'Ethical Positioning' a Strategy in Overcoming Student Resistance and Fostering Engagement in Teaching Aboriginal History As a Compulsory Subject to Pre-Service Primary Education Students (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION (2) The official organisation that accredits university teacher education courses in New South Wales the NSW Institute of Teachers (NSWIT) listed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education as a mandatory area of study (3) for all pre-service teachers (see the New South Wales Institute of Teachers Policy and Procedures for Approval of Initial Teacher Training Programs). (1) The assumed rationale was that this would facilitate the Primary Education students' capacity to be culturally inclusive, responsive to Indigenous students in their classroom and able to provide an 'Indigenous perspective (2)' in their curriculum. Through their studies, these students would acquire and maintain respectful views towards Indigenous people and Indigenous cultures. This approach has been adopted in other States and Territories either as a compulsory measure and/or as a policy recommendation (3). If Indigenous perspectives are taught, the embrace of social justice values is a likely outcome.