Policy Interventions in Indigenous Education: Evaluating Impact and Challenges

It has been observed more than a decade ago that indigenous groups in Australia are among the most disadvantaged minority groups in terms of academic performance. By the age of 10, they are left substantially behind the non-indigenous population (Bradley, et al., 2007). Over the next 2 years, their academic performances deteriorate. It is more of the geographical remoteness, ethnicity and use of language at home that influence their academic achievement (Bradley, et al., 2007). For example, the Bureau of Statistics in 2014 identified that 19% of Aboriginal, 20% of Torres Strait Islander and 23% of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students living in very remote areas did not meet the national minimum standard as compared with 6% of non-Indigenous students (Australian Bureau of Statistics , 2014).

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet found that by 2018, the proportion of Year 9 numeracy related to indigenous students is on track with respect to the minimum standards in NAPLAN. This numeracy is on track in all the states and territories. The gap in Year 9 numeracy results has narrowed across all jurisdictions. Thus, Queensland showed significant improvement from 2008 to 2017 (The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). The 2019 report by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships is shown below for reference:

Queensland’s indigenous students are dispersed across geographically with large enrolments found in the Far North Queensland schools. By 2018, the gap in in reading, writing and numeracy achievements was half within a decade. In Year 9, numeracy had the greatest closure by 37% (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs , 2017).

It is argued that the policy intervention, through the Closing the Gap strategy to improve life outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through socio-economic targets, has not produced the desired effect even after 10 years of ‘Closing the Gap’ strategy (Guenther, 2020; The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). It is observed that most schools find it challenging and costly to operate within the education reform framework and NAPLAN testing environment. Schools have a lack of a common understanding of numeracy. There are substantial demands to implement the national curriculum that has impacted the schools' ability to appropriately prepare students for NAPLAN numeracy tests (Carter, 2015). These observations make it clear that the strategy must provide for uniform guidelines for schools covering the understanding and implementation of relevant policy, in particular the NAPLAN testing requirements.

On a different note, indigenous students and family must be supported in developing the soft skills needed to improve academic performances of the students. For instance, parents are found to have played a vital role in improving the students’ academic performance. Their involvement has a direct benefit on the students (Cuartero-Enteria & Tagyam, 2020). This is supported by the 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey that found that there is a general need of support from family, friends and school by students in non-remote and remote areas. Students in non-remote areas require more of individual tutoring and career guidance. Students in remote areas require encouragement from elders and council and relatives (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Such involvement provides for regular monitoring and motivation of the students. This is an important aspect as it has been found that indigenous students have significantly lower mean-levels of motivation and engagement (Martin, et al., 2021). At the same time, when they are exposed to positive motivation and engagement including self-efficacy or mastery orientation, it brings greater academic outcomes than when exposed to negative motivation and engagement, such as anxiety or self-handicapping. However, factors such as gender, age, socio-economic status, and prior achievement reduce the difference between indigenous and non-indigenous students in terms of motivation and engagement (Martin, et al., 2021).

Indigenous children are more exposed than non-Indigenous children to language and cognitive skills (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Also, it has been observed that an increasing number of secondary schools both indigenous and non-indigenous need assistance with reading and writing. A general lack of academic programmes that are specifically designed to address these literacy issues in secondary school is the issue (Rennie, 2019). An inclusion approach is needed to establish, build and maintain relationships not only with the students, but the families and communities (Williams, et al., 2018). Education programmes can focus on understanding the students’ social and cultural systems and enable students to stay connected with family, community and culture (Rennie, 2019; O'Bryan & Fogarty, 2020).

A policy may appear fair in the draft but may not deliver while implementing. Specific programmes are needed to connect academic curriculum and performance with the social and cultural system of the indigenous students. Further research is needed to focus on the impact of socio-economic factors, including the involvement of parents and community on the literacy and numeracy of indeginous students.

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Bibliography

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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020. 2.04 Literacy and numeracy. [Online] Available at: https://www.indigenoushpf.gov.au/measures/2-04-literacy-numeracy#references [Accessed 09 09 2021].

Bradley, S., Draca, M., Green, C. & Leeves, G., 2007. The magnitude of educational disadvantage of indigenous minority groups in Australia. J Popul Econ, Volume 20, pp. 547-569

Carter, M. G., 2015. A multiple case study of NAPLAN numeracy testing of Year 9 students in three Queensland secondary schools. Diss.. s.l.:Queensland University of Technology

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