Indigenous-Education-Review_DRAFT

Review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory
Bruce Wilson
a. strengthening initial training, including cultural competency training;
b. developing a clear statement of the responsibilities of leadership in bush schools;
c. establishing mentoring (professional and cultural) and coaching arrangements for all
principals;
d. establishing small groups of bush principals to engage in shared professional learning
and instructional rounds in each other’s schools;
e. requiring applicants for senior positions to demonstrate a pattern of relevant
professional learning, including specific required programs without which candidates
should not be appointed;
f. exploring the possibility of attracting a small group of outstanding principals to bush
schools; and
g. arranging early appointment and release of new bush appointees to ensure effective
handover.
31. Raise the quality of bush teachers by:
a. improving principal quality;
b. enhancing the role of the local principal in staff selection;
c. negotiating with Northern Territory teacher education institutions to ensure that
courses take account of Department priorities and the requirements for bush teaching;
d. attracting interstate pre‐service teachers to undertake teaching rounds in Northern
Territory bush schools;
e. providing initial cultural training to all appointees; and
f. ensuring that initiatives proposed in this report are supported with effective
professional learning and coaching.
32. Evaluate the implementation of Visible Learning in Central Region with a view to its
implementation initially in all town schools in the Northern Territory, and later in all schools.
33. Ensure that allocations of Indigenous staff in ancillary positions (e.g. Aboriginal and Islander
Education Workers) are based on need rather than historical practice.
DRAFT
34. Investigate the effectiveness of leadership support and development particularly for the
provision of leadership support in bush schools.
35. Require all applicants for study leave to address department priorities, have clear goals and a
planned program, and prepare a report on completion of study leave.
Finance
Resourcing issues were prominent among responses to the review. While there was not a general
view that resources were lacking, many respondents commented on the management, distribution,
targeting and timing of resources and their sometimes negative effect on planning. There were
common stories about funding decisions terminating useful initiatives and changes in funding
directions causing difficulties at school and system level. In a significant number of cases, the issues
arose from term‐limited Australian Government funding or Northern Territory’s decisions about this
funding.
The department should allocate funding in accordance with the strategic plan recommended by this
review and maintain it for extended periods. This will support longer‐term planning at all levels of
the department. The department should also seek a single, integrated long‐term funding agreement
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