Marrung

Marrung is the Wemba Wemba word for the Murray Cypress pine tree, representing branches of education and knowledge. We thank the Wemba Wemba people for allowing the use of their language in the naming of this plan.

Our vision

Victoria will be a state where:

• the rich and thriving culture, knowledge and experience of our First Nations peoples are celebrated by all Victorians
• our universal service systems are inclusive, responsive and respectful of Koorie people at every stage of their learning and development journey
• every Koorie person achieves their potential, succeeds in life, and feels strong in their cultural identity.

Working in partnership with Koorie Victorians

Consistent with the principle of self-determination, Marrung has been developed with:

• Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated
• Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
• Victorian Community Controlled Health Organisation.

Strong partnerships with these organisations and with the Koorie community will be the foundation for the implementation and governance of Marrung.

Priority areas and actions

To achieve its vision, Marrung encompasses actions that aim to:

1. Create a positive climate for learning and development where services demonstrate the highest levels of respect and inclusion and, as a result, Koorie children and learners of all ages feel strong in their identity within all services.
2. Build community engagement in learning and development so that, through partnership and collaboration, services work together with Koorie people to find innovative ways to improve outcomes in local communities.
3. Build a culture of professional leadership where success for Koorie Victorians is core business for all educational leaders.

4. Achieve excellence in teaching, learning and development at all stages so that:

   • young Koorie children are on track in their health, development and well-being, and their early learning experience sets them up for life
   • Koorie students engage fully throughout their schooling years and gain the knowledge and skills to excel at Year 12 or its equivalent
   • Koorie learners transition successfully into further education and employment, and have opportunities to access education at all stages of life.

Governance

Annual ministerial roundtable

An annual ministerial Roundtable will be established to monitor the progress of Marrung against key targets and measures, and to identify and respond to emerging issues and priorities.

Alignment with other government initiatives

Marrung aligns with broader state and national strategies and frameworks designed to improve the lives of Koorie Victorians and their communities. These strategies and frameworks inform the targets and measures under Marrung.

• Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework
• Roadmap for reform: strong families, safe children
• Victorian Aboriginal Economic Strategy
• Council of Australian Governments - Closing the Gap targets

Documents

• Marrung, Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 (PDF, 1MB)
• Marrung, Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 (DOCX, 73KB)
• Marrung - fold-out poster (PDF, 289KB)

Child safe standards

Marrung includes work to support schools to create and maintain the Child Safe Standards. Schools are required to comply with the standards as part of the prescribed minimum standards for registration including:

• Standard 1: Culturally safe environments – Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

The following rubric has been designed to provide guidance and checklists to support schools to create and maintain a Child Safe Standard 1:

• Child Safe Standard 1 Rubric A3 (PPTX, 11.7MB)

For educators

• Koorie learning resources

We acknowledge and pay respect to Elders and all Victorian Aboriginal communities. We honour and respect Traditional Owners, past and present, and value the rich culture and history of the First Peoples of this land.

Self-determination in education reform

Overview

A campfire is a place where everyone has a spot to sit; to listen, share and connect with each other. It is a place for storytelling and deep listening.

A state-wide consultation and codesign process commenced in 2022 to develop options to progress Aboriginal self-determination in the education system. The process, framed as ‘Campfire Conversations’, ensured engagement was grounded in storytelling and deep listening, creating a space for sharing stories and insights.

Throughout 2022, over 180 Campfire Conversations brought together community, young people and schools together to build a shared understanding of what self-determination is and what it means to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in education.

The purpose of the Campfires, storytelling and deep listening was to:

• build and strengthen partnerships between Koorie communities and schools.
• provide schools with an opportunity to better understand how they can strengthen self-determination in everyday practice.
• improve attendance, engagement and achievement for Koorie learners.
• develop a range of changes to improve agency and success for Koorie people in schools.

Final Report

The report below, Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education Campfire Conversations: reflections and directions 2022 – 2023, synthesises what was heard through the Campfire Conversations. While the findings and the principles of self-determination are not new to community, the report provides clear direction for education to evolve as a system that includes and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education (DOCX - 10.3KB)
• Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education (PDF - 21KB)

Conceptual Framework

The animation below provides an overview of the process and the conceptual framework which summarises the key themes that emerged throughout the Campfire Conversations. Also provided are printable versions of the conceptual framework.

