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The Building Blocks — Action to Close the Gap (Continued)

Closing the Gap: Schooling

Three of COAG's Closing the Gap targets relate to education:

• Ensuring all Indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities have access to early childhood education within five years (see Early Childhood)
• Halving the gap for Indigenous students in reading writing and numeracy within a decade
• Halving the gap in Year 12 or equivalent attainment by 2020.

Education is also critical to achieving the three other Closing the Gap targets. Good health and good jobs are underpinned by a good education including the achievement of foundation skills in literacy and numeracy.

Over the years, a culture of low expectations has developed regarding the education of Indigenous people, resulting in poor outcomes for many Indigenous students. In the past governments have under-invested in remote schooling in particular, with an expectation of low attendance, and the needs of Indigenous students in other areas have also not been well considered.

We are determined to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students. Many Indigenous students are now being challenged to achieve and we are working across government to put in place the support and infrastructure they need to fulfil their potential.

The Australian Government is prioritising education for the whole community.

Our Education Revolution is built on collaboration with the States and Territories and the non-government education sector. It is being implemented through an unprecedented investment in Australian schools, including increased funding to government and non-government schools, major investment in school infrastructure and a wide-ranging reform agenda.

A record $63.7 billion is being invested in Australian schools over three years from 2009‑10. This almost doubles the previous $33.5 billion commitment to funding and infrastructure and represents a 90 per cent increase over the previous four years. World-class infrastructure is being provided through a number of initiatives. A commitment of $2.2 billion over six years from 2008‑09 has been made for the Digital Education Revolution, and $2.5 billion over 10 years from 2008‑09 for the Trade Training Centres in Schools Program, $19.0 million of which is being provided for schools in the 29 Remote Service Delivery communities. Finally, $16.2 billion is being invested in Building the Education Revolution of which $89.0 million has been approved for schools in the 29 Remote Service Delivery communities. Large numbers of Indigenous students are benefiting from this investment across Australia.

Our collaborative strategies are set out in the National Education Agreement and a series of National Partnership Agreements.

In schooling, the Australian Government has made significant investments to lift Indigenous student literacy and numeracy achievement through both mainstream and Indigenous specific programs.

Funding of $2.6 billion over five years from 2008‑09 has been provided for the three Smarter Schools National Partnerships. The $540.0 million for the Literacy and Numeracy National Partnership, in particular, seeks to accelerate improvement in student literacy and numeracy outcomes, especially for those students most in need of support. The $1.5 billion Low Socio Economic Status School Communities National Partnership supports the learning needs and wellbeing of Indigenous students to improve engagement and attendance. The $550.0 million Teacher Quality National Partnership will support teachers including those in schools with predominantly Indigenous students.

Literacy and numeracy skills are fundamental to educational equality and to meeting our Closing the Gap targets. The Government is expanding literacy and numeracy programs for Indigenous students. Currently 16 intensive literacy and numeracy projects are active in more than 150 schools and other sites across Australia, with funding of $21.9 million over four years from 2008‑09. The next funding round will select projects on quality and their alignment with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan. The total funding available for this initiative is $51.5 million over five years from 2008‑09.

We are also investing $4.9 million over four years from 2008‑09 in professional development for teachers so they can prepare and maintain Personalised Learning Plans for Indigenous students in every year of schooling up to Year 10. Parents will be engaged in these plans and, with teachers, be part of their child's development.

The Parental and Community Engagement Program has approved 34 projects totaling $4.65 million since 1 July 2009. These are assisting more than 4,200 Indigenous parents, caregivers or community members to be partners in their children's education. A number of projects are currently in development, leading to an expected increase in the uptake of the program and further expenditure of around $20.0 million in the next six to 12 months.

Students in more than 400 schools across Australia are involved in 30 literacy and numeracy pilots to build an evidence base of what works for disadvantaged students, particularly Indigenous students. The education measures under the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory National Partnership Agreement aim to improve Indigenous literacy and numeracy outcomes and upskill local Indigenous education workers in 73 targeted remote communities. Part of this work involves providing on site and in context professional development on literacy and numeracy programs for which we have provided $44.3 million from 2009‑10 to 2011‑12.

To ensure the needs of Indigenous students are kept in focus among the many parts of the Education Revolution, Australia's Education Ministers have developed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-14, through the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs.

