Can we end racism in Australia?
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Late in 2024, Giridharan Sivaraman, Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, launched the National Anti-Racism Framework. Developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission, it is described as the most comprehensive plan ever to eliminate racism in the country. The key priority areas include: justice and legal systems, health, education, workplaces, media and the arts, and data collection. Download the Framework here.
This Tacking Racism video from SBS news introduces the Framework succinctly.
Recommendations for the education sector
Of particular interest to teachers, are the recommendations for the education sector. In brief these recommendations include:
- introducing nationally consistent anti-racism content in school curricula
- embedding knowledge, scholarship, and texts by First Nations and other negatively racialised communities in curricula and education materials
- the development and implementation of culturally safe mechanisms for students and staff to report racism, as well as a holistic cultural safety review of education provision in primary and secondary schools
Trusted platforms like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Narragunnawali, and Common Ground provide culturally safe content created with or by First Nations voices. The Australian Refugee Council and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre feature stories from diverse voices.
Building a diverse classroom library, using media created by diverse authors, and integrating critical thinking around race and identity all help foster meaningful, respectful engagement with multiple perspectives. The Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Hub, and Racism. No Way! provide practical tools and perspectives to support inclusive teaching.
Conducting a holistic cultural safety review includes looking at school culture, curriculum, staff training, and community engagement, Such a review can help identify structural barriers and ensure meaningful, sustained change. Resources including Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali platform, The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Racism. It Stops With Me campaign, and the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework offer guidance on anti-racism policy development, reporting frameworks, and restorative practices.
Our free resources
We have many free resources for teachers and students (Y3-10). Register for free to access all resources. View an annotated list of online teacher PD. Access an annotated list of primary and secondary online materials.
View details of the free face-to-face programs we offer students and teachers around Australia.
Inspired by the words of Giridharan Sivaraman, Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, we created this poster. It can be printed up to A2 size. Download your free copy.
About the Author
Kathleen (she/her) is a former primary school teacher. Her family came to Australia from Scotland and Ireland in the late 1800s. She was born on Mandandanji country in Roma and now lives and works on Kabi Kabi country on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Copyright
Metadata © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Together for Humanity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Copyright
Metadata © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Together for Humanity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Stage: All
- Curriculum: All
- Topics: Racism & discrimination