Contested perspectives: school authorities and Aboriginal parents on educational collaboration

This study examines barriers to parental involvement in Indigenous children’s education from the perspectives of school authorities and parents. Using Indigenous Standpoint Theory, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 102 Australian Aboriginal students and parents, along with teachers and principals from six New South Wales high schools. Findings reveal that assimilationist schooling persists in school systems, policies, and practices, perpetuating racist hierarchies and deficit ideologies. These can reawaken intergenerational trauma, affecting parental engagement. Misinterpreting parental distance as disinterest reinforces false deficit ideologies that poor parenting is responsible for their children’s underperformance and further prevents meaningful parent-school collaborations. Our study highlights opportunities to transform parent-school relationships through power-sharing where school authorities value Aboriginal educational leadership and cultural knowledge preservation. We recommend policy initiatives that centre Aboriginal wisdom in educational decision-making. This approach moves beyond damage-centred approaches to create authentic partnerships that build upon community strengths and aspirations.