As National Reconciliation Week 2026 draws to a close, schools are being urged to have important conversations around justice, understanding and shared history with young people.
With this year’s theme, “All In,” there is a renewed focus on how reconciliation education can be embedded across classrooms beyond a single week of recognition, and how teachers and parents can approach these conversations confidently and respectfully.
Global education publisher Twinkl, which provides Australian Curriculum-aligned resources for educators from early learning through to secondary school, is one organisation helping to bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives into classrooms.
Building on dedicated resources for events such as National Reconciliation Week, National Sorry Day and Mabo Day, Twinkl has just released its Welcome to Country activity pack, which was developed in consultation with Aunty Joy Murphy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Content Advisors.
Featuring discussion prompts, classroom activities, vocabulary exercises and presentation materials, the pack is designed to help students engage more deeply with First Nations stories, culture and identity, while giving teachers practical, ready-to-use tools to spark meaningful conversations and learning.
Reconciliation starts with self-reflection
Belinda Huntriss, Twinkl Aboriginal Content Advisor said schools and early learning services should regularly reflect on their cultural responsiveness and identify opportunities for growth.
“A great tool for this is the Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Continuum developed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership,” Huntriss told The Educator.
“The continuum supports educators and school leaders to critically reflect on their practices, challenge their beliefs, and strengthen cultural responsiveness so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students feel culturally safe and all students develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.”
Huntriss said it is also important that reconciliation learning aligns with curriculum outcomes and is age appropriate.
“I believe that reconciliation education must be delivered with sensitivity, honesty, and careful consideration, using resources grounded in accurate historical evidence,” she said. “Educators also need to be willing to reflect on their own positionality and challenge personal biases in order to engage with reconciliation education in a respectful and informed way.”
Taking reconciliation conversations home
Huntriss said reconciliation education should extend beyond National Reconciliation Week and requires ongoing commitment.
“Schools and parents both have a vital role to play in continuing conversations about reconciliation,” she said.
“Schools are responsible for embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum, fostering culturally safe learning environments, and supporting students to critically reflect upon and engage in honest and respectful discussions about Australia’s shared histories.”
In her classroom, Huntriss encourages students to continue their learning at home by discussing what has been explored in lessons with their parents or carers.
“This might include learning about figures such as Pemulwuy and his resistance against colonisation, Aboriginal Peoples’ scientific understandings of natural processes like water evaporation, or the important role of Aboriginal guides in early European exploration,” she said.
“These conversations can be powerful, particularly as many parents today did not have access to this knowledge during their own schooling, which often excluded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.”
As a result, says Huntriss, children are sometimes introducing this learning to their families for the first time, creating meaningful opportunities for shared understanding and growth.
“Ultimately, reconciliation is not the responsibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples alone; it is a shared responsibility that requires everyone to actively engage in truth-telling, learning, and ongoing action.”
How is reconciliation education tracking in 2026?
Huntriss said the picture is improving, but remains far from where it needs to be.
“There are far greater opportunities to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives through curriculum content, authentic resources, and meaningful opportunities to connect with and learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples about cultures, histories, lived experiences and contemporary issues than at any previous point in time,” she said.
“There are, however, still significant educational inequities experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students today, including lower attendance rates and ongoing disparities in literacy and numeracy achievement.”
Huntriss said that to address these disparities, there must be a serious acknowledgement of why these inequities continue to occur at disproportionate rates compared to other Australian students.
“These inequities are deeply connected to the ongoing impacts of colonisation, dispossession, racism, intergenerational trauma, exclusion from education systems, and harmful historical policies, including the Stolen Generations,” she said.
“These realities continue to shape the experiences of many Aboriginal families and communities today. This is why reconciliation work within schools is so vital.”
5 practical tips for educators
Below, Huntriss shares some helpful takeaways for teachers for approaching Reconciliation Week sensitively, confidently and effectively.
1. Reflect upon your own positionality
As educators we must be able to think carefully about our own background, experiences, and beliefs, and how these might influence the way we teach about Reconciliation Week.
You don’t need to be an expert, but acknowledging the gaps in your own knowledge is important, in addition to a willingness to learn alongside students.
2. Be prepared for sensitive conversations
Topics such as the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation may be confronting for some students.
While these conversations can be challenging, it is important that educators are willing to engage with them, as our own comfort and confidence in addressing difficult truths sets the tone for how students learn to approach these discussions. Ahead of time, consider how you will support emotional responses, set expectations for respectful conversations and provide quiet space for reflection.
3. Ground learning in truth-telling and accuracy
Use reliable, historically accurate teaching resources.
Accurate information is important to ensure students develop a truthful understanding of our shared history, supports respectful learning, and also helps teachers feel confident and responsible in presenting content that is fair, informed, and ethical.
4. Centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices
When teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ lived experiences, it is most appropriate and meaningful to centre their voices and perspectives.
Invite local Elders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, or guest speakers to share their stories.
Before doing so, however, confirm which topics the guest is comfortable discussing and brief students prior to their visit.
Use books, videos, artworks, and texts created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to ensure learning is grounded in authentic voices and experiences.
For example, utilising tools and resources that are developed in consultation with Indigenous people – such as Twinkl's Welcome to Country Activity Pack, which was developed with Wurundjeri Elder, Aunty Joy Murphy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content advisors – ensures the learning is grounded in authentic and true experiences.
5. Connect learning to action
National Reconciliation Week can involve complex and confronting content and conversations and often leaves students wanting to take further action.
Providing opportunities for students to apply their learning in meaningful ways - such as writing to their local MP, participating in school or community reconciliation projects, or engaging in initiatives that support the reconciliation movement - helps turn understanding into action.