Page 2333 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016
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I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR RATTENBURY: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education 2015-16 report to the Legislative Assembly today. It is timely to table this report as today is National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. This day represents an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal children and to learn about the crucial impact that community, culture and family have on the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person. Every child deserves access to a higher standard of education regardless of their culture, background or where they may live. The ACT government wants every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and young person to have confidence that they can achieve and their future is one of opportunity. We want all children to believe, “I can achieve, I am confident, my future is exciting.”
While there is much to celebrate, the government acknowledges there is still more work to be done to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. This report details achievements and progress made in education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people against the priorities of the Education Directorate’s education capital: leading the nation strategic plan 2014-17 and the 2016 action plan.
These plans are supported by the whole-of-government ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement 2015-18, which commits to increasing the year 12 completion rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as well as commencement of a higher level of vocational qualifications. I am pleased to report that in 2015, 102 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in year 12 or mature age programs, an increase from 83 students in 2014. Of these students, 70 per cent graduated with a year 12 certificate—a positive improvement from 59 per cent in 2014.
Over the past year, the directorate has implemented a suite of programs and strategies to support and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people right through from the early years to post year 12 pathways into study and employment. These include strategies and programs such as personalised learning plans, flexible learning options, pathways planning, Koori preschool, the aspirations program for aspiring young leaders, and the secondary scholarships program and Mura achievement awards.
This year’s report highlights a number of achievements throughout 2015-16, including an increase of 92 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in Canberra public schools since 2015, bringing the total number of children enrolled to 1,739. In 2015, the ACT consistently had a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieving at or above the national minimum standard for both reading and numeracy than was the case nationally.
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