A new focus on education and greater involvement of Indigenous Australians have been announced as the way forward for national efforts to ‘close the gap’ between the broader community and the nation’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Nigel Scullion said that for the first time education would be focussed on as the key to unlocking the potential of current and future Indigenous generations.
Mr Morrison said that while the 2019 Closing the Gap Report highlighted successes across the country, refreshed targets were an opportunity to work together to accelerate progress.
“Today is a day to celebrate what so many people have helped achieve, but we cannot hide from the fact that on average at the moment Indigenous children do not have the same opportunities as other children growing up in our country,” Mr Morrison said.
“With only two of the seven Closing the Gap targets on track to be met, it’s time to refresh what we’re doing.”
He said he wanted a Closing the Gap framework that was developed alongside Indigenous Australians with targets based on science.
Mr Morrison said his focus through the refreshed targets would be on education to drive generational change, kick-started by a funding boost for a suite of Indigenous education initiatives.
The package includes a teacher boost for remote Australia; $200 million extra support to give more Indigenous students the support and mentoring they need through their secondary studies; and $5 million for remote and very remote areas for projects that supported and promoted school attendance.
Senator Scullion said the new education measures were designed to build on the success of existing Government policies developed in partnership with local communities.
The 160-page 2019 Closing the Gap Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
