National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June each year. The dates are fixed - they mark the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision - and the theme changes annually, reflecting where the national conversation on reconciliation sits. This year, we are marking the week by thinking about what reconciliation means in the context of early childhood education, and what it looks like in the communities where our centres operate.
What reconciliation means
describes reconciliation as a journey, one that involves all Australians, not just those with a direct connection to First Nations communities. It encompasses five dimensions: race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity, and historical acceptance.
In practical terms, reconciliation means acknowledging the truth of Australia's history, including the ongoing effects of colonisation on First Nations peoples, and taking meaningful action to build respectful, equitable relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
It is not a destination. It is a process. And the early years, when children are forming their understanding of the world, of people, and of belonging, are a meaningful place to begin.
Why early learning matters for reconciliation
Children are not born with prejudice. They learn to categorise, to judge, and to exclude, or not to, from the environments they grow up in and the people around them.
Research consistently shows that children who are exposed to diverse perspectives and cultures from an early age develop stronger empathy, more flexible thinking, and a broader sense of who belongs in their world. Early learning settings have a genuine role to play in shaping that.
The , the national curriculum framework for early childhood education in Australia, recognises this explicitly. One of its five learning outcomes is that children develop a strong sense of identity: one that includes understanding their own heritage and respecting the heritage of others.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, this means early learning environments that reflect, honour, and celebrate their culture. For all children, it means growing up alongside First Nations knowledge and perspectives as a natural part of everyday learning, not a special occasion, not a term project, but woven into the fabric of how they understand the world.
The Wandana partnership
黑料专区's approach to First Nations education is shaped by our partnership with . Wandana's educators and knowledge holders work directly with our centres to weave Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, language, and culture into the Lifelong Learning Curriculum.
This is not a tokenistic arrangement. Wandana leads the content. Their educators bring the knowledge. Our role is to create the conditions for that knowledge to be shared respectfully, and to support our educators to engage with it meaningfully.
Across our centres, children encounter First Nations stories, language, and ways of knowing as part of ordinary days, in the songs they sing, the art they make, the stories they hear, the connection to Country that is built into how outdoor spaces are approached and understood.
How families can participate in Reconciliation Week at home
Reconciliation Week doesn't need to be complicated to be meaningful. Here are some ways families can engage with the week at home, with children of all ages.
- Read together. There are many wonderful picture books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and illustrators. Some to look for: and Aunty's Wedding, written by Miranda Tapsall and Joshua Tyler and illustrated by Samantha Campbell.
- Use the map. The AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia is a beautiful way to explore whose Country you live and work on with older children. Find it at aiatsis.gov.au.
- Attend a local event. Many libraries, councils, and community organisations hold Reconciliation Week events. Check what is happening in your area.
- Start a conversation. With young children, this can be as simple as acknowledging Country when you go outside: "This is the land of the [local First Nations group] people. They have cared for it for a very long time."
- Explore Reconciliation Australia's resources at - they have family-friendly materials to support the week.
Reconciliation is not one week's work. But a week that prompts a conversation, a story, a walk on Country with fresh eyes - that is a week well spent.
See our Reconciliation Action Plan.