• Conceptual framework - A3 size (PDF, 2.31MB)
• Conceptual framework artwork - A1 size (PDF, 2.24MB)

Campfire Conversations

The Campfire Conversations were an important step for schools in building and nurturing relationships with Koorie learners, families and members of the wider Koorie community.

For most schools, the Campfire Conversations were a new approach which required a different way of thinking and doing to engage with community. Campfire Conversations helped schools create a space that was culturally safe and empowering for community to share stories, experiences and knowledge that will improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for Koorie learners.

The following videos provide insights and reflections on what was shared at Campfire Conversations and how they can support other schools to better support Koorie learners and their families.

Reflections of Campfire Conversations

This video provides an overview of the Campfire Conversations that took place and includes participants sharing their reflections of the process.

Impact on student engagement and self-efficacy

This video highlights the positive impacts that Campfire Conversations had on Koorie students, including the power of their voices being heard and valued by the school.

Families

This video provides insight into Koorie families and generational experiences in education that may impact on student engagement.

Building Community Connections

This video highlights reflections on the Campfire Conversations as a powerful process for bringing members of the Koorie community together and building ongoing relationships.

Key themes – What we have heard

This video summarises some of the key themes that emerged through the Campfire Conversations.

Possum Skin Statements

A Koorie Young People Advisory Group was established, consisting of twelve young people from across Victoria, aged 13-25, to discuss the initiative and the findings from the Campfire Conversations.

Members generously shared their own stories in response to the feedback, and it was evident that young people share many of the same challenges in education despite their unique stories and journeys.

The group came up with a list of statements designed to provide teachers with greater insight and disrupt practice that perpetuates the negative experiences reflected in the findings. These statements were collated to form a possum skin cloak artwork with each statement adding a pelt. There is more information on the meaning the artwork on page 40 of the report above. The possum skin cloak artwork is available in a range of visual forms below to be used in education spaces.

• Possum skin artwork with background - A3 poster (PDF, 998KB)
• Possum skin artwork - A1 poster (PDF, 3.22MB)

The video below provides an overview of the statements that were included in the final report and their significance to the self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

Self-determination next steps for schools and corporate

School staff and corporate teams are encouraged to reflect on their current practices to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families, and communities in achieving self-determination in education. The following resources provide a practical tool to assist reflection, conversation and action.

• What can schools do now? (PDF, 760KB)
• What can corporate do now? (PDF, 770KB)

Koorie Academy of Excellence

The Koorie Academy of Excellence (KAE) is a joint initiative between the Department and Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI) under Marrung, action 7b.

The Koorie Academy of Excellence is built on 4 foundational pillars. They are:

• connection to culture
• leadership
• academic strength and engagement
• career passion and knowledge.

The KAE program supports Koorie secondary school students to be culturally strong, be leaders in their community, aspire towards completing Year 12 and to pursue a study or career pathway of their choice as they become the next generation of Koorie leaders.

Secretary's Marrung Awards

The Secretary's Marrung Awards are an action of the department's Aboriginal Employment Plan 2019-2026. The awards provide an opportunity to recognise good practice in Aboriginal education and inclusion. Through recognition of practices, projects and innovations that promote self-determination and inclusion from within the Department of Education we inspire others and celebrate success.

The awards celebrate the unique knowledge and skills that Aboriginal staff bring to the department, and the work of allies who walk alongside, to create better educational outcomes for Aboriginal students. This may be in roles that focus on communications, policy, program delivery, student support, teaching, allied health, or leadership.

The inaugural awards were held in June 2022.

Visit Secretary's Marrung Awards to learn about the inspiring winners.

Contact marrung@education.vic.gov.au.

Promoting participation and engagement for Koorie learners in VET

The Department, in partnership with VAEAI, has authored a discussion paper that outlines our plans to implement Marrung action 8a:

“Develop options for a revised approach to supporting Koorie learners engage and participate successfully in VET [including] through the redesign of the existing Koorie VET workforce”

Visit Engage Victoria to read and respond to the discussion paper, and to find out how to engage in a regional consultation near you.

Contact us

Koorie Outcomes Division, marrung@edumail.vic.gov.au.