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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4311 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

the Commonwealth aged care program and the ACT Aboriginal health program. This project aims to increase the usage of ACT HACC services by the Aboriginal community through changes to practice and procedures and to training and recruitment strategies.

The ACT child, family and youth health programs outreach model includes free childhood immunisation and improved health screening, particularly access to hearing tests, assessment and treatment during one school visit. The ACT Breast Screening Clinic makes arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to be screened at specific clinic times. ACT Community Care was represented at the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Well Women Workshop in October 1997 and sponsored two indigenous women from ACT community organisations to attend. The Aboriginal liaison officer employed at the Canberra Hospital provides training and advice to hospital staff and has been involved in the development of protocols within the hospital.

In education, the Department of Education and Training has a number of strategies to improve outcomes for indigenous students from preschool through to tertiary level. An early childhood teacher now assists schools in implementing the Aboriginal perspectives and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum. During 1997 the focus has been on literacy and developing a collection of appropriate resources for schools. Even though retention rates of Aboriginal students in secondary school appear to be fairly good, there remains a hidden problem with retention due to the itinerant nature of the indigenous population of the ACT. In an attempt to address this problem, two camps were held at Birrigai with funding obtained from the Commonwealth. The camp for students in Years 6, 7 and 8 had a focus on staying at school and the camp for students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 focused on post-school options. The literacy levels of indigenous students is also a concern for both parents and schools. The work of the early childhood teacher in this area is one method the department is employing to redress the problem.

Aboriginal contact officers have also been established in every school where a teacher takes on the duty to monitor the progress of indigenous students, distribute materials to indigenous students and liaise with parents and the department. A positive move that will assist indigenous students is the appointment of anti-racism contact officers in schools for staff and students. The officers are specially trained to recognise, prevent and resolve racist incidents in their workplaces. A draft anti-racism policy handbook has been circulated throughout all ACT government schools and departmental workplaces. It very clearly states that racism and racist behaviour are not acceptable in our society and that there is legislation in place to deal with racism.

The Yurauna Centre at the Canberra Institute of Technology continues to provide comprehensive student support services for indigenous people in accessing designated places in CIT courses, Abstudy, tutorial assistance and accommodation. Staff also participate in the development and review of courses specifically for indigenous people.

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