Specialised training program helps Aboriginal ECEC educators 

Nine early childhood education and care (ECEC) students from communities in the Northern Territory have completed specialised training as part of a new approach which has been tailored to respect Aboriginal ways of learning.

Offered by the Batchelor Institute and the Department of Education, the Remote Indigenous Professional Development (RIPD) opportunity provided a ‘contextualised unpacking’ of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). 

At the conclusion of the session, which went over three days, the educators, in line with their current work experience, were granted recognition of prior learning for a unit of study in the CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

The workshop, held from November 4-6 at Batchelor Institute, brought together students from Maningrida, Borroloola, Warruwi, Milikapiti, Pularumpi, and Batchelor. Instead of traditional written assessments, the programme used innovative teaching methods that respect Aboriginal ways of learning.

VET Lecturer Lana Collier worked with Shontelle Petterson, Assistant Director of Early Childhood Top End Region, to create the unique programme, with the pair mapping the RIPD training to the requirements for CHCECE034: Use an approved learning framework to guide practice.

The three-day workshop focused on the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in a way that made sense to the participants. Students joined in “Yarning Circle” discussions, sharing their experiences and knowledge. These conversations helped them develop their own teaching and learning philosophies.

“It is exciting that Batchelor College has agreed to support the philosophy behind building Aboriginal capacity,” Ms Petterson explained.

Led by an Aboriginal educator who worked closely with the lecturer, the workshops allowed participating students to take the knowledge they gained back to their communities, and to share with other educators. 

For Ms Collier, the programme is a demonstration of the importance of taking ‘a fresh approach’ to education, one which values practical experience. 

“We need to support students to find the links between the complexities of Training.gov packaging rules and the real work that they do on the job, on a day-to-day basis,” she said. 

“Proving competence can be a treasure hunt, putting together workplace certificates, photographs and signed documents into the puzzle of the required elements of a training module.”

The RIPD team is now working on updating their training kit, with plans to release version 2 in the future. This initiative continues to support Batchelor Institute’s commitment to Both-Ways learning, which respects and combines Aboriginal and Western ways of knowing.

For early childhood educators interested in similar opportunities, contact Batchelor Institute’s VET Administration for more information about upcoming programmes.