New South Wales education bureaucrats have pledged to investigate claims that students at TAFE institutions are being required to participate in up to four Acknowledgements of Country daily. The calls for a review were initiated by state Liberal Upper House MP Rachel Merton, who argued for a scaling back of the Indigenous rituals.
TAFE students studying online reported to Merton that they must declare the traditional Aboriginal country from which they are logging in before proceeding with class modules. NSW Education Secretary Murat Dizdar expressed surprise at the reports during a recent budget estimates hearing, stating, "What caught my attention, is that you said … four times in the same day. So let's have a look at that."
Merton criticized the requirement as "utterly ridiculous," relaying student feedback that they feel uncomfortable with the repeated practice. "These are online classes, where students have to identify where they're learning from," Merton told radio host Ben Fordham. "Students report that they join the class late to avoid this, and some of them are unsure as to what the official name or status is of the land that they're joining on. The repetition and the sort of the compulsion on this completely discredits what they're hoping to achieve with this Welcome to Country."
Merton suggested that the mandatory nature of these acknowledgements could be a contributing factor to reports indicating that only 50 percent of TAFE students complete their courses. "Teachers are operating on that this is a mandatory requirement, and then the officials tell me during estimates that it's optional and there's no clear arrangement on this," she said. "As a consequence, we're seeing TAFE students not finishing courses and turning up late for classes."
Fordham echoed concerns that students might participate simply to avoid potential repercussions. "I wonder whether some people just do it and go through the motions because they fear that there'll be retributions or cancellation if they don't," he commented.
A spokesperson for TAFE NSW did not directly confirm whether the ritual is mandatory. "TAFE NSW exists to give people the skills and qualifications they need to get a job and build a career, and that remains its focus," the spokesperson said. "TAFE teachers can give an Acknowledgement of Country, consistent with Agency guidelines."
An Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for the traditional custodians of the land where an event or meeting is taking place. Unlike a Welcome to Country, which must be delivered by traditional owners or custodians, anyone can perform an Acknowledgement of Country.