The Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning program offers Aboriginal students the opportunity to have their cultural knowledge and learning formally recognised within their SACE qualification.  

This program – which is understood to be the only one of its kind in the world – empowers Aboriginal students to deepen their connection to community, land, and culture, fostering a sense of belonging within the SACE.  

It is also part of a wider national movement – with South Australian educators at the forefront – aimed at broadening the definition of learning and recognising the full range of capabilities that all students demonstrate. 

In 2022 and 2023, the program was piloted which involved 15 schools across South Australia and the Northern Territory, with 48 students receiving credits in recognition of their cultural learning to date. 

The impetus for the program came from the SACE Aboriginal Allyship, which comprises both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members representing stakeholders from across South Australia and the Northern Territory. The Allyship provides expert advice to the SACE Chief Executive and Board to enhance educational outcomes for Aboriginal youth.  

As part of the program, students can engage in a range of cultural learning opportunities that are co-developed, self-directed, or community-led.  

In the co-developed Stage 1 (10 credits) program, students collaborate with community or cultural authorities and schools to achieve their cultural learning objectives. 

The self-directed Stage 1 or 2 (10 credits) program allows students to explore their Aboriginal identity in personally meaningful ways, supporting individualised exploration. 

In the community-led Stage 2 (20 credits) program, students work directly with community or cultural authorities, assuming leadership roles to share their cultural knowledge and contributions. 

Through these stages, students can earn SACE credits by immersing themselves in a broad spectrum of learning activities that deepen their cultural knowledge. These activities may encompass learning about land management techniques like firestick farming and back burning, managing water holes, and practising environmental stewardship. 

Students may also participate in spiritual and ceremonial practices such as ceremonial singing, including the use of song lines to map landscapes and ancestral journeys, or practise traditional methods of food and resource gathering, including hunting, fishing, and preparation, and investigate the complex social structures and kinship systems integral to Aboriginal culture.  

The SACE Board has worked with schools and communities across SA and NT to develop a framework and quality assurance process for these recognition pathways. It ensures a respectful and consistent standard of recognising Aboriginal cultural knowledge and learning, guided by community cultural authorities who evaluate the depth of students’ skills and understanding.  

The Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning program is central to the SACE Board’s strategic vision, Passport to Thrive, which offers an innovative qualification designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

What’s Next?

Set for implementation across South Australia and the Northern Territory in 2025, the program promises to set a new benchmark for recognising and valuing Aboriginal cultural knowledge within senior secondary education.  

More broadly, the program supports the transfer of traditional cultural knowledge to future generations, contributing to the preservation of the world’s oldest living culture.