The School to Work Transition of Indigenous Australians: A Review of the Literature and Statistical Analysis

This report was commissioned by the Task Force on School to Work Transition for Indigenous Australians in the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs. The Task Force was established to examine issues of access to Departmental programs and services for young Indigenous people moving from school to work and to consider ways in which programs and polices could be enhanced to assist clients in overcoming barriers to education and employment. The report describes the current situation in terms of the pathways for Indigenous young people and their participation in relevant DEETYA programs. The report identifies barriers to successful transition from school to work, including forms of teaching, curriculum and assessment which pose greater educational challenges for Indigenous youth, as well as broader social issues such as racism, poverty, poor health, remote location, incarceration and an absence of employment opportunities. It highlights the need for improvements in educational outcomes as the key to improved results in the labour market. It provides an overview of the common features associated with successful transitions and programs as well as some systemic weaknesses inhibiting success. It reviews a range of statistical data and provides valuable insights into education and labour market participation rates for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of young people moving from school to work. It also discusses educational attainment levels of both groups and demonstrates their direct correlation with employment rates, highlighting the significance of issues reviewed by the Task Force

Australian Young People, their families and postschool plans : a research review

This literature review is part of a project commissioned by The Smith Family that is investigating the effects and influences of family expectations on the cost benefit analyses undertaken by students when they are considering their post-school plans. The 2006 report for The Smith Family, On track? Students choosing a career, pointed to the possibility of a strong effect of family expectations on young people’s post-school plans (Beavis, 2006). Post-school plans often include decisions about further education, so a family’s influence or involvement in assessing the costs and benefits associated with this decision is not surprising (Usher, 2005). On track? identified uncertainties about how and to what extent family expectations shape young people’s educational plans. It concluded that the extent to which this influence is shaped by the gender, interests and ability of the young people remains unknown The present project is intended to help better understand the inter-relationships between family expectations and young people’s plans. It comprises this literature review which informs the development and analysis of some intensive case studies of a small number of young people and their families. The report includes a consideration of the key issues resulting from the research as well as suggestions for policy and further practice

Indigenous Languages Programmes in Australian Schools - A Way Forward

Currently, over 16,000 Indigenous students and 13,000 non-Indigenous students located in 260 Australian schools are involved in an Indigenous language program. More than 80 different Indigenous languages are taught. This project sought to present practice which would strengthen the quality of Indigenous language programs in schools. The report consists of a literature review, a mapping exercise to document current practices relating to Indigenous languages in Australian schools, an analysis of existing models of teacher preparation, and six case studies of good practice examples

Supporting English Literacy and Numeracy Learning for Indigenous Students in the Early Years

A longitudinal study conducted by ACER has been monitoring the growth in English literacy and numeracy achievement of a group of 152 Indigenous students in 13 schools through the early years of primary school. Indigenous students\u27 developing English literacy and numeracy skills were assessed at five points over the first three years of school using tasks developed for the ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Survey (LLANS). In general, for both the English literacy and for numeracy the achievement of the Indigenous students began at a similar level to that of the main LLANS sample but by the time of the fifth assessment in the third year of school substantial gaps had emerged

Resources and Teaching Strategies to Support Aboriginal Children\u27s Numeracy Learning : A Review of the Literature

This literature review focuses on teaching and learning strategies that support the development of numeracy skills in Aboriginal children. Its purpose is to provide a theoretical framework that will inform the development of numeracy materials to support teachers of Aboriginal children in New South Wales primary schools. The key themes which inform a framework for the development of numeracy resources for Aboriginal children are identified as: teaching Aboriginal students; cultural frameworks; engaging in the language of mathematics; and contextualising mathematics

Research into the numeracy development of Aboriginal students : implications for the NSW K-10 Mathematics Syllabus

This paper is intended to present an overview of the literature and identify critical issues related to the acquisition and on-going development of numeracy skills among Aboriginal students in the compulsory years of schooling in New South Wales. The scope of the research reviewed is intended to reflect the diversity of Aboriginal circumstances and communities across NSW and to take into account rural, remote and urban situation

Diversity and learning in the early years of school

This paper reports on a longitudinal study being conducted by Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and a team of Aboriginal consultants in thirteen schools across Australia, which is following the progress of a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in their early years of schooling. The data collected includes measures of early literacy and numeracy, complemented by qualitative data gathered through interviews, questionnaires and observation. The paper describes the diverse learning environments experienced by this group of children, and the many ways that schools and teachers are attempting to maximise effective learning environments for these children in their early years of schooling. The information contained in this paper is part of a larger research project. The authors wish to acknowledge other members of the research team: Pat Cummins, Paul Hughes, Natascha McNamara, Lee Simpson, Maria Stephens, Margaret Valadian, Mara West and Davina Woods. The authors also wish to acknowledge administrative and psychometric support provided by ACER colleagues, Nicole Fleming and Ken Rowe, as well as the advice and support the project receives from members of the ACER Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Advisory Committee

Messages for Minority Groups in Australia from International Studies

Results from international studies such as the recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tend to be reported in the media in terms of national averages, with a focus on the ranking of participating countries. However, the disaggregation and analysis of data collected from various social groupings within countries provides an opportunity to investigate the extent to which countries support students from various minority groups to achieve equitable educational outcomes. In Australia, the gap between educational outcomes for Indigenous1 and non-Indigenous students at all levels of education has long been a concern (Long et al, 1999). In recent years, Indigenous education policy has placed a high priority on gathering data on educational outcomes as a way of monitoring the extent to which educational equity is being achieved for Indigenous students. While national data collections contain achievement data of students at primary school and in the post-compulsory years, less is known about the achievement and characteristics of 15-year-old Indigenous students. The PISA study provides a unique opportunity to collect data on this group of students and to compare their achievement with non-Indigenous Australian students and students from other countries. This summary paper provides results on some aspects of the findings from the PISA study, using primarily the data on the sampled Indigenous students. Secondly, it discusses the potential the results have for monitoring the improvement of education for Indigenous students

Enhancing employment opportunities for Indigenous Victorians : a review of the literature

This paper was completed under contract to the State of Victoria through the State Services Authority. It draws on recent Victorian, Australian, and international literature in order to provide an overview of the barriers to, and drivers of successful workforce participation for Indigenous Victorians. Some barriers and drivers are generic, and thus apply to most people; other barriers and drivers are specific to Indigenous Australians; a few barriers and drivers apply specifically to Indigenous Victorians. The disadvantage that accrues from Indigenous unemployment is unrelenting and immense. This disadvantage may well become worse as the Indigenous .baby boom. increasingly reaches working age . it has been described as a potential time-bomb. There are devastating effects of unemployment on Indigenous people in terms of their access to the full range of life chances in Australian society. A low Indigenous employment rate is generally seen as an underlying factor of Indigenous poverty, poor health and emotional well-being, inadequate housing, and low participation and attainment in education. There are also economic costs to the broader community of Indigenous unemployment. Social disharmony and cultural deprivation is experienced by all Australians when Indigenous unemployment rates remain at low levels. Summaries of two key evaluations of the effectiveness of Indigenous employment policies demonstrate clearly that there are barriers to Indigenous employment that have persisted over time