Indigenous lawyer no fan of university’s ‘welcome’ edict

A prominent Indigenous law academic says he would not follow Macquarie University’s example of assessing law students on how they deliver a welcome to country speech, unless there was a specific reason to do so.

Delivering an acknowledgment of country is part of an optional course for law students with a special interest in human rights and social justice at Macquarie University, above. Picture: Justin Lloyd

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

A prominent Indigenous law academic says “welcome to country” and “acknowledgement of country” rituals have become tokenistic in some circles and he would not follow Macquarie University’s example of assessing law students on how they deliver one, unless there was a specific reason to do so.

Constitutional lawyer Edward Synot, a senior member of the Uluru Dialogue movement working towards constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, told The Australian that criticism of the way some institutions relied upon the ceremonies was not new. He said those criticisms had been made from within those institutions for a long time.

On Monday, The Australian revealed that Sydney-based Macquarie University was assessing some law students on their ability to deliver an acknowledgement of country.

This usually takes the form of an announcement at the beginning of a speech or event in which the speaker names the traditional owners of the region and pays respects to their elders past and present. In the Macquarie course, it is expected to form part of a six-minute presentation on law reform campaigning.

Mr Synot, a Griffith University law lecturer and Wamba Wamba man from the Riverina region of NSW, said: “There are issues with welcome to country and acknowledgments.”

However, it seemed to him that Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Indigenous entrepreneur Warren Mundine and Ramsay Centre for Western ­Civilisation chief executive Simon Haines were joining in the criticism in a way that sowed division.

“What might be called ‘left’ circles and academics in the very institutions being attacked here have been making those criticisms for a lot longer than what Senator Price and Mr Mundine etc have,” Professor Synot said.

“Essentially (the criticism is) that the ceremonies become almost tokenism and allow institutions and others to do the bare minimum without making substantive change.

“I don’t believe that is the true intent of Senator Price, Mr Mundine and Professor Haines here whatsoever. Theirs is a broader assault on all things Indigenous and against DEI which they’ve transplanted directly from the US.

“I wouldn’t set a welcome to country or acknowledgment as part of my assessment for students – unless there was a specific reason for doing so – but I also don’t have a problem with university policies directing better language and practices. That’s a good thing and it should continue.”

The Coalition accused Labor of sitting on its hands following the revelation that a Macquarie University law course marked students on their ability to perform an acknowledgement of country.

Students faced failure against that criterion – though not the entire assessment or course – if they deliver the acknowledgment in an “inappropriate” way.

The Coalition demanded the higher education regulator review all study requirements that are “intended to indoctrinate students, and not to educate”.

Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson blasted Education Minister Jason Clare and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency for not using their powers to “hold universities to account when they fail to put students first”.

“The classroom is for education, not indoctrination, and it is outrageous that university students are being threatened with academic failure if they fail to conform with various ideological agendas,” she said.

“The role of higher education is to foster knowledge and academic excellence but the Albanese government has been too weak to take on activism in our universities.

“The regulator must review all prerequisite study requirements which are intended to indoctrinate students and not educate.

“The Coalition is determined to put students first, and will take the tough decisions to ensure universities return to their core mission of delivering exceptional, high-quality tertiary qualifications.”

Mr Clare declined to comment.

The subject is an optional course for law students with a special interest in human rights and social justice at Macquarie. The Australian has been told the subject is taken by a minority of law students and is not required to complete a law degree at the university.

In the course, each students’ delivery of an acknowledgement of country is assessed as part of their Law Reform Campaign presentation which accounts for 30 per cent of the course assessment.

The Australian has been told that the acknowledgement of country part of the presentation – expected to last about 30 seconds in a six-minute presentation – is one of five elements assessed. Doing poorly against one of the elements will not cause a student to fail the entire assessment.