very low and decreasing enrolments (Sarra 2011). When Sarra became the principal of CSS, as a proud Aboriginal man, Sarra stated ‘Cherbourg school had to change’ (Sarra 2011, p. 16). In order to facilitate change, Sarra realised he would have to approach these challenges differently. According to Freire, approaches to change ‘can be exercised as a resource to expel dominant ideology and open up spaces in consciousness for transcending thinking’ (cited in Slee 2001, p. 174). By approaching these challenges CSS faced differently, Sarra attempted to shift the mindset that generally accepted Aboriginal under achievement to a mindset where all believed in better outcomes from the students at CSS (Sarra 2011) By changing the culture of the school, Sarra believed, that in time, the students of CSS could perform at a level that could be comparable to other students from any other state school within the state whilst at the same time develop a strong sense of what it means to be Aboriginal in today’s society.
In addition, the role of being the principal at CSS was critical component for change as Sarra utilised this position to influence the whole culture of the school. By engaging with the community through meaningful dialogue, Sarra developed meaningful and respectful relationships between the school, parents and the community (Sarra 2011). Once these positive relationships were established, Sarra began consolidating a school vision. As Sarra knew what he wanted for the students of CSS, he was able to consolidate a school vision that could be aligned with the ‘power brokers’ of the community: the community, community Elders and parents (Sarra 2011). Therefore, a new vision was established, encapsulating the school motto ‘Strong and Smart’.
The ‘Strong and Smart’ program established a strong foundation for cultural change in the school to occur. According to Slee (2001, p. 175), schooling should ensure individual enhancement by ensuring the conditions in which to build confidence in the individual. It is the individual right to social, cultural and intellectual inclusions where the notions of assimilation and/or intended absorption of the dominant society are not implied. The ‘Strong and Smart’ program adopted these conditions, taking on students’ own negative perceptions of who they were as Aboriginal children. With teachers setting a high standard of expectations for behaviour and academic responsibility, parents and grandparents agreed that it was not unreasonable to expect more. By valuing and utilising Indigenous staff, focusing on Indigenous role models, developing a whole-of-school Aboriginal studies program and solidarity within the school, these were key actions that reinforced cultural change, promoting a shift of mindset where Aboriginal students were proud of their Aboriginality and were achieving national averages in comparison to other state schools (Sarra 2003).
In addition, the role of being the principal at CSS was critical component for change as Sarra utilised this position to influence the whole culture of the school. By engaging with the community through meaningful dialogue, Sarra developed meaningful and respectful relationships between the school, parents and the community (Sarra 2011). Once these positive relationships were established, Sarra began consolidating a school vision. As Sarra knew what he wanted for the students of CSS, he was able to consolidate a school vision that could be aligned with the ‘power brokers’ of the community: the community, community Elders and parents (Sarra 2011). Therefore, a new vision was established, encapsulating the school motto ‘Strong and Smart’.
The ‘Strong and Smart’ program established a strong foundation for cultural change in the school to occur. According to Slee (2001, p. 175), schooling should ensure individual enhancement by ensuring the conditions in which to build confidence in the individual. It is the individual right to social, cultural and intellectual inclusions where the notions of assimilation and/or intended absorption of the dominant society are not implied. The ‘Strong and Smart’ program adopted these conditions, taking on students’ own negative perceptions of who they were as Aboriginal children. With teachers setting a high standard of expectations for behaviour and academic responsibility, parents and grandparents agreed that it was not unreasonable to expect more. By valuing and utilising Indigenous staff, focusing on Indigenous role models, developing a whole-of-school Aboriginal studies program and solidarity within the school, these were key actions that reinforced cultural change, promoting a shift of mindset where Aboriginal students were proud of their Aboriginality and were achieving national averages in comparison to other state schools (Sarra 2003).
Sarra, C 2003, Young and black and deadly: strategies for improving outcomes for indigenous students, Australian College of Educators, Deakin West, ACT.
Sarra, C 2011, Strong and smart – towards a pedagogy for emancipation: education for first peoples, Routledge, New York.
Slee, R 2001, ‘Social justice and the changing directions in educational research: the case of inclusive education’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 167-177, accessed 22 May 2012, Ebsco database
Sarra, C 2011, Strong and smart – towards a pedagogy for emancipation: education for first peoples, Routledge, New York.
Slee, R 2001, ‘Social justice and the changing directions in educational research: the case of inclusive education’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 167-177, accessed 22 May 2012, Ebsco database
'Strong and Smart'
The program adopted the following measures:
•Engagement with the power brokers in the community - community council, Elders, parents - to help develop a vision for the school, until there was a collective understanding of what each stakeholder expected from every other stakeholder.
•Students monitoring their own 'unexplained absences' as a class, which then had to be explained to the whole school at assembly. Every Friday, the class with the fewest absences won free ice blocks from the tuckshop. 'Unexplained absences' dropped 94 per cent in over a year.
•Introduction of school motto, uniform, and song. Students were assigned to keep different areas of the school tidy and litter free, all ways of expressing individual and collective pride.
•Alteration of the school maintenance contract so that local Aboriginal people would be engaged to work at the school -providing another set of role models apart from teachers and aides.
•An Aboriginal studies program was made integral to the curriculum from Preschool to Year 7, with studies focussing on the local area and occupying two hours per week (Sarra 2003).