In this article, I analyse a critical factor confronting Australian higher education—the involvement of Indigenous people in leadership and governance within universities. First, I examine the importance of this key factor in addressing the educational aspirations of Indigenous people at universities. Secondly, I discuss the results of a survey I conducted in 2012 on the approaches of universities towards the participation of Indigenous people in university leadership and governance. I argue that despite the demonstrable importance of this key factor, universities have clearly failed to genuinely address Indigenous leadership and governance. I also compare the results of the 2012 survey with the results obtained from similar previous surveys I conducted in 2000 and 2007.
In this paper, I discuss several key issues – governance, employment, research, culture, anti-racism policies, curriculum, student support and student success – that are critically important in enabling universities to meet the educational needs of Indigenous peoples. I also analyse a representative sample of Australian universities and argue that Australian universities have generally failed to adequately address these key issues. Further, I compare this study to a similar study that I conducted in 2000 and analyse any similarities and differences between the two studies.
There is often a disparity in Indigenous Affairs between many documents, such as policies, reports and legislation, and outcomes. This article explores this difference through analysing the policy area of Indigenous education during the period of 1991 to 2000. I examine three key documents relating to Indigenous education. These are theNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy, theCouncil for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act (Cth)and the report of theRoyal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. I then analyse the abysmal outcomes of Indigenous education over this period, including educational access, educational attainment, school attendance and reading benchmarks. I argue that the substantial educational disadvantage experienced by Indigenous people is in stark contrast to the goals, policies and objectives contained in the numerous documents on Indigenous education. I then explore the role of governments in contributing to this disparity between documents and outcomes in Indigenous education, including their failure to acknowledge the history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations, their lack of commitment to address Indigenous educational disadvantage, their failure to recognise self-determination and the lack of cooperation between governments to address Indigenous educational disadvantage.
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