National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1996-2002

Where to find a copy

• Copies of the National Strategy for Equity in Schooling were distributed to every school in Australia
• Copies have also been lodged with all Australian State and Territory libraries and with the National Library of Australia.

Executive Summary

The Taskforce for Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples began with the recommendations from the National Review for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The Review recommendations have been cross-referenced to the 21 goals of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (NATSIEP). In addition, we have recommended reforms in the implementation, evaluation and arrangements across all of the goals.

Because of the repetitive nature of the 21 goals of the NATSIEP, this report has aggregated them into seven priorities for action. The seven priorities are based on the framework set by the Commonwealth for reporting on State and Territory Strategic Plans. The seven priorities are:

1. to establish effective arrangements for the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in educational decision-making
2. to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples employed in education and training;
3. to ensure equitable access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to education and training services;
4. to ensure participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in education and training;
5. to ensure equitable and appropriate educational achievement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
6. to promote, maintain and support the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, cultures and languages to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous students; and
7. to provide community development training services including proficiency in English literacy and numeracy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.

An eighth priority is:

to improve NATSIEP implementation, evaluation and resourcing arrangements.

The report includes a Collaborative Action Plan which specifies a range of key agreed outcomes for each priority for each sector of education, including:

• early childhood education services;
• schooling;
• vocational education and training including adult and community education services; and
• higher education.

Detailed strategies for implementation and performance measures accompany each outcome.

The outcomes indicated are not intended to be exhaustive of all action to be carried out by education and training providers. They are the core actions that need national agreement to advance significantly the aims and goals for the NATSIEP across Australia by the year 2002. We acknowledge that each State and Territory or the Commonwealth have the right to determine their own action plans negotiated with their Indigenous communities. The Taskforce emphasises the above as important because only by each State and Territory or the Commonwealth 'owning' their own decisions and actions will outcomes be achieved and maintained.

We draw your attention to two areas of the terms of reference that the Taskforce has not been able to fully address. Firstly, we were unable to provide complete detail on administrative arrangements due to the bi-lateral negotiations being conducted by the Commonwealth separate to the Taskforce. As a result we are not able to be definitive on the resources to be applied to operations. Further work is needed to cross-reference this report with bi-lateral agreements if national principles are to be developed for the future.

Secondly, we have not been able to detail actions necessary to integrate education and training processes with those of other functional areas such as health, welfare and employment. We have indicated the need for strategic alliances with other agencies where appropriate but more is needed. We suggest that providers pay particular attention to action outlined in the various national reports from other portfolio areas and promote inter-agency collaboration at the delivery point of education and training programs.

The membership of this Taskforce has included by State, Territory and Commonwealth systems directly connected to Ministers and a range of independent providers and advisers. This national strategy is primarily aimed at the system providers but we would suggest that the actions proposed are also applicable to independent providers of education and training services.

...The executive summary then goes on to describe each of the eight priorities in more detail. Refer to the printed report for full details.

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