Indigenous-Education-Review_DRAFT

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Review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory Bruce Wilson Education Strategic Plan 2006–2009 reinforced this trend. It committed the Department to ‘continue to invest in secondary programs for remote communities’ with the goal of ‘increased numbers of schools providing an accredited secondary program’ (DEET, 2006: 29– 30). The situation now Since that time the position has changed somewhat, and in some ways for the worse. The most recent count shows that there are 66 very remote schools offering middle years programs and 47 offering senior secondary programs (or more than 60% of very remote schools). By contrast, there are only six provincial schools and eight remote schools offering senior programs. Average very remote middle school enrolments are 26 students, while average senior enrolments are 17 students, and there are 16 schools with an average enrolment of five students. The average attendance of senior years students in very remote schools is about 30%. On a given day, therefore, an average of about five students is attending each of the 47 remote schools offering senior secondary programs. These numbers suggest that resources are stretched extremely thinly outside the towns, and that most very remote schools cannot offer programs with breadth to meet student needs. In 2012 there were 4329 Indigenous students enrolled in secondary schooling across the Territory. This represented an annual average growth rate of 3.8% since 2002, dramatically faster than for other phases of schooling. Despite this growth rate, apparent retention from Year 7 to Year 12 remains low. While non‐Indigenous rates hover in the mid‐70% range (and reflect some transfer to non‐Government schools), those for Indigenous students are in the mid‐ to high‐30% range. For very remote students they are in the 20% range. Indigenous and non‐Indigenous cohorts have markedly different enrolment profiles. While non‐Indigenous enrolments are highest at the beginning of schooling and gradually trend down through schooling, Indigenous enrolments increase gradually through the primary years and then drop rapidly at the start of secondary school. This pattern is, however, almost entirely a function of very remote enrolment patterns. Where provincial and remote schools show a gradual decline in the secondary years, very remote enrolments fall dramatically after primary school. DRAFT 71
Review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory Bruce Wilson Figure 15 – Northern Territory Government School Indigenous Enrolments in 2012 by Geolocation 1600 1400 Number of Students 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 Total Very Remote Remote Provincial 0 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617 Age Source: Schools Age Grade Census data The decade from 2002–2012 saw an alarming drop in Indigenous attendance rates in secondary schools, from 73.9% in 2002 to 64.3% in 2012. This accounts for the entire decline in Indigenous school attendance over the decade: attendance in primary schools increased slightly during the period. NAPLAN results in secondary schools show the same weak outcomes in writing and slightly better results in numeracy as in primary schools. They also show that achievement and remoteness are closely negatively correlated. With literacy rates for very remote students around 10%, there is little chance that these young people will gain a material benefit from secondary schooling. DRAFT 72
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Indigenous-Education-Review_DRAFT

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