Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION (TARGETED ASSISTANCE) AMENDMENT BILL 2006

The primary purpose of this bill is to amend the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 by appropriating additional funding of $43.6 million over the 2006-2008 calendar years to improve opportunities for Indigenous students in the school and training sectors.

This funding will be used for additional tutorial assistance, support for community festivals for Indigenous youth for health promotion, activities addressing substance abuse by Indigenous youth in remote regions, and delivering school-based sporting academies and related activities for Indigenous students.

The Australian Government places great importance on achieving better educational outcomes for Indigenous students. To achieve this, new investment is necessary in the areas of schooling, vocational and technical education, and health-related strategies. The Australian Government is committed to developing the capacities and talents of Indigenous people so they have the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills and values for a productive and rewarding life.

$14.5 million will be used to extend tutorial assistance programmes to encourage Year 9 Indigenous students to continue with schooling to complete Year 12, thereby improving their educational and job prospects. This initiative has the benefit of engaging Year 9 students and reducing drop-out rates from school at this critical transition point. Tutorial assistance for Indigenous Year 9 students will complement similar assistance already provided to Indigenous Year 10, 11 and 12 students.

Up to some 5,000 Indigenous vocational and technical education students annually will benefit from a tutorial assistance programme funded for $11.2 million. This initiative will be directed towards Indigenous students undertaking courses leading to the attainment of Australian Quality Framework Certificate Level III or above qualifications. Indigenous students are under-represented in courses at these levels. It is well recognised that attaining an AQF Certificate Level III or above qualification significantly increases the chances of employment.

Another initiative is directed towards giving young Indigenous girls and boys increased opportunities to engage in education and sports activities. Funding of $9.1 million is being sought for 18 school-based sporting academies and related strategies. This funding will build on successful models of sporting academies that help young Indigenous people engage positively in sport and succeed in education and later life.

In 2007 the initiative will enable more than 1,000 students to attend up to 12 sports academies, located within schools, offering a range of sports and recreation activities. With some 18 academies in place by the end of 2008, Indigenous participation will increase to an estimated 1,530 students from every state and territory.

Up to some 16,000 young people annually will benefit from the Australian Government allocating $7.3 million to the Indigenous Youth Festivals initiative, a component of the Community Festivals for Health Promotion programme. The aims of the Indigenous Youth Festivals initiative are to promote healthy and positive lifestyles, improve participation in education, increase vocational planning and reduce crime and drug abuse.

The Festivals will provide an opportunity to strengthen educational outcomes, such as attendance and school engagement, by integrating events of this nature into the core curricula and practices of schools, particularly in remote areas.

Funding of $1.5 million will be used as part of a whole of government regional approach announced in September 2005 to address substance abuse. Diversionary and preventative education based projects that build upon the successes of the Australian Government’s Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) pilot will be introduced in the central desert and two other remote regions. These projects will help combat the critical issues of petrol sniffing and substance abuse and will engage up to 1,000 young people over four years.

A further $100,000 from existing programme resources is being made available through the National School Drug Education Strategy to assist in stopping young people from becoming involved in substance abuse activities.

I commend the bill to the Senate.

Debate (on motion by Senator Vanstone) adjourned.