Elders from Aboriginal communities across NSW were honoured yesterday for the role they have played in advocating for, and supporting, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students in the public education system.

At the NSW Education NAIDOC Week launch at Parramatta, Secretary Murat Dizdar said the theme for 2023, For Our Elders, resonated within the department.

Mr Dizdar said Elders, including keynote speaker Professor Bob Morgan, one of the founders of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc (NSW AECG), had made incredible sacrifices and contributions to ensure young Aboriginal people received an education.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants,” he said to the Elders and Life Members of the NSW AECG in the room.

In his speech Mr Dizdar reflected on the tremendous support and learning he had received from Aboriginal Aunties about culturally safe practices and cultural understanding during his own career as a classroom teacher.

“In education you only get it right, when you work with all your partners,” he said.

Mr Dizdar said there were 76,000 Aboriginal students in NSW public schools.

“If we are going to deliver in public education, we have to deliver for Aboriginal students,” he said.

Mr Dizdar said the department needed to “move the equity dial in public education to create a level playing field” for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students.

“We must move forward together as we continue to develop NSW public education to a place where Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples feel they have ownership, feel that their voices are heard, feel they are culturally safe, and where we are delivering the equitable outcomes Elders continue to fight for,” he said.

Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships executive director Karen Jones said in 2023 for the first ever time the department held a system-wide School Development Day with the single focus of Aboriginal education.

She said there had been positive response to this initiative, adding the commitment to a deeper understanding of Aboriginal cultural education was reflected in the fact 126,000 staff had completed training within the past 12 months.

“This is an outstanding achievement,” Ms Jones said.

"Success for our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait students is deeply connected to maintaining cultural identity, belonging and their connection to Country.”