This week is National Reconciliation Week, which runs from May 27 until June 3. On Sunday, May 26, Australia observed National Sorry Day. Reconciliation Week is flanked by the commemoration of the 1967 referendum, passed on May 27, and the 1992 Mabo decision, on June 3.

In a statement, Reconciliation Australia said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were calling for truth-telling about our colonial history: "Our nation's past is reflected in the present, and will continue to play out in future unless we heal historical wounds."

As a result of 1800s invasion/colonisation and past government policies, many Indigenous languages and culture were lost. What if these were streamlined across the education system, similar to Ireland and Wales?

In Wales, for example, Cardiff University will only accept international students to some courses after they complete studies and pass an examination in the Welsh language. Gaelic is a compulsory part of the Irish school curriculum.

Over in New Zealand, our counterparts hope to introduce mandatory teaching of the Maori language.

Language is a part of culture and culture is a part of language. Learning a language of First Nation peoples would strengthen the identity and engagement of Indigenous people. Beginning in primary school, language could be an avenue for secondary school students to reflect on our nation's history. According to the Education Standards Authority, a draft syllabus will be available this year, based on a consultation in 2018. The course, which would not be mandatory, would have syllabuses that could be implemented by the community; and is being taught at schools in Bundjalung country, Wiradjuri, among others.