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Education programs across Australia

New South Wales

Training and development

• Aboriginal Education Policy Training and Development Program
• Aboriginal Teachers Support Programs
• Anti-Racism Education Initiatives
• Anti-Racism Education Project Implementation (AREPI) Training
• Anti-Racism Education Training Networks
• Challenging Racism: Training Program in the Role of the Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO)
• Countering Discrimination
• English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Mainstream
• Graduate Certificate in TESOL for ESL Teachers
• Identity, Culture and Conflict Kit
• Overseas Trained Teachers Program

Aboriginal Education Policy Training and Development Program

A comprehensive training program in the Aboriginal Education Policy has been implemented and will continue until 2000, by which time all schools will have received training. This training is supported by a resource package given to every participant.

Aboriginal Teachers Support Programs

A number of programs are in place to support Aboriginal teachers and school leaders in their current and future careers. These include: the Aboriginal Leadership Program, the Aboriginal Educational Mentor Program and the Aboriginal Teachers' Career Pathway Program.

Anti-Racism Education Initiatives

Anti-Racism Education Initiatives are organised by district anti-racism co-ordinators and/or multicultural consultants in district offices. Initiatives include:

• anti-racism education forums
• anti-racism education workshops
• anti-racism education meetings.

Training initiatives involve school community members including students, parents and wider community members.

Anti-Racism Education Project Implementation (AREPI) Training

The NSW Department of Education and Training provides training to schools for implementing anti-racism education projects.

Anti-Racism Education Project Implementation (AREPI) training is delivered by district offices. The training provides school representatives with the knowledge and skills required to effectively implement an anti-racism education project in their community. The intended outcomes for this one-day training program are that participants:

• can outline the scope and need for anti-racism education in schools
• can use the whole school anti-racism planning guide
• are familiar with the action plan for anti-racism education
• can develop and implement projects that promote identifiable anti-racism benefits /outcomes.

AREPI training is co-ordinated through the Multicultural Programs Unit. Schools considering implementing an anti-racism education project can request training through their district office.

Anti-Racism Education Training Networks

Anti-Racism Education Training Networks can be organised by district anti-racism co-ordinators and/or multicultural consultants in district offices as a follow up to anti-racism training and development programs.

Challenging Racism: Training Program in the Role of the Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO)

The Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO) is the teacher in a school who on receiving a complaint about racism:

1. assists the complainant in the writing of the complaint
2. identifies which procedures apply
3. informs the complainant of the process and their rights
4. refers the complaint to the delegate.

The delegate is the position with the authority to initiate the procedure to deal with the complaint. The ARCO can be nominated to assist the delegate but it is not the role of the ARCO to lead the negotiation or investigation or to seek resolution of the issue by conciliation.

Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO) training is delivered by district officers and provides the ARCO with the knowledge and skills required to perform their role. The intended outcomes for this one-day training program are that participants will:

• have an understanding of the extent and effects of racism
• understand the roles and responsibilities of Anti-racism Contact Officers and delegates when dealing with complaints of racism in schools and other Department of Education and Training workplaces
• understand the Anti-Racism Statement and Responding to Suggestions, Complaints and Allegations procedures and their rights and responsibilities in relation to them
• have developed skills for dealing with complaints of racism.

ARCO training is co-ordinated through the Multicultural Programs Unit of the NSW Department of Education and Training. Schools needing to train their ARCO can request training through their district office.

Countering Discrimination

The Countering Discrimination package provides a wide range of flexible strategies and resource materials to assist schools to clarify and meet their obligations related to discrimination. It updates information on anti-discrimination requirements and highlights opportunities for school communities to plan action within a student welfare framework in areas such as:

• personal safety for students and staff
• discipline and behaviour management
• respectful relationships
• diversity
• equity
• anti-bullying and anti-harassment
• child protection.

English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Mainstream

A professional development program for classroom teachers of ESL students. It includes modules on strategies for the classroom and developing understanding of cultural diversity.

Graduate Certificate in TESOL for ESL Teachers

The Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for English as a Second (ESL) teachers is a course sponsored by the NSW Department of Education and Training. Training courses are provided for newly appointed ESL teachers who are not trained in TESOL. Course partipicpants are required to complete one year of part-time study. Course delivery is a mix of face-to-face, online learning and professional practice.

Identity, Culture and Conflict Kit

Identity, Culture and Conflict is a training package designed to stimulate discussion of issues in anti-racism education among staff and community members of schools and colleges. The package contains a video of eight brief ‘trigger’ segments and a proposed workshop outline for each segment. The video segments and targeted issues include:

• Reflections (personal identity)
• Reconciliation (Reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
• Playing the game (identifying racism in educational settings)
• The Whistle blower (institutional racism)
• Finding a place (catering for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds)
• No yakking (use of languages other than English in the classroom)
• To be or not to be (tackling ‘sensitive’ issues like racism in schools and colleges)
• Just listen (promoting quality first impressions at the front office)

With adaptations from teachers, the first three segments, Reflections, Reconciliation and Playing the Game may be useful as stimulus for similar discussions with students in secondary school classrooms.

Overseas Trained Teachers Program

The Overseas Trained Teachers Program provides an orientation course, information evenings, in-school support and counselling services to all overseas trained teachers who have been given approval to teach in NSW Government schools. Courses are free for these teachers.