Educating Indigenous Children in Australian Juvenile Justice Systems: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Mathematics

This book explores the challenges of educating children in juvenile courts in Australia and the impact of underperformance on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. It advocates for improving literacy and numeracy levels to build better futures and reduce overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system.

Format: Hardback
Length: 132 pages
Publication date: 07 February 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This comprehensive book delves into critical aspects of the national policy of educating children accused of crimes in Juvenile Courts in Australia. Over the years, both the National and State Governments in Australia have grappled with the challenging task of defining education, constantly striving to enhance its application in society. This book offers a precise portrayal of the outcomes of the education policy aimed at providing education to troubled children and young individuals who find themselves in legal trouble. It sheds light on the work of mathematics teachers within juvenile detention centers, highlighting their teaching contexts and their role as learners alongside researchers.

The book specifically focuses on culturally responsive pedagogies, which aim to understand the ways Indigenous children and young people in juvenile detention make sense of their mathematical learning. Until their detention, these students have faced significant challenges in achieving success in mathematics. The book examines how the underperformance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, plays a significant role in their overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system in Australia.

The central argument presented in this book is that by improving the literacy and numeracy levels of these students, there exists a potential to create brighter futures for them, moving away from involvement in the juvenile justice system and towards productive employment, which can enhance their life chances. The book provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of education, justice, and social inequality, offering a roadmap for policymakers, educators, and community members to address these issues and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

Weight: 401g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811986833
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023