Interrogating social justice in early years education: How effectively do contemporary policies and practices create equitable learning environments for indigenous Australian children?

This paper will examine some of the contemporary policies and practices in Australian early years education to provide an insight into why social justice is such a critical element in preparing Australia’s Indigenous children to engage in learning experiences in ways that will enable them to establish sound foundations for their future learning journeys. To understand why social justice and equity are central to delivering quality early years education to Indigenous children, it is vital that the modern educator has some knowledge of educational history, in particular, the role of education in promoting and maintaining the status quo thus ensuring the continuing dominance of those who occupied positions of power. Viewing the expectations of contemporary early years education against the backdrop of past realities will serve to highlight the way in which education sets the scene for the cultural destruction and dispossession that has, in too many parts of the world, been the long-term outcome of education for Indigenous peoples. Examining the themes and forms of discourse that have informed the theorising and practice underpinning the development of concepts around social justice will demonstrate the importance of addressing diversity in early years education contexts.