Abstract
Stories and literature play an important and necessary role in understanding the past and in creating the future. Yet, in colonised countries such as Australia, the status of contemporary national texts, particularly those reflecting the diverse voices of Indigenous writers, women, and other marginalised groups, continue to be underrepresented in schools. In this article, we explore the reasons why Australian texts continue to be marginalised in education, when there is a clear desire for diverse Australian voices amongst the reading public. We also consider the kinds of national identities that current text selection and teaching policies are creating and maintaining in schools. In order to develop these ideas, we draw on data collected via a survey of secondary English teachers for a pilot research project called Teaching Australia. In this project, we explored the Australian texts being selected and championed by teachers in secondary schools, the perceptions of nation and national identity these convey, and teachers’ approaches to including diverse Australian texts in their classrooms. In the final section of the paper, we consider some future opportunities for engagement with diverse Australian literature for teachers and students of English.
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Notes
The #ShareTheMicNow social media campaign was created by Indigenous author Tara June Winch and white author Zoe Foster Blake to give prominence to Black women and their work. The campaign encourages the takeover of prominent white women’s social media by Black and Indigenous women to amplify their voices and stories. See https://www.tarajunewinch.com/sharethemicnowaustralia.
It is important to note here that the film adaptation of Jasper Jones was released in 2017, after the date of the survey so teachers here are referring to Silvey’s book rather than the adaptation by Indigenous Director Rachel Perkins, which would have different implications and perspectives for teaching in classrooms.
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McLean Davies, L., Martin, S.K. & Buzacott, L. Critical considerations of the challenges of teaching national literatures in Australia in the 21st century. Aust. Educ. Res. 49, 463–479 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00448-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00448-6