For everyone Zeroing in on xenophobia
The Jumbunna Report delivers truths about the treatment of First Nations educators, recommending much-needed anti-racism reforms.
In partnership with the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research and the Diversity Council of Australia, the AEU has been examining experiences of racism amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers and educators. The Jumbunna Institute’s subsequent report contains recommendations of ways for the AEU to eliminate racism and deliver best practice bargaining clauses.
The AEU’s survey results are broadly consistent with the Jumbunna Institute’s larger findings around the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences in Australian workplaces. The union’s data shows that more than 20% of First Nations members have experienced discrimination that has led to them leaving a role.
Sadly, it was fellow educators, rather than students and parents, who were responsible for most of the racist behaviour reported, even though 36.4% of respondents said that their school has provided professional development on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Unsurprisingly, nearly half those who had experienced racism reported negative impacts on their physical and mental health.
“It’s up to each of us to work together to eradicate racism in schools.”
AEU federal secretary Kevin Bates
Many respondents have felt overwhelmed by expectations around representing their culture, sharing their background, and being made to feel responsible for First Nations issues. At the same time, some have been asked to be less outspoken about these same issues. A shocking 65% of respondents said they felt the need to work harder to prove they could do the job.
Around 50% experienced workplace racism yearly, while 8% noticed it weekly, citing abusive comments, insulting social media posts, and exclusion from events.
When the report was presented, the institute explained the need to promote cultural awareness training in schools, with recommendations on this and how to share the cultural load.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure our workplaces are safe spaces,” says AEU federal secretary Kevin Bates. “It’s important that the responsibility for calling out racist behaviour or comments doesn’t rest solely on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or other people of colour. It’s up to each of us to work together to eradicate racism in schools.”
Using the Gari Yala ‘ten truths’ as its framework, the Jumbunna Report’s recommendations include:
- Commit to engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members across the nation to explore truths in more detail.
- Ensure enterprise bargaining provisions are developed and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
- Develop provisions that reflect the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and legitimise their needs. This should include leave, anti-racism procedures as enforceable industrial concerns, payment for cultural knowledge and cultural concerns.
- Advocate for a baseline survey on cultural responsiveness across the sector and enforce training in workplaces with low levels of awareness.
- Build identity strain considerations into cultural responsiveness training and find industrial solutions where necessary.
- Redevelop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholder role descriptions to include cultural load considerations.
The AEU continues to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members to develop recommendations for anti-racism reforms.
In the VGSA 2022, AEU First Nations members led the work to win clauses that recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees may experience racism and culturally unsafe environments. The agreement commits to eliminating racism from schools and creating inclusive workplaces, as well as the provision of ongoing cultural awareness training for employees.
A new attendance clause requires schools to take into account the cultural responsibilities undertaken by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees, and to give consideration to the impact of these responsibilities in the context of the employee’s overall duties to determine whether any time release and/or special payment should be applied.
First Nations employees are now entitled to access up to three days of paid leave per year for ceremonial purposes and one day of paid leave to participate in NAIDOC Week. Additionally, these employees are entitled to seek approval to attend Aboriginal community meetings during paid working hours.
