Outcome 5: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential

Target 5: By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (age 20–24) attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96 per cent.

Minister responsible

Minister for Education, Minister for Skills and Training, Minister for Youth

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

The most recent data for this target is from 2016. This target remains a focus for data development under the Data Development Plan.

The path forward

Education is key to increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathways to success and is associated with increased wellbeing across all other aspects of life. Evidence shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people can thrive in education and reach their potential when supported by strength-based, high-expectation approaches.

Supporting schools to take holistic approaches, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education in whole school approaches and utilising data to inform teaching and learning efforts will enable this. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring school environments are culturally safe and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are valued, respected and visibly present.

The Commonwealth will continue to work with states and territories, and strengthen engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners, to achieve the objectives of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA).

The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring that all Australians have equitable access to a quality education, no matter where you live, how much your parents earn or your cultural background.

Priority actions

Partnering on education initiatives

The Commonwealth will continue to strengthen the partnership with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Council (NATSIEC), including supporting NATSIEC’s full establishment, and to work closely with the Department of Education’s Indigenous Education Consultative Meeting (IECM). The Commonwealth will explore opportunities through the NSRA to address concerns raised by IECM members regarding a lack of transparency and accountability within the current NSRA.

The Commonwealth’s focus on Priority Reform One will extend to the joint establishment of a co‑designed Indigenous engagement mechanism to the Education Ministers Meetings (EMM). This will complement each jurisdiction’s partnership efforts, embedding Indigenous perspectives in EMM’s considerations. The co-design has occurred throughout 2022 and will be finalised in the first half of 2023.

These partnerships will support the Commonwealth’s work with states and territories to achieve the objectives of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and the NSRA.

National Teacher Workforce Action Plan

The National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, agreed by all Education Ministers in December 2022, includes a commitment to co-design actions to attract and retain more First Nations teachers. The Commonwealth has also committed to provide up to 5,000 bursaries worth up to $40,000 each, to help attract quality candidates to the profession, including First Nations candidates.

First Nations languages in schools

The Commonwealth is prioritising First Nations perspectives in schools through the Commonwealth’s plan to teach First Nations languages in primary schools across Australia, implemented in partnership with First Nations languages stakeholders, interested communities and relevant Commonwealth agencies.

Addressing barriers to education

In prioritising equitable access to education, the Commonwealth understands remote Australia faces distinct barriers. The Commonwealth will work with states and territories to improve access to education, with a view to ensuring all Australians, no matter where they live, can access a quality education.

For remote Australia, the Commonwealth recognises support to improve quality boarding is one element, alongside diversifying local schooling options. The Commonwealth is committing $21.6 million to extend the Indigenous Boarding Providers grants program for an additional one year and deliver a design review to identify sustainable, systemic reform options. The Commonwealth is also committing $38.4 million to expand junior ranger activities to 25 additional sites and support a distance education pilot in five remote sites and review of existing models.

The Commonwealth also recognises First Nations peoples are more likely to experience disability and face intersectional disadvantage, leading to poorer outcomes. The Commonwealth is working collaboratively to implement recommendations of the 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.