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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 3008 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

efforts towards improving these outcomes. The strategies and programs outlined in this report are focused on achieving that.

This report contains a broad range of information and accompanying data. It reflects the significant effort across the Department of Education and Community Services which is supporting and driving the improvement of educational outcomes for indigenous students.

There is no simple answer to improving outcomes in indigenous education. The reasons that the educational achievements of indigenous students lag behind those of the overall student population are complex, and so therefore are the solutions. Reflecting this complexity, the report on the performance on indigenous education covers details on specific education programs, human resource management initiatives, and literacy and numeracy performance and initiatives.

Mr Speaker, it is very important for members to note that literacy and numeracy data is included in the report I am presenting today. It will also be possible to report on literacy and numeracy progress in the next six monthly report because we will have the 2000 assessment data. However, members should note that as assessment is done annually the following report will not include this information.

Two special forums have just been held-on 24 and 25 August this year-for the indigenous community and school principals. The forums were a joint initiative of the ACT indigenous education consultative body and the department. Professor Paul Hughes, an eminent indigenous Australian educator, led the forums. The theme for the school principals and indigenous community forum was "An indigenous education compact for schools and community". I would like to advise members of the outcome of the forums.

A working group composed of school principals, departmental officers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community representatives will be formed to develop an indigenous education compact. The compact will demonstrate a shared commitment between schools and the indigenous community to improve educational and social outcomes for indigenous students.

That is a very important part of work to improve outcomes for indigenous students. It is important because it is crucial to ensure that the indigenous community is an intrinsic part of our overall strategy. The compact will demonstrate a shared commitment between schools and the indigenous community. This commitment will direct much available knowledge and expertise towards improving both educational and social outcomes for indigenous students and to acknowledging that schools need to be more culturally inclusive.

A similar strategic group has been formed to develop strategies towards achieving the performance targets in the indigenous education strategic initiative program agreement and the national indigenous English literacy and numeracy strategy. These groups have been requested to develop the compact and strategies towards performance targets no later than November this year.

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