Closing the Gap: Understanding the role of policy in shaping the education system, and enhancing the lives of Indigenous Peoples in the Northern Territory

In: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/95424

Abstract

It is widely recognised that there is a disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students' performance in Australian schools. This has been identified though lesser educational outcomes which are defined here as low-level attendance and poor academic attainment levels. This is what is referred to as 'the gap'. Consequently, through Federal and Territory government cooperation a framework has been implemented in order to effect a 'turn around' of the relevant statistics and to improve the educational outlook for Indigenous children in the Northern Territory (NT). The Territory Government has used various policy levers to target this problem. Implementing these policies is expected to improve the retention of Indigenous students across all levels of education within the Territory's educational system. A key element of this plan is to improve retention of students and thus their attainment by making class environments more accessible. These analyses have long lasting implications. Especially as feedback from these contemporary policies can be used by governments as key determinants in future policymaking. Closing the gap policies have been implemented in an ambitious push to create parity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in the shortest possible time. This is indeed a very positive and laudable aspiration. However as the proverb goes 'haste makes waste'. Therefore, ill-considered policy that lacked consultation with key stakeholders such as the Indigenous communities, has resulted in patchy outcomes. Solutions are urgently required but undue haste and non-consultation has resulted in a lack of 'ownership' in the implementation of this policy. The mixed outcomes which have resulted have in turn has fuelled frustrations and blame shifting on all sides. The upshot appears to be that the programmes and significant resources that are utilised are not always translating to better outcomes for Indigenous people. Higher levels of education and training, while they are intuitively positive, are not always translating into employment. In cases this occurs as a result of a mismatch between the educational policies and the requirements of the labour market, particularly at the remote or regional levels. What is not measured effectively is the immediate translation of improved education into employment outcomes (for a range of localised reasons). Education generally opens up and creates a much better range of work options for individuals. These changes are slower to register positive outcomes in the statistics. However, the general and more sustainable trend is likely to be much better in the medium to longer terms as Indigenous people up-skill and gain greater levels of job satisfaction.