World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 1, 20 February 2026, page no 16.

Every three years, the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) gathers Indigenous knowledge keepers from around the globe to share strategies for culturally grounded education, connect with other Indigenous peoples, and hear from those world-renowned in Indigenous education. 

This year’s conference took place in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in November and continued the legacy of the movement, by looking to the past and present to inform the future of Indigenous knowledge.

Here Gandu Jarjum members in the QTU delegation reflect on their key takeaways.

Doe Ahmat

• Use critical self-reflection to “know thyself as an individual, then as a teacher”.
• The power of having students share their cultural stories in the classroom helps to create safe spaces for students. 
• We must adapt and recognise that generative AI is a tool that students and teachers can use in classrooms to share culture.
• Educators must advocate for culturally safe spaces First Nations students can go to while on campus.
   

Zan Branford 

WIPCE was transformative. To be surrounded by leaders from Indigenous cultures from across the world has seen me return to work with a renewed energy and commitment to the work ahead. I know that what we do now will support what our next generations will be able to do in the future.

Micheal Beale

• Our ancestors are crying for us. Not because of the indignities we have endured. They are crying because we have survived them and continue to thrive!
• All words hold intention … it is about how you deliver them.
• Love is the first language of the world!
• Time for activism hasn’t ended. What we activate for has!
   

Amanda Power

• Wawa (hello). Our cultures are not an “addition” to education or systems — they are the foundation. Identity, Country, Elders, relationships, and self-determination are the pathway forward, not the barrier.
• First Nations peoples are not the problem to be solved — we are the solution when our ways of knowing, being, and doing are centred and respected. Batak (take care).  
   

NATSIEC developing education policy

First Nations QTU members are being asked to contribute to the First Nations Education Policy being developed by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC), Australia’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education body. 

The policy is being developed to drive real change so learners can thrive across their education journey, from early childhood through schooling and into post-school pathways.

NATSIEC is hosting in-person workshops across the country to hear from First Nations teachers and educators, First Nations staff in local learning settings, First Nations people working across education systems and sectors, and First Nations staff in youth and education focused organisations, particularly Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

Online options will also be available, including a survey and a webinar series.

To register for a workshop or survey, click here.

The Queensland workshops are as follows:

• Megandjin (Brisbane) - 9 March
• Rockhampton - 11 March
• Townsville - 13 March
• Mt Isa - 16 March
• Gimuy (Cairns) - 19 March
• Torres Strait Islands - 23- 25 March.