Education is the Key: An education future for Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory
Education is the Key: An education future for Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory Report
- Author(s): Kronemann, M
- Published: 2007
- Publisher: Australian Education Union
Abstract: Improving access and participation in high quality education must be a central element in strategies aimed at improving the lives and futures of Territorians. The Federal Government’s recent intervention in NT education has emphasised the need to ensure that Indigenous children of compulsory school age enrol and regularly attend school. This is a limited goal which will not redress the serious disadvantages that Indigenous children and communities currently face. Indigenous children in the Territory should have access to the same educational opportunities as children in the rest of the country. It is estimated that as many as 7,500 Indigenous children in the NT do not attend school and preschool. In most cases, the teachers, classrooms, chairs and desks simply do not exist to accommodate them. Already, a number of NT schools are facing heavy pressure as a result of a recent surge in enrolments, not restricted to the compulsory years of schooling. The AEU believes that a broader perspective is necessary. It is time to ensure that all Indigenous children and young people aged 3 to 17 participate fully in schooling, including two years of preschool education, through to Year 12 and beyond. Education enables children to build better futures for themselves, their families and their communities; to find jobs; have successful careers; and to participate actively in their communities and in society.
- Urls: https://web.archive.org/web/20091026233642/http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/Educationisthekey.pdf
- Publisher Location: Southbank, Victoria,