Chris Trevor (Flynn, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

To continue my contribution on the Education Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 and the related bill, as a recipient of the national Dare to Lead Excellence in Indigenous Education Awards 2007, Barcaldine State School, at Barcaldine, home of the famous Tree of Knowledge in my electorate of Flynn, strongly supported the range of federally funded initiatives which assisted schools to work with communities and implement quality programs. As a result of this funding, Barcaldine State School has strong community involvement through Dare to Lead and IESIP funds, having hosted the district principals business meeting in 2008, where all district principals worked with state, national and local community members to enhance ability to deliver outcomes for Indigenous students; worked with district and state organisations to maximise resourcing and training in this field; built community capacity through parent and community employment, training, parent training, and development of current and future programs in vocational training and cultural awareness; achieved strong academic outcomes, especially resulting from ITAS, IESIP and PSPI funds, which support tutors and teachers to maximise Indigenous student potential; and used funding to overcome rural and remote barriers for schools. To quote Wendy Scott, an Indigenous parent and community member:

My son finished Year 12 and was the first in the family to do so. He did a School Based Traineeship for 2 years and this led to a full apprenticeship which he will finish in just 18 months. He wants to do more training and work in the mines, which he has dreamed of since Year 8. The support of staff helped him through the tough times.

Appropriations provided for under this bill will enable the Commonwealth to continue to exercise public leadership and maintain its support for localised initiatives similar to or the same as that which I have provided examples of and which improve Indigenous education outcomes. This role includes collaboratively setting policy directions and priorities in Indigenous education, engagement with stakeholders and investment in research and evidence in conjunction with states, territories and non-government education providers to support future reforms and systemic improvements in the education and training sectors for Indigenous Australians. I congratulate the Rudd Labor government for its outstanding leadership and I commend these bills to the House.

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