‘Publicness of education’: framing possibilities for decolonising practices in Health and Physical Education

ABSTRACT

Calls have been made for a public pedagogy that works at the intersection of education and politics to enact a concern for publicness. These are calls for pedagogy that values plurality in human togetherness and educational conditions in which all young people can flourish. In this paper my specific focus is exploring how publicness of education can be conceived in relation to encouraging inclusive, equitable and decolonial ‘ways of being doing and knowing' in HPE. I adopt a genealogical approach to explore ‘conditions of possibility' that have contributed to durability of a ‘white' Eurocentric norm for HPE. Selected reports, curriculum documents, newspaper and reference articles are drawn on to illuminate discourses, and power relations implicated in this dominant framing. This paper represents an attempt to disrupt common sense understandings and practices of HPE founded settler-colonialism and new forms of neo-liberal colonialism. Approaches premised on activist, culturally responsive pedagogies as well as affective, embodied, relational dimensions of human togetherness are suggested. I propose that questioning ‘why' ‘how' and ‘what' is taught in HPE is critical for reframing ‘thinking and feeling’ required for pedagogical and curricular practices that can enhance educational justice for Indigenous students.

KEYWORDS:

• Publicness of HPE
• decolonising activist orientations
• Aboriginal and Torress Strait Island student disadvantage through HPE

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 I use the terms ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ to describe First Nations Indigenous peoples of Australia whilst acknowledging a diversity of acceptance of this term. I also use pluralised reference terms such as 'First Peoples' or ‘First Nations’ to respectfully encompass the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and identities. Where Aboriginal and Indigenous are used, I recognise the colonial legacy these terms sustain.

2 Promoting reconciliation establishes the need for all teachers to reflect on their role in supporting reconciliation and improving the educational experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

3 Since 1991 in Australia, Physical Education (PE) has been incorporated in the Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum. Earlier manifestations included Physical Training (PT) and Physical Education (PE). I use HPE primarily but on occasion use HPE/PE

4 Closing the Gap developed collaboratively by peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and Australian Governments sets priority targets and reforms for improving life outcomes experienced by Indigenous Australians.

5 Country comprises an interdependent relationship between individuals and their ancestral lands and seas that is sustained by cultural knowledge, histories, and language

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alison Wrench

Dr. Alison Wrench is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education studies at the University of South Australia. Alison’s research program centres on socially-critical and culturally responsive pedagogies in Health and Physical Education, inclusion and just schooling outcomes. Her research interests extend to in-service and pre-service teacher practitioner inquiry and student led inquiry into localised health and physical activity issues ‘that matter’.