Racism and Education Outcomes of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Children
Talia Avrahamzon, Dr Nicholas Biddle, Dr Naomi Priest
ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods
Research School of Social Sciences
Australian National University
Background
• Education disparities persist between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians
• Australian Government Indigenous Affairs priorities on
education
• Racism - impact on education, health and wellbeing
2
What is racism?
•
An organised system of oppression founded on the social
categorisation and stratification of social groups into ‘races’ that
devalues and disempowers groups considered to be inferior and
differentially allocates to them valued opportunities and resources
•
Three distinct, but interrelated, levels:
– Internalised
– Interpersonal
– Systemic or structural
•
Commonly expressed as prejudice (negative attitudes), stereotypes
(categorical beliefs) and discrimination (unequal treatment)
(Williams 2004)
Racism and Education, Health and Wellbeing
•
•
•
•
Racism operates through multiple mechanisms
Institutional and cultural racism can adversely affect health and education
through stigma, stereotypes, prejudice and racial discrimination
Differential access to SES and to a societal resources and opportunities
Impact on both the stigmatised and non-stigmatised
Children particularly vulnerable to racism’s harmful effects
Direct effects
• anxiety, depression, behaviour problems, substance use, immune and inflammatory biomarkers
Indirect/Vicarious effects
• pregnancy and birth outcomes, childhood illnesses, mental health
• mediated via carer mental health, parenting style, ethnic-racial socialisation, access to resources for
health e.g. healthcare, housing
Priest N et al. (2013) A systematic review of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and wellbeing for children and
young people. Social Science and Medicine.
4
Racism and Education Outcomes
• The school itself is the most common place children
experience racism and racial discrimination
• Racism associated negatively with attendance, standardised
maths and spelling scores
• Children whose carers felt they were discriminated against
because of their Indigenous status [were] significantly less
likely to be attending preschool
• Students’ acceptance and ‘own’ the negative stereotypes
5
Education Outcomes – Australian Government priorities
•
Four of the eight Closing the Gap targets are education focussed
•
2014 & 2015 CtG Reports one of three priorities: getting children to school: [A]ny work in
these priority areas must be underpinned by improving the health and wellbeing of
individuals, families and communities.
•
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan (NATSIH) 2013-23 - racism is
acknowledged as a “key social determinant of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people”.
•
Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning, Reconciliation Australia
•
18 September 2015: Changes to the National Curriculum – schools no longer required to
teach about Reconciliation Action Week, NAIDOC Week, Harmony Day. Greater focus on
Western civilisation.
6
Study Aims
• Is there an association between carer assessed
experiences of racism and racial discrimination and
a child’s academic self-concept, literacy and
numeracy skills, subjective wellbeing and
absenteeism?
• Is there an association between carer and / or family
experiences of racism and a child’s academic selfconcept, literacy skills, numeracy skills, and
absenteeism?
Methods and data
•
Data – Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children
•
Kid cohort (up to 591 children)
•
•
Experience of discrimination measured in Wave 3, 4 and 5 (Aged 5-9)
Outcomes measured in Wave 6 (Children aged 8-10)
•
Carer report of discrimination
•
•
•
•
As far as you know, has (STUDY CHILD) been bullied or treated unfairly at preschool / school because (he /
she) is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
How often does your family experience racism, discrimination or prejudice
Seven outcomes (mean = 0, s.d. = 1)
•
•
•
Child reports (self perception, wellbeing at school, cultural identity)
Teacher reports (attendance rate)
Assessment scales (maths and reading)
•
Parent reports (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire)
Two models for each dependent variable
•
Model 1 – Discrimination only; Model 2 – Discrimination and gender, age, remoteness, carer education,
household finances and mobility.
8
Results (I) – Experience of discrimination
Family experience
Wave 3
Wave 5
Every day
2%
2%
Every week
2%
2%
Sometimes
10%
Child experience
Wave 4
Bullied
6%
Treated unfairly
1%
Both
1%
14%
Occasionally
15%
15%
Never or hardly ever
72%
67%
Neither
93%
9
Results (II) – Effect of discrimination
Difference in index between
those who have and have not
experienced discrimination
0.1
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
-0.25
Model 1
-0.3
Model 2
-0.35
-0.4
Self
Subjective
perception wellbeing
at school
Cultural
identity
Maths
Reading
Strengths Attendance
and
in current
Difficulties school year
10
Future work
Data limitations
• What is the context of the racism?
• Children’s experience?
• Who are the stigmatised and who are the non-stigmatised?
• Ethnic-racial socialisation messages and approaches to support positive
racial/ethnic attitudes, beliefs and behaviours and to counter bias and
prejudice
– Need for response for both stigmatised and non-stigmatised
– Schools that offer teaching of Indigenous history and culture, and Indigenous language
has positive impact on attendance of Indigenous children
11
Talia.Avrahamzon@anu.edu.au
Nicholas.biddle@anu.edu.au
Naomi.priest@anu.edu.au
12