Page 5729 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 6 December 2011
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collaboration with the Ngunnawal elders, education and training providers and government agencies.
In this reporting period a total of $380,000 in supplementary funding was provided to high schools and colleges to allow for the delivery of subject specific tutorial assistance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from year 7 to year 12. An additional $60,000 was provided to Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation to allow for after-school academic support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the Tuggeranong area—your electorate, Mr Assistant Speaker.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Indeed.
DR BOURKE: In the school environment domain, the directorate work extensively with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education consultative group and branches from across central office to develop the directorate’s reconciliation action plan. The ACT became the second education and training system to launch a reconciliation action plan in July 2010.
In April 2011, 22 school leaders attended a conference on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at key transition points in their schooling from preschool to year 12. This has since become a priority for action in the north Canberra and Gungahlin school networks.
A particularly positive initiative to which I draw members’ attention is the aspirations program. This program supports students through to successful completion of year 12. The program is based on the tenet that high expectations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ learning is essential to achieve increased rates of year 12 completion.
In the student pathways and transitions domain, the directorate commenced tracking the progress of year 12 graduates in their post-school destinations. During 2010 initial interviews were conducted with 34 year 12 students to identify their destinations for 2011. In 2011 a total of 131 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were supported by the aspirations program coordinators and their contact teachers in high schools and colleges to complete their college enrolments.
In August 2010, as part of the leadership and corporate domain, 65 representatives from primary schools, high schools and P-10 schools attended a workshop to develop strategies for their local priorities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. In February 2011 a total of 222 non-teaching staff participated in a series of workshops focusing on cultural competency. This was followed in June 2011 with 67 principals and managers participating in a similar program. A further workshop for deputy principals was held in November 2011 and the details will be published in the next report to the Assembly.
This report is structured in a way that identifies achievements against specific actions outlined in the plan and articulates how those achievements will be sustained across all sectors of the Education and Training Directorate. Examples of key actions to be undertaken in the 2011-12 reporting period include finalising guidelines for the
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