The draft plan focuses on six areas that will have the most impact on Closing the Gap:

• Readiness for school
• Engagement and connections
• Attendance
• Leadership, quality teaching and workforce development
• Literacy and numeracy
• Pathways to real post-school options.

The Australian Government also made an election commitment to train 200 extra teachers for remote schools in the Northern Territory. The Government has committed $98.0 million over five years from 2007‑08 to this program which helps in addressing the enormous education deficits that had become entrenched in the Northern Territory. At February 2010, 140.5 new full time equivalent teaching positions had been filled by Northern Territory education providers. The remaining new teaching positions are expected to be filled by the end of 2012.

Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory has established a successful School Nutrition Program, at a cost of $37.5 million over three years from 2009‑10, to improve attendance and student performance. Approximately 8,000 meals are being provided each day to children in 67 communities attending 65 schools. Parents are able to contribute to the program using income managed funds.

The Youth Attainment and Transitions National Partnership Agreement has an explicit focus on Indigenous disadvantage. It is providing urgent concerted action backed by longer term reform to engage young people aged 18 to 24 in education and help them to make the transition to further education, training, employment and a career. The first project payments to the States and Territories have been made and are contributing to projects such as a new Youth Connections Program.

The Youth Connections Program began in January 2010 and provides an individualised and responsive service to support those most at risk of disengaging from education, including Indigenous young people. From 2009‑10, $286.7 million over four years is being provided under the National Partnership Agreement. To achieve national coverage, 113 Youth Connections Service Regions have been established. In those regions with high Indigenous populations, Youth Connections providers are required to meet set targets and outcomes for Indigenous young people.

Under this National Partnership Agreement, the Government has also committed $182.9 million over four years from 2009‑10 to the School Business Community Partnership Brokers Program. Partnership Brokers must work with the Youth Connection providers in each region to strengthen services for at-risk young people.

The Indigenous Youth Leadership Program continues to provide education choice for Indigenous students, especially those in remote areas. Since its inception in 2006 the program has provided scholarships for 481 secondary and tertiary students, with 125 students completing Year 12. The Government has also committed to providing $33.0 million over three years from 2010‑11 to the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program to help close the gap in Indigenous education. Eight Partnership Brokers will deliver around 1,510 scholarship year places for new and continuing secondary students over 2010-12. Three of these brokers will also deliver around 390 tertiary scholarship year places. More than 300 students are being supported by scholarships in 2010. At least 60 high performing schools and 30 university campuses are involved. In 2012, more than 640 (or 1.2 per cent) of Indigenous secondary students are expected to receive a scholarship through this program.

The Australian Government is also providing funding of $20.0 million over three years from 2009‑10 to the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation to provide scholarships for Indigenous students at secondary schools partnered with the Foundation, with 50 places to be made available at partner schools by the end of 2010.

The Indigenous Youth Mobility Program, to which the Government has committed $37.6 million over three years from 2009‑10, enables access to quality education and training for employment, especially for young people living in remote areas. The program aims to achieve its target of placing 1,500 Indigenous people in apprenticeships and vocational education and training and university courses. It is providing more than 320 accommodation places in 17 host locations in 2010.

The Australian Government has committed to the construction and operation of three new boarding colleges for Indigenous secondary students in the Northern Territory. Following extensive community consultation, the colleges are being built to serve the East Arnhem, Warlpiri and Wadeye regions.

The Australian Government is providing $46.6 million from 2008‑09 to 2012‑13 to the Sporting Chance Program which establishes school based sports academies as a means of engaging and retaining students and improving their academic performance. The program has expanded to involve 54 sports academies and five engagement programs, assisting more than 4,000 students. This will increase to around 5,000 students in 2011.

The Stronger Smarter Learning Communities initiative is led by prominent Indigenous educator Dr Chris Sarra. It operates via targeted school community sites, known as Stronger Smarter Learning Community hubs where leaders in each school are charged with supporting, developing and challenging staff and the local community in up to three 'affiliated schools' as well linking with others on the national network. Over the next three years the number of hubs is expected to grow to 60, with 180-240 affiliated schools.

The Closing the Gap targets for education are being tackled through many initiatives, backed by significant extra funding, both Indigenous specific and mainstream. Agreed trajectories for meeting the targets are under development with the States and Territories. As we progress, we will continue to ensure that Indigenous needs and outcomes are monitored, and resources applied through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan to fill any gaps.

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