Page 1631 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
a) Literacy and numeracy support is provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are identified as being in need of targeted support using data from the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) and NAPLAN assessment instruments. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are also supported through the ACT Literacy and Numeracy Strategy that was launched in 2009.
b) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are supported at high schools by eight Indigenous Education Officers and in primary schools by two Indigenous Education Workers. The focus of work undertaken by the Indigenous Education Officers is implement strategies to improve attendance rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The work of the Indigenous Education Workers aims to improve student engagement through classroom and curriculum based support.
c) The Indigenous Student Aspirations program also supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to achieve a successful pathway through schooling to tertiary level study or a broad range of training and employment options. Three positions currently work to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student participation in programs with career information and working at supporting students transitioning from primary to high school and high school to college.
d) Schools are allocated funds to provide tutorial assistance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Funds also allow targeted support to be delivered in selected clusters of schools such as Calwell High School, Calwell, Richardson and Theodore primary schools and individual schools such as Jervis Bay Primary School.
e) The Child and Family Centres are a flagship initiative of the ACT Government’s early intervention platform. A priority for the Centres is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families through the Growing Healthy Families Project and maintaining the first ACT Indigenous Parenting Support Service, in partnership with The Smith Family and the Australian Government. The Child and Family Centres also run the Schools as Communities program. The overall objective of this program is to improve social and educational outcomes for vulnerable children and their families. This work is done through the development of partnerships and collaboration between families, schools, health and community service agencies.
f) The Youth Connection program within the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support works with young people who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education to provide an outreach case management service to assist them to reengage in education and training. The Adolescent Day Unit within the Office for Children, Youth and Family Support provides a structured, part time program over two school terms for children and young people at risk of disengagement with the mainstream school system.
g) In addition to educational programs, young people at Bimberi have access to rehabilitative programs targeted to address criminogenic needs and sport and recreational activities which provide opportunities to help build confidence, improve health and fitness, assist with socialisation and provide avenues to assist positive transition back into the community. Over the last twelve months Bimberi has provided a tutoring program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people with literacy and numeracy difficulties. Reports indicate that there have
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video