Closing the gap on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

Today I launched the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Matters – Strategic Plan 2010-2013.

The strategy, aimed at closing the education gap experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students has been developed by the ACT Department of Education and Training in consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Consultative Group, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, the Australian Education Union, the Network Principals’ Reference Group, the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services and ACT Health.

There is nothing more important than education. It’s a basic building block for ensuring individuals can lead productive and fulfilling lives. This being the case it’s important to ensure every kid gets the best education possible.

The ACT has a proud history in public education. Generally speaking, students in the ACT perform above the national average in key indicators. While this is true also for the ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the fact remains that generally speaking, these students still do not enjoy the same level of achievement as other students.

This cannot continue. It’s not fair on those students. It’s not good for our society. That’s why the ACT Government has committed to halve the achievement gap Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students experience in reading, writing and maths within a decade. We have also committed that we will halve the gap in year 12 or equivalent attainment rates by 2020.

The guiding document for this effort is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Matters – Strategic Plan for 2010-2013 that we launch today.

One of the many actions it proposes is further teacher training to build better skills to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students succeed. We all know the key to a great education is a great teacher. It’s true in all areas of education. That’s why achieving even higher levels of quality teaching is something that’s central to my reform agenda for all ACT public schools.

This strategy, aimed at addressing particular issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students aligns with our broader strategy to attract the best teachers to our classrooms. Because we are focused on quality teaching generally, I’m confident this strategy will help us successfully deliver the goals we all want to see for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.