Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fremantle for her question. Today is National Sorry Day, as the parliament has noted. It is more than three years since the historic apology to the stolen generation, one of the most important moments in the history of this parliament—in fact, in our history. The acknowledgement of past injustices and the commitment to the healing journey means that we now must redouble our efforts to close the gap. Not only today with National Sorry Day but with the beginning of reconciliation week, I think we as a nation have an opportunity to recognise the past, to understand that there was injustice and suffering, and to know that we are on the path to healing.

I did note my colleagues the Minister for Indigenous Health and the member for Lingiari reminding Australians that we are providing continuing support of some $54 million for programs to help the Bringing them home generation, the Link Up program and others. Right across Australia we will see Australian schools—public schools, independent schools and Catholic schools—having ceremonies that recognise and highlight the heritage of the first peoples, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These are terrific events. They create the opportunity for a more optimistic future. It means that young people, by participating in these events, are well placed to continue this reconciliation journey and to participate in it.

We know that we are profoundly committed to closing the gap, and education is the key. It means work, training and further study. It means independence, opportunity and hope. The fact is that education breaks the poverty cycle, a cycle that is experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We know the gap between the educational outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is unacceptably large, but we also know that there are some really good things happening out there in Australian schools that are changing lives. Yes, the national statistics tell us a sobering story, but the efforts of many of our schools, using the $2.5 billion national partnerships money that this government has brought forward, is encouraging.

Let me just identify a few of those encouraging stories. In Western Australia, 94 per cent of participating national partnerships schools are reporting improved engagement and participation of Aboriginal parents and communities. In the Hume region in Victoria, literacy intervention programs are seeing Indigenous student participation in year 3 NAPLAN reading move to over 90 per cent. In New South Wales we have Aboriginal community engagement strategies implemented in over 270 schools. Ninety-three have now got Aboriginal elders or community members working with teachers. That makes a big difference in a school. Two hundred and forty-four teachers from all the education sectors are undertaking Aboriginal education and cultural programs. Over 1,200 government school teachers are participating in training courses to support Aboriginal students. This makes a huge difference. The investment makes a huge difference. Sometimes there is one committed person who can make a difference.

To finish, my favourite story is of the Elliott School in the remote Northern Territory, which employs a 71-year-old woman as a home liaison officer. She visits family homes and talks to kids, parents and carers. There was an average attendance of 60 per cent in semester 2 in 2009; it is now 72 per cent and their NAPLAN results are showing improvements. I think that this investment and some of the examples I have highlighted show what an important role education plays. In this House, we are committed to reconciliation and continuing the investment to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

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