Education, Careers & Professional News
Indigenous To Sign Education Contracts
The Northern Territory government is hoping to improve “appalling” education outcomes by introducing individual contracts with remote Aboriginal communities.
NT Education Minister Syd Stirling unveiled a four-year blueprint to improve education in communities - including the contracts, a revamp of bilingual education and making the school year flexible to allow for cultural ceremonies.
“We`ve had appalling outcomes for the last 30 years in indigenous education in remote and rural communities,” he said.
“There is an enormous way to go.”
“We can`t do it on our own - this government needs the support … of communities to engage in the process of education.”
Fewer than one in 10 indigenous children in remote parts of the NT achieved the Year Three national reading benchmark, according to the Education Department`s 2004 annual report.
Mr Stirling said schools in communities often sat as “an island” with education and training not valued as a tool for improving life.
Under the plan, the government will target 15 of the NT`s largest indigenous communities in its biggest ever effort to get parents and other community members interested and involved in their children`s education.
The government will sign individual contracts with communities, although those that “breached” the document would not be punished, he said.
“If the communities fail to engage, or the kids stop coming to school, then we`ve got the contracts to go back to as a … point of reference,” Mr Stirling said.
“It gives us a starting point really to go back to and re-engage the school and the community immediately that we sense disengagement.”
He said the future looked bleak if the situation was not improved.
In 15 years, as Australia`s population aged, the NT would be the only jurisdiction with an increasing number of 17 and 18 year-olds ready to enter the workforce - and 80 per cent of them would be indigenous.
“There`s no tomorrow or let`s get it right next generation, the window of opportunity is closing as we speak,” Mr Stirling said