Launching the Primary OSHCare Reconcilliation Action Plan
In August, Primary OSHCare became the 536th organisation in Australia to commit to a workplace Reconciliation Action Plan. A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is an organisation’s formal statement of commitment to reconciliation.
Along with our organisational RAP, each Primary OSHCare centre has committed to developing their own RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register educational initiatives unique to their community. The Narraguannawali centre RAP complements the themes of our organisation’s plan.
As the Primary OSHCare RAP team worked through the creation of the first phase of the Reconciliation Action Plan, a project vision emerged..
The Primary OSHCare Vision for reconciliation is an Australia where our shared history is acknowledged & we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of
the lands on
which our Centres stand.
We develop and seek to embed professional practices and philosophies in our OSHC centres & programming that educates children, families and communities about the importance and significance of achieving
a reconciled Australia.
We seek relationships with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to develop cultural competence and awareness across our organisation, recognising that our ability to be leaders in the Out of School Hours Care sector is an opportunity and responsibility we embrace.
This vision incorporates five key dimensions of reconciliation - historical acceptance; race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity and unity. These five dimensions do not exist in isolation, but are interrelated and inform the spirit of this project.
Our first steps on the RAP journey are focused on the opportunity to REFLECT on reconciliation actions unique to our community. The aim of the REFLECT RAP is to ensure good intentions become actions and support each OSHC centre to build relationships within their school and out into our local area. The REFLECT RAP supports our aim of building shared understanding and ownership of reconciliation.
Once the REFLECT plan is complete, we move through phased stages where our reconciliation action plans help our communities to INNOVATE, STRETCH and EVALUATE.
To commemorate this auspicious event, Primary OSHCare commissioned the creation of an artwork reflecting our reconciliation journey. Indigenous artist Ronnie Jordan included the elements of Primary OSHCare’s logo into the work. The Yellow dot in our logo represents the sun rising and setting, the times of day when our educators, symbolised by red dots, welcome the children, symbolised by blue dots, into the centre.
By incorporating these, our educators and children become an integral part of the story through the painting.
The piece in its entirety reflects the journey our out of school hours care community is taking towards reconciliation by connecting to Aboriginal culture.
Ronnie is a Kalkadoon and Pitta Pitta woman from the Craigie/Hart families in North West Queensland who specialises in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal artwork and design with her company Culture on the Move. Her mediums include canvas paintings, murals and traditional weaving.
