Anti-racism – teachers
Teachers play a critical role in developing intercultural understanding, promoting mutual respect and positive behaviours in the classroom, and in assisting all students to effectively engage with learning.
Teachers are expected to reflect on their own behaviour to ensure that it does not result in anyone – other staff, students and members of the school community –experiencing racism.
Facilitating conversations about racism
Conversations about racism can be difficult. The following guides can assist teachers develop confidence to respond to the sensitive content that arises when addressing racism.
- Facilitating conversations about racism – A guide for teachers and school leaders (PDF 348 KB)
- Facilitating conversations about racism – Navigating common challenges (PDF 716 KB)
The Information for Teachers about Racist Bullying (PDF 156 KB) document provides advice and practical steps for responding to incidents of racist bullying.
Racism online
Research shows that a high proportion of young people are likely to encounter inappropriate or hateful content such as racism online.
- The E-Safety Commissioner has developed resources for educators to support young people who have seen distressing content online.
- Translated information about cyberbullying and unwanted content and how to deal with it can be accessed via the eSafety Commissioner.
- Information about online hate speech and how to deal with it online is available from Remove hate from the debate, a Multicultural NSW website, and the Racism. No Way! website.
Teaching resources
- Racism. No way! (NSW Department of Education) is an innovative anti-racism education website targeting all members of Australian school communities. It includes a comprehensive set of resources to assist schools, teachers and students to understand and counter racism in schools. It also includes NSW Cultural Exchange which promotes intercultural understanding and community harmony.
- Anti-racism books, resources and kits are available from the Henry Parkes Equity Resource Centre, including the Racism hurts (PDF 153 KB) promotional posters – a set of 5 posters available to be printed or posted.
- Using picture books for intercultural understanding: Learning across the curriculuM (PDF 1.74 MB) is a resource for Geography, History, English, Creative Arts K–10. The resource suggests learning activities based around picture books selected for their value in developing intercultural understandings and their literary worth.
- Roads to Refuge (NSW DoE) contains ideas to promote understandings of the refugee, asylum seeker and migrant experience.
- Challenge Prejudice and Bust Stereotypes – Teaching resource for Stage 5 (SBS & DoE)
- Rights Ed (Australian Human Rights Commission) provides resources focusing on racism and race relations mapped to the Australian curriculum (including interactive activities, worksheets and assessment tasks.)
- Difference Differently Together (Australian Government) explores the benefits and challenges of living with diversity and includes online activities for primary and secondary students and a diversity question and answer.
- All Together Now provides anti-racism learning resources.
- The Final Quarter provides 52 lessons designed for Years 5–12 that investigate racism, privilege, truth-telling, cultural pride, resilience, values and dignity.
- The Australian Dream (ABC) These five videos discuss the themes of Indigenous Australian identity; history and truths; racism; and resilience and reconciliation.
- Learning for Justice is a US based site which provides free classroom resources to educators including lesson plans.
- eSafety Commissioner – teaching resources for K–12, info for kids, young people and parents about online safety with limited translations available
- Media Literacy – ABC Education
- What You Say Matters Teaching resources for 14–17 year olds (AHRC)
- Remove Hate From The Debate – tips and tools about online hate speech (Multicultural NSW)
- Schools Standing up to Racism (Centre for Multicultural Youth, VIC)
Incorporating Aboriginal perspectives
- Aboriginal Education and Communities provides information to support schools to plan and meet Aboriginal student needs and build understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- The Partnership Agreement 2020–2030, Walking Together, Working Together (PDF 4.8 MB) between the NSW Department of Education and the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (NSW AECG) aims to ensure that every Aboriginal child and young person in NSW achieves their potential through education. It recognises the NSW AECG as the peak community advisory body to the department on Aboriginal education at all levels and in all stages of planning and decision making.
- Narragunnawali (Reconciliation Australia) supports all schools and early learning services in Australia with professional learning and curriculum resources to foster a higher level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions. Information on the Department of Education’s Reconciliation Action Plan is also available.
- The AIATSIS Map of Australia serves as a visual reminder of the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.
- An online repository of Elder-approved content relating to a host of different communities, Storylines is a place to discover Aboriginal, non-secret, non-sacred stories of history, culture and achievement. This is a fantastic tool for learning and particularly worth exploring if you feel you need a bit of preparation for talking with community for the first time.