Walking Together: Indigenous Reconciliation and the National Quality Framework Reconciliation in action

Our Commitment to Reconciliation

The origin of this commitment isn’t political correctness, nor is it the requirement in the national Curriculum (the Early Years Learning Framework) to explore and embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in our educational programme, practice and service philosophy. The origin of this commitment is a recognition that the free, safe and democratic society we live in today is a product of both the good and the bad in its past. As Aunty Munya Andrews writes, it’s possible to hold ‘both grief and pride at the same time… [to] honour survival without celebrating suffering, [and to] acknowledge the past without being trapped by it’ (ref: ‘On Australia Day, we can acknowledge the past without being trapped by it’, Aunty Munya Andrews, Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 2026 – link is here.

We honour the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk together with indigenous Australians, by building relationships with local communities, incorporating Indigenous knowledge into daily practice, and supporting children to develop a strong sense of identity and belonging. Reconciliation is more than an event or a policy; it is a commitment to relationship and respect. By aligning our practices with the NQF’s focus on equity, inclusion and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures Futuro aims to help children grow into adults who understand and appreciate the richness of our shared history and to create culturally safe spaces for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. 

This approach is also consistent with Futuro’s purpose - to shape brighter futures by creating places of belonging, care and learning. The use of the word ‘shape’ is intentional – we are not directive or didactic in our approach – like a potter with clay, we understand the incredible power and responsibility that comes from educating young minds, and exercise this power responsibly, tuning into our children and their family and social context, shaping their thoughts and ideas about their identity, their shared identity, and their place in our community.  

 The meaning of reconciliation is different for different people, but at Futuro it means taking tangible steps to understand, recognise and embed indigenous perspectives in all aspects of the life of our service. Reconciliation cannot be a box-ticking exercise, and I’m confident that we will make as many mis-steps as we make steps along this journey. However that should not discourage us from taking these first. 

 As Gledswood Hills Educational Leader Raiane Nicacio has said, the journey of reconciliation reminds us that ‘we must un-learn as much as we learn’. Humility and open-mindedness is a necessary ingredient for every real educational journey and we embrace that humility and vulnerability on this educational journey, in the hope that in so doing, we will fulfill our obligations to help the children enrolled in our service to understand and celebrate indigenous perspectives in their local context, and how these perspectives shape each child’s place in the wider world. 

If you would like to learn more about our reconciliation initiatives or share your own ideas, please contact us at enquiries@futuro.nsw.edu.au.