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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 5092 ..

(3) How are teachers asked to deal with racism in schools.

Teachers are expected to deal with racism in the same way that they deal with other unacceptable behaviours. This generally means that when they see racial harassment occurring they:

. identify the behaviour as unacceptable and tell students to stop it

. indicate the consequences of repetition

. initiate behaviour management procedures if the behaviour does not stop.

This may involve time in a timeout room or other procedures.

Under the department's new Anti-Racism Policy, complaints of racism can be made by staff, students or their parents or caregivers to the teacher or principal. Anti-Racism Contact Officers for Staff and for Students will be appointed and will support and advise complainants about ways the problem can be dealt with. These range from personal resolutions, informal in-school approaches and formal complaints to the Principal or the Director (Schools) for their area.

Under this policy, teachers and schools are asked to take an educative approach to racism and to develop the understanding of staff and students of what racism is, how it works, its effects and how to deal with it.

(4) How is it dealt with within the curriculum.

Racism can be approached directly through units of work on prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination and racism. These may be developed under the strands of Studies of Society and Environment, for example in historical, legal, or cultural studies, or in other contexts, such as through literature, art and other media.

The Across Curriculum Perspectives Statements and Curriculum Support Papers which are currently being published and will be in schools in February 1997 provide some guidance on dealing with racism through the curriculum:

. Through the multicultural education perspective, for example, students learn how language is used to position people and groups and to identify bias, stereotyping, prejudice and racism. The need for teachers to challenge prejudice and racism in students and for students to identify and challenge racism is made explicit.
Content should include an analysis of social structures that perpetuate racism.

. The Aboriginal education and Torres Strait Islander education perspectives also promote the development of cross cultural awareness and culturally sensitive attitudes. Students should show skills in identifying racism and dealing with it at a personal level and in challenging the way society constructs and perpetuates the attitudes, values and behaviours that surround the notion of race.

In the Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) Curriculum Framework, knowledge, skills and values and attitudes that counteract discrimination and racism are promoted:

. the social justice perspective addresses human rights issues, decision making processes, social values and the quality and equity of social relationships

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