Offered from mid-2009

320 credit points - including completion of the Associate Degree in Indigenous Education (160 credit points)
Minimum duration: 4 year program, normally offered over 5 years full-time, maximum 9 years.

Admission

Apply directly to ACU National.

Course Description

The Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Indigenous Studies) course is specifically designed for, and is only available to, Australian Indigenous people. To begin this course, students must have completed the Associate Degree in Indigenous Education or its equivalent which comprises the first two years of the course.

This course is offered in mixed mode. Students are required to attend two compulsory residential schools on campus each semester and to complete course work and assignments within their home communities Professional Experience is also a compulsory component of the course and is taken in block-periods that may extend from 1 to 10 weeks.
Indigenous students may also study the Early Childhood programs in this mode.
This course is a teacher education degree designed to prepare primary teachers to teach in Catholic, independent and government schools. The course aims to facilitate within a Christian tradition, teachers who:

1. are reflective;
2. are culturally aware;
3. are responsive individuals;
4. think deeply and critically about the issues of education; and
5. are committed to working justly and collaboratively to make a positive difference in the lives of their students.

In particular, the course is designed to enable Indigenous students to develop and value skills and attitudes that will enhance their learning in formal education settings and enable them to take their place alongside other teachers in schools and society. Graduates will be enabled to take an active part in the debates that inform a modern, democratic society and to serve the wider community in its ethical, spiritual and cultural development.
This course is designed to cover all curriculum areas but to have a particular focus on:

1. Indigenous culture;
2. literacy;
3. mathematics education; and
4. understanding Indigenous education.

Graduates will have relevant and current knowledge in their subject areas; an understanding of themselves as learners and educators, and demonstrate, practice and exemplify a commitment to lifelong learning. They will strive to be reflective, independent, flexible thinkers who are open to new ideas and ways of learning; understand the purpose of research and be able to undertake research in a range of professional settings; be able to identify student needs, and plan effectively for their learning, incorporating strategies to make the curriculum more culturally responsive, particularly to Indigenous students.

Professional Experience

Students must complete Professional Experience units during which time they are required to be available full-time.

Employment Screening

Students accepting a place in this course are required to participate in a number of professional placements throughout their program. In order to participate in professional experience it is the responsibility of each student to ensure that they are able to successfully complete the child protection screening required in their state. Students, who are not cleared for working with children and therefore not able to be placed in a compulsory professional placement, will not be able to complete their course.