What is NAIDOC Week? Celebrated annually in the first week of July across Australia, NAIDOC Week recognises the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through various activities, events and public support. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. With a different theme chosen each year, NAIDOC week works to raise awareness about key issues facing Australia’s First Nations peoples. This year’s theme is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.
Here at the VCAA, we continue to learn and grow through consultation, partnerships, collaboration, respect and representation. We look for ways to integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, histories, languages and cultures into our curriculums and study designs that are used in Victorian classrooms and schools.
As part of the review of the Victorian Curriculum F–10 in 2023, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority reference panel was established. The panel was co-chaired by Aunty Merle Miller, Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), and Jason Smallwood, Executive Director, Curriculum Division, VCAA. First People representatives from all school sectors and from academic institutions sat as members on this panel.
The panel was formed to ensure that the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples informed the review, by identifying key aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures that all Victorians should know. The panel revised the content of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority, ensuring the delivery of a respectful and culturally responsive curriculum that is relevant to the Victorian context. The panel also provided advice to the learning area curriculum managers, strengthening the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices within all learning areas in the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0.
Through the work of the panel, the VCAA has strengthened our understanding of the importance of self-determination, and the value of engaging authentically and deeply with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to co-design curriculum. We are excited to continue this work as we begin to develop resources that support familiarisation of the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 in Victorian schools.