Double helix tale: an autoethnography about a pre-service teacher's vulnerability in CALD classrooms in a socio-economically disadvantaged school

With the development of Australian schools and secondary education, there is an expectation by the public and authorities that students will receive a high-quality education. However, in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, schools are unable to sufficiently develop learning experiences for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds due to problems with funding, management, and stakeholders. Further, school leaders are unable to provide high-quality educational resources for students. The aim of this autoethnographic study is to reveal the vulnerability that a pre-service teacher, Author1—who is also from a CALD background—experienced during his placement in a school in a socio-economically disadvantaged area with many students from CALD backgrounds. The negative situations these students faced and the hardship of changing the educational structure, which has been ongoing for years, were disheartening.