Amidst the continuous dispute over the celebration of Australia Day on 26th of January, Australian International School has decided to celebrate the day as “Community Day” this year.

Community Day aims to cultivate a respectful and inclusive atmosphere that fosters conversations about the shared identity.

On the day, students are encouraged to express their pride and connection to Australia through their clothes.

Posters promoting the day were displayed around the school and announcements were made during the school assembly, when all the secondary students—from year 6 to year 12—and staff gathered in the big gym to get updates about the school and celebrate achievements.

Some of the suggestions from the school include:

Colours of Unity: Wear clothing of the colours that symbolise unity and inclusivity—the green and gold of Australia, the red, black, and yellow of the Aboriginal flag, or a combination of colours that represent multiculturalism can be excellent choices.

Australian Icons: Embrace symbols and icons that represent Australian—this could include clothing featuring native flora and fauna, iconic landmarks, sporting teams and symbols that hold personal significance in the context of what it means to be Australian.

Reflection on Indigenous Heritage: This could include clothing with Indigenous art, symbols, or colours that represent the rich history and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Cultural Attire: Wear clothing that represents the diversity of our AIS community, including traditional garments, patterns, or accessories of various cultures.

While celebrating community day with their dress code, students are also expected to adhere to the school’s clothing policy as well.

Students should wear closed in shoes, no singlets, midriff or excessively short skirts or shorts, and no logos or clothes which would be deemed offensive.

Everyone in the school, including the teachers, wore clothes that represent Australian or aboriginal identity.

Some wore Australian sports uniforms, brought the Australian flag to celebrate the day, and others wore T-shirts that said “I love Australia”, showing their connection towards Australia in various ways during the day.

Students were still expected to follow the dress code, which are clothes coloured in green, yellow, black red and others that represent the Australian and Aboriginals’ identity or else they had to wear the normal school uniform.

The 26th of January was previously celebrated as “Australia Day”, when students used to wear green and yellow, but this year, the day has changed to community day, furthering efforts to create an inclusive atmosphere to celebrate the diverse community.

Since the day was to express students and staff’s pride to Australia, no donations were required.

The 26th of January continues to be debated on its celebration; it is the day when the first fleet was landed in 1788.

Some people argue that 26th of January is the invasion day when people invaded the land that aboriginals were already living in, and some people claim that people should still celebrate the day itself as it has been celebrated for a long period of time to be proud of being Australian.

Yujin Son

Australian International School

Year 11