Teaching “other people’s children” in Australia from the 1840s to contemporary times

• Published in: History of education review 2015-06, Vol.44 (1), p.38-53
• Main Author: Whitehead, Kay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Children; Colleges & universities; Democracy; Diaries; Education; Educational history; Educationally disadvantaged; History/theory of education; Inclusive education; Informal Education; Intelligence Tests; Kindergarten; Library collections; Mass education; Mass Instruction; Middle Class; Migrant Children; Minority Group Children; Minority Groups; Narratives; Neoliberalism; Nineteenth century; Private Schools; Public opinion; Rural areas; School Districts; Secondary Schools; Student Teachers; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Twentieth century; Vocational Schools; Working Class; Young Children
• ISSN: 0819-8691; 2054-5649
• DOI: 10.1108/HER-01-2014-0002

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore Australian educators’ work with “other people’s children” (OPCs) (Delpit, 2006) from the informal education market of the 1840s to the mass education market in contemporary times. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is structured as a narrative about the expansion of the educational state and the concomitant development of technologies of inclusion and exclusion. Snapshots of various educators’ work with “OPCs” are woven into the narrative. Findings – Notwithstanding contemporary efforts to “confront educational disadvantage” and an ever increasing array of technologies with which to differentiate students, OPCs remain on the margins of Australian education. Originality/value – This paper is a unique look at Australian educators’ work with “OPCs” over the past 175 years.