Government Education Portal - Australia

Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies Directory  

URL:  http://www.facsia.gov.au/...der_child_care_agencies_directory.htm

The web page lists the agencies in each state responsible for child placement services for Aboriginal children. Services include foster care, intervention, counselling and family support, child placement, recruitment of Aboriginal carers.

Abracadabra  

URL:  http://www.cdu.edu.au/sspr/Abracadabra.htm

The Abracadabra! Improving Literacy through Technology project is trialing the use of an interactive web-based multimedia tool called ABRACADABRA to improve literacy skills and education outcomes among 4-8 year old Northern Territory school children, particularly targeted at Indigenous students. A fact sheet about the program is available to download.

AEU briefing paper: Universal preschool education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children  

URL:  http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/IndigenousECE.pdf

Around half of Australia's Indigenous children are not enrolled in preschool education. This briefing paper recommends that two years of free, high quality and culturally appropriate preschool education should be made a priority for all three and four year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Barriers to enrolment and participation, whether systemic or local, must be addressed. Indigenous communities must be consulted about the achievement of this goal in ways which best meet community needs.

Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples  

URL:  http://www.aph.gov.au/house/Rudd_Speech.pdf

Category:  Initiatives  Key Government Priorities and Activities 

On Wednesday, 13 February 2008, an apology to Australia's Indigenous People was made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The full text of the speech is available on the Australian Parliament website. Following the apology to the stolen generations, it proposes a new beginning, starting with early childhood programs for Aboriginal children; and a joint policy commission with the Opposition party on Indigenous policy.

Australian Directions in Indigenous Education 2005-2008  

URL:  http://www.mceetya.edu.au/...n_Indigenous_Education_2005-2008.pdf

This paper provides recommendations to focus national effort in Indigenous education over the 2005-2008 quadrennium. The recommendations seek to accelerate the pace of change by engaging Indigenous children and young people in learning. They are systemic as engagement will not occur, or be sustained, unless Indigenous education is 'built in' to become an integral part of core business. The recommendations align with five domains in which engagement is critical: early childhood education; school and community educational partnerships; school leadership; quality teaching; and pathways to training, employment and higher education.

Best Start  

URL:  http://www.beststart.vic.gov.au/

Best Start is a Victorian government early years initiative that supports families, caregivers and communities to provide the best possible environment, experiences and care for young children in the important years from pregnancy to school. It has a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention. There is a section on Aboriginal Best Start projects and Aboriginal Best Start publications.

Best Start for Aboriginal Families  

URL:  http://www.communities.wa.gov.au/...stStartforAboriginalFamilies/

Best Start is a Western Australian government service for Aboriginal children from birth to five years which aims to improve their life opportunities. Projects and activities are provided to enhance their health, education, social and cultural development. The services are located in rural, remote and metropolitan areas.

Education is the key: An education future for Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory  

URL:  http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/Educationisthekey.pdf

Category:  Education reports 

This report highlights the significant levels of under-resourcing of the Northern Territory education system and the impacts that this has on the ability of Indigenous people to access high quality public education. The report recommends at least 1360 extra teachers are needed, along with up to 585 additional school staff, including bilingual Indigenous Assistant teachers, costing around $264 million per annum. It also recommends up to $440 million for one-off infrastructure costs including new buildings.

Estimating cognitive gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians  

URL:  http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/%7Ealeigh/pdf/CognitiveGaps.pdf

Improving cognitive skills of young children has been suggested as a possible strategy for equalising opportunities across racial groups. Using data on 4-5 year olds in the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children, this study found that the typical Indigenous 5 year-old has a similar cognitive test score to the typical non-Indigenous 4 year-old. Between one-third and two-thirds of the Indigenous/non-Indigenous test score gap appears to be due to socio-economic differences, such as income and parental education. The test score gap may widen over the lifecycle, a finding that has implications for policies aimed at improving educational opportunities for Indigenous children.

Footprints in time: The longitudinal study of Indigenous children  

URL:  http://www.facsia.gov.au/...nternet.nsf/research/ldi-lsic_nav.htm

Footprints in Time is the name given to the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), an Australian Government initiative announced in the 2003/04 budget. The study aims to improve the understanding of, and policy response to, the diverse circumstances faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their families, and communities. Footprints in Time will provide a data resource that can be drawn on by Australian governments, researchers, service providers, parents and communities.