Indigenous Education and Reform

Who?

- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who are the indigenous people of Australia, with a history
dating back over 65,000 years.
- They are made up of two distinct cultural groups: the Aboriginal people, who live in the mainland and
Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders, who come from the islands between Australia and Papua
New Guinea.
- Together, they represent the oldest continuous culture and race in the world.

What?

- ‘Closing the Gap’, there is a push to close this said gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous
Australians in Education and schooling, to provide education and work. A large amount of funding is
going towards closing the gap, spending money for Aboriginal Education and working.
- ‘National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy’
This targets childhood education, school attendance and to improve outcomes for Aboriginal Children.
- Both are programs and government initiatives that respond to the social and educational disparities of
indigenous children.
- Since the First Fleet’s landing, they have discriminated against, had their culture and language
forcefully taken away, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been forced to assimilate
into ‘white culture’.
- By the time Aboriginals enter Year 1, 60 percent are already significantly behind those that are non-
Aboriginal.
- Currently, only 10% of Aboriginals have graduated Year 12, however that figure is rising, with 59%
graduating just a few years prior.

When?

- The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy was launched in 2015.
- However, efforts to improve Indigenous education have been ongoing for many years under various
initiatives, including ‘Closing the Gap,’ which began in 2008.

Where?

- These initiatives are being implemented nationwide across Australia to address educational differences
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, in school.
- Programs aim to reach remote communities as well as urban areas where most Indigenous people live
in.

Why?

- The primary goal of indigenous education and reform is to address the low literacy and numeracy rates
among Aboriginal adults. These rates are significantly lower than those of the general population, with
around 40-65% of Aboriginal adults being functionally illiterate in English.
- Several factors contribute to these rates among Aboriginal adults. Historically, Indigenous peoples
have experienced disadvantages due to colonisation, including the forced removal of children from
their families, loss of cultural identity, and limited access to quality education, which could have
inflicted trauma upon them, affecting their learning.
- Schools are not made for Aboriginal people, they fail to teach Aboriginal Culture and Skills.
- Additionally, social factors such as poverty can hinder access to educational opportunities, thus leading
to worse outcomes in terms of education.

How?
 - To address these issues, a significant amount of funding is being allocated to improve Aboriginal
education. This funding aims to “close the gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in
various aspects, including education.
- Programs that include culturally sensitive curriculum development, increased access to quality
education facilities, teacher training in cultural competency, and support services are tailored to the
needs of Aboriginal students. By investing in these areas, Aboriginal students have a higher chance of
succeeding academically.
- The significant funding being allocated to improve Aboriginal education in Australia is a vital step
towards closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
- Programs such as the “Distance Education Program” and the “School of the Air” provide remote
Indigenous students with access to quality education.
- According to the 2021-2022 Federal Budget, the Australian Government has spent $4.9 billion over
nine years in Closing the Gap, including $160 million for the “Stronger Futures in the Northern
Territory” package.
- There are some pitches to create Aboriginal-only school sites, providing mixed education.
- The Accelerated Literacy program, which is a national education program aiming to improve
Indigenous literacy rates, which are far behind those non-indigenous.

Closing the Gap research:

Indigenous Education Reform in Australia:

1. What are some of the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous students within the
Australian education system?

- Historically, Indigenous students have been far worse off than their peers that are non-indigenous.
They are also around 2.5 times more likely to be developmentally vulnerable or at risk than compared
to non-indigenous students.
- Indigenous students often need to go to boarding schools since there aren’t many schools in rural and
remote areas.
- In the Australian education system, there is a lack of Aboriginal culture, relevance to Indigenous needs,
knowledge and experience.

2. How do education policies and practices impact Indigenous educational outcomes, including
graduation rates, academic achievement, and cultural engagement?

3. What efforts have been made to reform the curriculum and teaching approaches to better reflect
Indigenous history, culture, and perspectives?

- There are multiple targets in place, under the ‘closing the gap’ reports and targets which were first
made in 2005. They aim to curb the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people between
education, life expectancy and quality of life. Information about the goals is below.

These 5 goals below are NOT on track.

Halving the gap in child mortality rates (by 2018), halving the gap in reading, writing and numeracy
(by 2018), close the gap in school attendance (by 2018), halve the gap in employment (by 2018).

AND closing the gap in life expectancy (by 2031).

The two goals on track:

 95% of Indigenous 4-year-olds to be in early childhood education (by 2020)
Halve the gap in Indigenous 20 to 24-year-olds in year 12 — or equivalent — by 2020.

4. What role do Indigenous-led education initiatives, such as bilingual programs and culturally
responsive teaching, play in improving educational outcomes for Indigenous students?

5. How can partnerships between government, schools, Indigenous communities, and other
stakeholders contribute to meaningful education reform and closing the achievement gap for
Indigenous students?
References:

https://ctgreport.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdf/closing-the-gap-report-2020.pdf

https://www.education.gov.au/download/3929/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-
education-strategy-2015/5796/document/pdf

https://www.education.gov.au/indigenous-education

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/01/community-controlled-schools-create-better-
education-outcomes-fo

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/indigenous-education-and-skills

https://www.informationaccessgroup.com/literacy_levels/aboriginal_torres_strait_islander.html

https://childrensground.org.au/education-reform/

https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/national-agreement

https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/national-agreement/national-agreement-closing-the-gap

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/can-an-aboriginal-school-break-the-
vicious-circle

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/aboriginal-literacy-rates