Campaign for Education Ministers, Shadow Education Ministers and relevant Party Spokespeople in Federal, State and Territory Governments to commit appropriate levels of ongoing funding to all schools to enable them to employ locally approved First Nations Cultural Educators. We the undersigned organisations commit to:

1. Walk Together.

Know Your Country is a First Nations informed and led campaign bringing together people and organisations of all backgrounds to work together. The Campaign Working Group is a safe place for First Nations people and groups to genuinely collaborate and their experiences, skills and knowledge will be respected by all involved with the campaign.

2. Create culturally safe working environments.

Schools should be culturally safe working environments where First Nations Cultural Residents feel welcomed, empowered and confident to partner with school staff and students. Cultural residents are guides and mentors. It is not the Cultural Residents’ responsibility to carry the burden of “all things First Nations” at the school. Reconciliation and the education about First Nations histories and cultures is everybody’s business.

3. Create culturally nurturing schools.

Every school in Australia should continually improve their cultural competency regardless of the number of First Nations students enrolled. This includes reflecting on elements such as curriculum, pedagogies, physical environment, events, policies and procedures.

4. Connect schools to Country.

All schools are on the traditional lands of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. All schools should engage with their local First Nations community – where possible with help from local and peak education groups like the AECG (NSW) or VAEAI (Victoria) - to recruit onto staff Cultural Residents chosen by that community to guide every class from Prep to Year 6 in understanding First Nations communities’ connections to Country and how students themselves can learn to care for Country.

5. Help ALL students.

All students must be taught First Nations perspectives and content as per the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority. This can’t be optional or tokenistic. Local First Nations Cultural Residents should be employed to help bring local perspectives and content in the curriculum to life.

6. Help educators.

All new and existing teachers need professional development support to meet AITSL standards 1.4 and 2.4. Local First Nations Cultural Residents will support teachers to build confidence and partnerships with other members of their local community and incorporate their pedagogies.

7. Make First Nations languages and cultures thrive.

All efforts must be made to preserve First Nations languages and cultures for future generations. Local First Nations Cultural Residents can play a role in helping the school to respect, celebrate and embed First Nations culture in and around the school.

8. Make Education Ministers accountable.

All Education Departments must properly resource the above in order to put into action the objectives stated in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration signed by every Minister in December 2019.