Northern Territory Emergency Reponse
Education
In 2006, the apparent retention rate of Indigenous students in the Northern Territory from Year 8 to Year 12 was 40.5 per cent compared to the non-Indigenous rate of around 75 per cent. The Australian Government considers education to be a key driver of change. The Government will invest a further $19.1 million in 2008-09 in building a quality education workforce, providing additional classrooms and expanding literacy and numeracy programs to deal with the chronic education deficits in the remote Northern Territory.
This initiative will focus particularly on developing local Indigenous people already working in schools who are more likely to stay in communities and contribute to their development. Local Indigenous education workers will be supported to achieve higher qualifications, equipping them to play a greater role in the schools where they work. Quality teachers make all the difference, and Indigenous children must have access to teachers with the skills and knowledge to help them achieve the educational outcomes they need. The Government is committed to ensuring that Indigenous students, wherever they live, have access to educational opportunities equivalent to their non-Indigenous peers.
A critical link to the investment in education is the continuation of the School Nutrition Program with funding of $7.4 million next financial year. The program provides breakfast and lunch to school-aged children (as needed) in the 67 community schools in NTER areas. The program, involving parents and community members, boosts school attendance and improves children’s concentration and engagement in learning.