Thank for the article.
(i) “A simple solution for the Minister is to make it a condition of federal funding to universities that all their enrolled trainee teachers undertake a compulsory unit in Indigenous Australian Studies. Many universities have such units in their education programmes.”
In recent decades, this appeal to governments to change curricula has been more harmful than helpful. For the further evolution of a liberal democratic republic able to negotiate its way in the world, these appeals need to be made to the students who were described, their parents, their communities, their teachers and to their institutions first. Governments cannot prescribe curricula, much as they try to.
(ii) I teach Physics. I bel;ieve that all people “need” to understand the basics of this subject to take their place in the world. What are these basics? How do they fit in with the basics of History? How are all of the basics to be learned in a “meaningful” way? The focus must be on the learner and “their place in history”. There were many valid observations made that serve this purpose.

Dear Mr Hagan and readers,

Might I start by congratulating people passionate and concerned about what kids get taught, and brainstorming ideal an history curriculum. I think that high school is scattered with certainly questionable compulsory study material, especially in subjects such as History and English.

Indeed from the article an impression that comes across of the current breed of school leavers is not one very highly thought of. Be sure not to sell us short - despite the High School syllabus leaving much to be desired, it would be hasty to give up hope on us all together.

I finished school quite recently and couldn't be more in favour of a revamp of the whole K-12 curriculum to give us all a better understanding of "White Australia" and our "Black History". However, I see it as far more complicated than this, even though I grew up in the bush schooled with many aboriginal kids - and despite my age and destiny to fall trap to the saturated media because of my unknowledgable stereotypical views, as you put it.

I can't speak for all Australian youth, so I won't. But don't give up on us yet, and bring on the changes. Until then, enough of the generalisations.

Dear Steven
in one of my other posts, I recommended that all of us of different ethnicity intermarry, and produce a wonderful new "Australian" of rich multi ethnic heritage, where the one thing tying us together, is our love for and committment to this country and our fellow Aussies.

There can only be ONE reason not to persue such a course :) and we know that what is...don't we.. its called 'racial superiority complex'.

This can happen at both ends of the scale. Some "White" Aussies may feel it is a genetic downturn to mix other ethnicities and skin colors with our precious 'whiteness' .. or you might even have black fella's who deep down feel they don't want their 'blackness' polluted by any whiteness.

Why don't we all GET OVER ourselves and realize that we are all human and all have something wonderful to offer from our ethnic backgrounds and cultural experience!

Can anyone give me a good reason (other than 'racial superiority') why blacks and whites and Asians and Middle easterners should not intermarry and become a more homogenous "Australian" society ?

I challenge ANYone to come up with a good reason other than ethnic pride and racism why this should not be encouraged, and by 'encouraged' I mean ACTIVELY not just by passive lip service.

Good on you edwardcav and thanks for contributing to this important debate.

Australia needs young people like you to speak up and speak out against the rubbish and lies we keep hearing about high school graduates.

Your fine contribution is evidence that our schools produce articulate and engaged young Australians, not the illiterate and disengaged rabble that so many curmudgeons around here like to portray you as being.

The most recent OECD figures (2003) show that Australia is fourth-placed in the world for literacy. This would not be possible if, as some suggest, the curriculum had been "ruined" during the last 20 years by "postmodernism and touchy-feely subjects and falling standards".

What do the chicken-littles haunting the highways and byways of the education debate make of that?

Those very same US kids that can name all their President's can't tell you where Australia is. Our kids are taught to think not recite names and dates that have no real meaning.
Names and date are for reference books. DB as loopy and off subject as ever.

Here is an example of an extract from The People of Perth written by Dr Tom Stannage. It writes about how over-friendliness with Aborigines caused a group to become dependent on the whites and to be virtually executed by the military.

A Mr Morgan complained to the editor of the Perth Gazette that it is true that the Aboriginals have become accomplished beggars.

