teaching and learning
BUILDING CHANGE Building Change is an elective subject open to students in Year 9 and 10 at Ruyton. It addresses the uncomfortable subject of whether racism exists in Australia, and how we can learn effective ways to tackle racism and unconscious bias. With a ‘truth-telling’ but ultimately positive approach, students examine a variety of different topics, major themes and big ideas about First Nations communities in Australia. This year we built a strong friendship and connection with the senior girls’ class at Tiwi College, and in May we were lucky enough to host five students and two staff who came to Melbourne and experienced life at Ruyton. Darcie Kane-Priestley Director of Drama My perception of the world has shifted from our very first Building Change lesson. Trying to gauge how much we knew, Ms Kane-Priestley asked the class about what and whose land we were on, and we answered the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. Ms Kane-Priestley then asked us what the name of Melbourne was and I had no idea. It is Naarm. In a distinct moment, I realised how much, not just the struggles, but the beautiful living culture of the First Nations people is ignored, pushed to the sidelines, hidden or destroyed.
Getting to know the girls at Tiwi College and hearing about their lives was incredible. Hearing stories about swimming and hunting, and going camping with their families, as well as the culture they learn and live at school was such a beautiful experience. In class, we also listened to music written by First Nations Artists like Thelma Plum, or Briggs which was amazing too and opened my mind to new perspectives. But amongst the celebration, we learnt about the past and ongoing pain and trauma that First Nations people face. A Monologue by Gamilaroi/Torres Strait Islander woman Nakkiah Lui described it as ‘a slow genocide as each generation dies younger and younger’. People always say about the past ‘how could people just let that happen?’ but we are allowing governments to imprison a generation from as young as ten years old. We are feigning ignorance so that we can let languages, cultures and people die. Genocide and racism are not just in our past, they are our present and future unless we make a drastic change to value First Nations language, culture, and people. Juliet Bland Year 10 student
The most powerful part of this course for me was the First Nations voices we heard. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s perspectives and stories had almost always been placed in the past, learning about them through History classes that don't speak to the art, music, language, medicine, stories, singers, sport stars and more that make masterpieces and inspirations that have such a rich patchwork of the past and modern identity. 12
the ruyton reporter
