They are terms you might expect to find in the inner circles of a white supremacist group.
Key points:
- Indigenous students say they don't want to go to school because of the racism they face
- The ABC has obtained screenshots of students using the racist terms "gin" and "n*****"
- The Human Rights Commission and education academics are calling for more education on racism in Australia
Readers are advised this article contains explicit and offensive language.
But words like "n*****" and "gin" are being directed at Aboriginal children by their peers in one regional West Australian high school.
The behaviour has spread across the playground and on social media, where videos — including one in which a non-Indigenous boy kicks an Indigenous man — are brazenly shared.
Aboriginal girls say they are routinely barked at by boys as if they were dogs.
Those at the brunt of this behaviour report feeling depressed, angry and reluctant to attend class.
The ABC knows of one student who is exploring alternative schooling options.
The revelations come as education academics and the Human Rights Commission call for better teaching around racism in schools.
Supplied
)'We don't want to go to school'
For Anna* and Jenna*, racism and ignorance have become an unavoidable part of school life.
On any given day, the Broome Senior High School students might be openly mocked for speaking their language, teased about NAIDOC Week, called racist names or all of the above.
Both said being barked at by a group of non-Indigenous boys had been one of the worst experiences they had endured.
"We just don't want to go to school anymore."
Supplied
)It's a pattern of behaviour among one group of boys that has also distressed non-Indigenous student Jessica*.
"I hear them say the N-word all the time and refer to Indigenous people as black c****," she said.
The ABC has obtained screenshots of online conversations where students use the N-word and call their Indigenous classmates "gins".
The word, also spelt in some messages as "jin", is a derogatory colonial-era term used to describe Aboriginal women and is deeply offensive.
In one message, a parent seen as sympathetic to Indigenous students was labelled a "wanna be n****".
In a shared video, a student on a bicycle appears to kick a sleeping Indigenous man on the local oval before riding away.
Victims told to 'get over it'
Jessica said racist words had been used on social media platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat, as well as in conversations at school.
She said she had spoken with teachers and tried to stand up to the boys on numerous occasions, but was often left in tears.
When Anna confronted her classmates about this kind of behaviour she said she was told to "get over it".
"They just deny it and try to say, 'It was just a joke, get over it', (but) it's not a joke, it has a deeper meaning," Anna said.
Jenna said her peers needed to understand the historical context behind their words and actions.
The girls have called for better education on racism and the damage it can cause.
"I'd like the school to have an action plan for when stuff like this happens and to have a class, maybe once a month, to educate people," Anna said.
They also suggested holding workshops involving Aboriginal role models, including elders.
WA's Education Department provides links to external online resources on racism and intolerance but parents and researchers are questioning whether that is enough.
In a recent letter to parents, principal Mathew Burt reiterated the school's stance against violence and intolerance.
"We encourage students to be part of the solution by calling out unacceptable behaviour and seeking assistance of our staff members when needed," he wrote.
"Every student has been urged to … model our values of tolerance, inclusion and respect so Broome Senior High School is a safe environment for all."
ABC Kimberley: Sam Tomlin
)In a statement to the ABC, Mr Burt said inclusivity and tolerance were part of the school's core values.
"Our school is a place for learning, for forging friendships and building lifelong skills. It is not a place for intolerance of any kind."
Racism in schools 'a national issue'
Professor Naomi Priest from the Australian National University said racism in schools was a national issue.
"I think there's a lot of good intention (but) there's a lack of explicit curriculum," she said.
"Teachers (need) to be able to dig deep into what is racism, have an understanding about Australia's history and about global history in terms of race and racism.
Professor Priest said research showed racism had a physical impact.
"Young people who experience racism are more likely to have issues around their mental health, maybe struggle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation," she said.
ABC Kimberley: Tom Forrest
)Calls for Australia-wide framework
The Human Rights Commission last week called for a national anti-racism framework to address the issue in all facets of Australian life.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said the issue should be tackled in the same way as domestic violence or child abuse.
"We need to get into the process of educating people in a tangible way. If that means having a curriculum, so be it," he said.
He praised students for coming forward.
"I applaud (them) and thank them for their strength in standing up … if we don't stand up now we won't change things for the future," he said.
Solid strategies needed
Professor Juli Coffin from the Telethon Kids Institute has developed the Solid Kids, Solid Schools program — one of the few teaching resources on bullying for Indigenous students.
"A lot of schools could be doing more to be more culturally secure and to get tighter around racism, but it needs to be a departmental response, not just based on individual schools," she said.
Supplied: Telethon Kids Institute
)But the Aboriginal health researcher said schools could only do so much when conversations were happening outside the classroom and on social media.
"It's about having some great strategies so that when these kinds of behaviours are reported that there's … immediate action."
Department mandates respect
WA Department of Education spokesman Martin Clery said all public schools tried to create environments that were free from intolerance and discrimination.
"This includes learning to appreciate their own culture, as well as the values and beliefs of others.
"Every school is required to have a plan to support positive student behaviour, including how to deal with intolerant behaviour, which is unacceptable and is taken very seriously."
In addition to three psychologists, Broome Senior High School employs four Aboriginal Islander Education Officers and two Aboriginal support staff.
Additional programs for Indigenous students are provided by the Stars Foundation and the Clontarf Academy.
*The names of students in this story have been changed to protect their identity.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTAzLTIyL2Jyb29tZS1oaWdoLXNjaG9vbC1pbmRpZ2Vub3VzLXN0dWRlbnRzLXNwZWFrLW91dC1vdmVyLXJhY2lzbS8xMzI1MjY4ONIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMzI1MjY4OA?oc=5
2021-03-21 22:14:27Z
CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTAzLTIyL2Jyb29tZS1oaWdoLXNjaG9vbC1pbmRpZ2Vub3VzLXN0dWRlbnRzLXNwZWFrLW91dC1vdmVyLXJhY2lzbS8xMzI1MjY4ONIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMzI1MjY4OA
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