National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP)
Major Goal 1 - Involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Educational Decision-Making
- To establish effective arrangements for the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community members in decisions regarding the planning, delivery and evaluation of pre-school, primary and secondary education services for their children.
- To increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed as educational administrators, teachers, curriculum advisers, teachers assistants, home-school liaison officers and other education workers, including community people engaged in teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and contemporary society, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
- To establish effective arrangements for the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and community members in decisions regarding the planning, delivery and evaluation of post-school education services, including technical and further education colleges and higher education institutions.
- To increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed as administrators, teachers, researchers and student services officers in technical and further education colleges and higher education institutions.
- To provide education and training services to develop the skills of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to participate in educational decision-making.
- To develop arrangements for the provisions of independent advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities regarding educational decisions at regional, State, Territory and National levels.
Major Goal 2 - Equality of Access to Education Services
- To ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children of pre-primary school have access to pre-school services on a basis comparable to that available to other Australian children of the same age.
- To ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have local access to primary and secondary schooling.
- To ensure equitable access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to post-compulsory secondary schooling, to technical and further education, and to higher education.
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Major Goal 3 - Equity of Educational Participation
- To achieve the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in pre-school education for a period similar to that for other Australian children.
- To achieve the participation of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in compulsory education.
- To achieve the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in post-secondary education, in technical and further education, and in higher education, at rates commensurate with those of other Australians in those sectors.
Major Goal 4 - Equitable and Appropriate Educational Outcomes
- To provide adequate preparation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children through pre-school education for the schooling years ahead.
- To enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander attainment of skills to the same standard as other Australian students throughout the compulsory schooling years.
- To enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to attain the successful completion of Year 12 or equivalent at the same rates as for other Australian students.
- To enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to attain the same graduation rates from award courses in technical and further education, and in higher education, as for other Australians.
- To develop programs to support the maintenance and continued use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
- To provide community education services which enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people develop the skills to manage the development of their communities.
- To enable the attainment of proficiency in English language and numeracy competencies by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with limited or no educational experience.
- To enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at all levels of education to have an appreciation of their history, cultures and identity.
- To provide all Australian students with an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary cultures.
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