Indigenous Education

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s (ATSI) students are falling behind in terms of education due to a variety of factors such as lack of resources/facilities and funding in remote areas and lack of motivation due to negative past experiences.

Education Performance
The PISA 2009 results show that, indigenous students are lacking behind by two full school years in terms of reading.  Retention rates for Indigenous full-time students are significantly lower than the rate for non-Indigenous students: 49% compared to 81% (ABS, 2013). Aboriginal students attendance rates were 10 percentage points lower then Non-Aboriginal students (Closing the Gap, 2010).

Factors
There are many factors that contribute to their poor results. Firstly, ATSI people’s loss of culture and identity have impacted their education. Some cultural factors that contributed to poor school attendance included: language spoken in the school, the carer’s relationship with school or principal or both; frequency of reading to the child at home; proportion of Indigenous students in the school; presence in the school of an Indigenous education officer. (Gray, 2008, p. 211) ATSI students may not place high value on the education system because in their culture education does not necessarily help them with their career paths.

Resolution
In hoping to help resolve this issue, Kevin Rudd’s apology speech in 2004 gave the ATSI people some closure and allowing some to move on in life. Furthermore, the Government has emplaced initiatives such as Closing the Gap and Foundation Learning to help resolve the gap. Closing the Gap promotes access to early childhood education for all Indigenous four years olds in remote communities within five years, aims to halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for children within a decade and aims To halve the gap in Indigenous Year 12 achievement by 2020.

According to ABS, 60 per cent of Aboriginal children significantly behind non-Aboriginal children by the time they start Year One. Foundation Learning is a program that works with the providers to increase parental engagement in the early phases of learning. There are centres that provide additional support to children and their families through the transition from early childhood education and care (ECEC) to school.

In my opinion, Indigenous students should continue to become a priority focus group. I believe that weren't treated inhumanely in the past and we should take responsibility. In terms of Education, ATSI students should be given a lot of choice and have access to a lot facilities and resources.

Reference

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/breaking-the-cycle-of-aboriginal-inequality/story-fnia28mo1226707839887

-       http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2010/ctg-ip01.pdf

-       Gray, J., & Beresford, Q. (2008). A ‘formidable challenge’: Australia's quest for equity in Indigenous education. Australian Journal of Education, 52(2), 197-223.

         

          Closing the gap. Closing the Gap Education Strategy  [Fact sheet].

Retrieved from: http://deta.qld.gov.au/indigenous/pdfs/closing-gap-13072011.pdf

-       The Stolen Generation. (2012). Reconciliation [Fact sheet].
Retrieved from: http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/stolen-generations/#impact

-       Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013). Education: School Retention.
Retrieved on 29/8/2013 from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/lookup/4704.0Chapter350Oct+2010.