Abstract:
Year 12 completion rates for First Nations students across Australia are reported to be 68%. That is, 68% of those aged 20-24 have complete Year 12 or a Certificate III or above qualification. For those living in very remote regions, completions are 35%. In Northern Territory very remote regions it is 25%. However, drawing from My School and census data, of the 1350 17 year olds living in very remote locations, only 6% gain a Year 12 Certificate, and even less in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Not surprisingly, participation rates at university and in the labour force are also very low.
What will it take to turn this around? Based on findings from research conducted by a team of First Nations and non-Indigenous researchers from Batchelor Institute, Curtin University and University of Notre Dame Australia in remote schools and communities during 2023, this presentation proposes a set of foundational changes that will drive higher participation in the senior years of high school and will result in increases in completion rates and improvements in transition to employment and university. Improving access to local senior secondary options is the first pre-requisite—less than half of all very remote schools offer Year 12. Beyond this, First Nations respondents in the research wanted to see a greater focus on local workforce development; they wanted to see more language and culture programs, and more learning on Country; they wanted more access to meaningful work experiences and vocational pathways. None of these findings are particularly new and from an equity and rights perspective, they are quite reasonable. The presentation concludes with a discussion about the possibilities for policy change that would result in educational improvements for young people living in very remote communities.
What will it take to turn this around? Based on findings from research conducted by a team of First Nations and non-Indigenous researchers from Batchelor Institute, Curtin University and University of Notre Dame Australia in remote schools and communities during 2023, this presentation proposes a set of foundational changes that will drive higher participation in the senior years of high school and will result in increases in completion rates and improvements in transition to employment and university. Improving access to local senior secondary options is the first pre-requisite—less than half of all very remote schools offer Year 12. Beyond this, First Nations respondents in the research wanted to see a greater focus on local workforce development; they wanted to see more language and culture programs, and more learning on Country; they wanted more access to meaningful work experiences and vocational pathways. None of these findings are particularly new and from an equity and rights perspective, they are quite reasonable. The presentation concludes with a discussion about the possibilities for policy change that would result in educational improvements for young people living in very remote communities.