Three weeks later two servants were speared by Aborigines on the Canning. This led to Yagan and Munday and their father Midgericoo being declared as outlaws even though there was some doubt that all three were present at the scene. The same week another son of Midgericoo, Domjun was shot at Fremantle by a Mr Chidlow, the native lingering three days from a ball lodged in his head. In the interim old Midgericoo had been captured and was sentenced to death in Perth - pinioned and blindfolded and tied to the outer door of Perth gaol and shot at six paces.

The Perth Gazette reported that ‘a great number of persons were assembled on the occasion.’

Further, as one who wrote a historical novel based on the early settlement of Western Australia, it can be seen how the lack of surety particularly of guilt concerning the so-called murderers, can cause much strain for the writer of a historical novel.

The question is, seeing that Mr Howard is not prepared to apologise for such historical happenings, what does he mean when he says we need to have a better knowledge of our history

When I was doing time at school, 62 - 73,the focus was on English history, which has been totally irrelevant to my life to this day, rather than Australian history. These days, with computers, all aspects of history are only a keystroke away, whether it is in the curriculum or not. I believe that the Japanese government is trying to surpress aspects of World War 2 in schools. Those kids are going find out eventually anyway once they get hold of a keyboard.

Dear Kenny,
some of us simply handball to other players....and the same game goes on, others like to shift the whole direction of the game, or change the game entirely :)

Stephen was speaking from an aparthied perspective, seeking to ensure 'whites' understand their 'black' history. I agree, this is a good thing, and it should lead us to the conclusion that a 'multicultural' approach to nation building is just a recipe for division, strife, and as Brushy showed 'discrimination and murder'.

I say.. lets change the game from 'us/them' to "us" why don't we ALL kick to the same goalposts of a new and vibrant Australia.

I guess ur just locked into your parochial partisan political mould :)
They should have sprayed silicone mould release on the mould before pouring in the epoxy mate

“Veni, vidi, vici” … “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Roman Consul Julius Caesar (47 BCE), according to Plutarch. England was also invaded by the Norseman French in 1066. Nomandy itself in 911. Australia was invaded in 1788. Apart from the 911 date, these histories are generally known and not buried.The history "is" known.

Teaching indigenous history is not a problem. History is history. But it should not be compulsory or used to leverage divisiveness.

Let us have some perspective please folks, Black Australians and White Australians are born tabla rose, history is the experience of forbearers. Pre-1788, history is valid, but it is no different than Anglo/Celts studying the Druits. All Aussies, Back and White, have clan histories, including indigenous Australian clans and indigenous (now migrant/invader) Anglo-Celtic clans. But we now live in the twenty-first century and we are in a federated country, our main attention should be towards the future.

My patrimonial ancestors come Rossyln (of De Vinci Code fame) in Scotland. In Tutor times, Cromwell had General Monk pretty tear-through and destroy Scottish villages. I know this history, but it would rather inappropriate to have this fact influence my views about the modern Englishpersons. It is time to move on.

Black, White. White, Black. It sounds like a colour chart. What about just Australian? We are all in a nation state not a fragmentation of clans. Clans are typically based around kin altruism; developed nation states, around mutualism. Scots and indigenous Australians can choose live in the here-and-now, or the past. The former live in this century, sociologically, but I suspect the latter might not. Being designated a “black” Australian makes, as about much sense, today, as being designed a “Druit” pom.

Stephen, your tend to contribute on one topic only, indigenous Aussies, what about street kids, police corruption or caring for the aged? If you have social conscience, why are your efforts so narrow?

TYPO: Tabla Rosa. We start with a blank slate. We learn our attitudes.

OLIVER ,I can not speak for Stephan but with having an Aboriginal family I can tell you that as a white man "this blackfella" won't be taking his foot off the cranky pedal until there is Social and Political Justice for our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
If we can get ever them on their feet when we look around next we will see that the other battlers will have had a hand up too.