Gandu Jarjum sets priorities
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 126 No 1, 12 February 2021, page no.16
Gandu Jarjum, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander standing committee of the QTU, has developed two top priorities for 2021.
During the coming year, the committee aims to:
- create and strengthen networks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members across the state - by creating culturally safe spaces to talk about our experiences and celebrate our successes at work, these networks will support and encourage our members to become involved in Union activities
- build a racism at work campaign to highlight some of the experiences our members and our children face in their day-to-day interactions and, together with our colleagues, to create change – part of this campaign will be correcting the record through truth-telling, to raise awareness of the extraordinary gap between the truth of Australia and the information that many have received from all varieties of institution over decades.
Our focus going into 2021 is how we as the QTU can utilise members and take opportunities to create lasting change for our students and teachers. We all have a monumental task and an extraordinary opportunity to correct the record, be part of truth-telling, and advance the agendas that depend on an honest reappraisal of Australia’s history.
Gandu Jarjum meets four times a year and part of its role is to develop submissions on Indigenous issues to the Department of Education, state and federal governments, and other bodies. The committee also oversees the development of the QTU Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy and coordinates QTU representation and advocacy on Department of Education committees and working groups.
If you would like to be kept up to date with key areas of interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, Gandu Jarjum invites you to join the QTU’s Message Stick network via the QTU website.