This session looked at the issues related to disadvanatged groups. Click here to see the presentatons from Curriculum Corporation.
Early Intervention - Frank Oberklaid, RCH
Brain plasticity occurs in the first years of a person’s life. Consequently, much of the shaping of the ‘person’ occurs before kids enter schools. Hence, investment in early intervention well before school is not wasted but a true investment. Why is childcare in Australia undervalued? Comments when ask is government responding to evidence? He quoted a Zen Buddhist who says ‘There is a lot of noise on the stairs but no-one is entering the room’
Social justice inclusion - Tony Keenan - Hannover
Skilled labour is driving this agenda and will grow even in the economic turndown. Inaction results in substantial human and social cost and entrenched generational disadvantage. Move from a passive to interventionist inclusion based approach. Homelessness marginalises many of our students in schools. 17% increase in families since 2001 census. Tony called for the ‘joining up’ of welfare, human services and educational services so that these issues can be co-jointly tackled.
Peter Buckskin - Are the answers in the mainstream?
Peter says that the Minister Gillard needs to acknowledge Indigenous as a key group in her social inclusion agenda. Peter says that there are still very poor outcomes for aboriginal children in mainstream education. He spoke of the targets that this government have set within the next ten years……have been problems not solved over the past 30 years….and he is not confident that we will solve in the next 30 years. He spoke about how identity matters even for aboriginal kids and we need to understand their identity and cultural background and language.
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