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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-01 Daily Xml
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ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

Ms BREUER (Giles) (16:34): My question is to the Minister for Education and Children's Services. What is the government doing to improve school attendance for Aboriginal students?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education and Children's Services, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (16:34): As the honourable member would know, the Rann government is committed to ensuring that all young people are actively involved in education and training. We know students who attend school regularly have the best possible chance of future success.

The rate of attendance plus explained absence (such as illnesses) for Aboriginal students is 90 per cent compared to 97 per cent for non-Aboriginal children. This is an improvement but, clearly, it is still not good enough. With so many options available to students today, including initiatives under this government's Youth Engagement Plan and its Trade Schools for the Future, we need to know why these students are not in school.

To ensure that regular patterns of non-attendance are detected early, a new electronic data system called the Indigenous Student Support System is being used by staff in each of the state's 18 district education offices. The Indigenous Student Support System will collect data on daily attendance patterns and allow immediate intervention by district education staff, including Aboriginal education workers and district attendance officers, when regular non-attendance is detected. District education staff will then immediately begin working with the students, their families and their schools to get them back into school or training.

In addition to the new Indigenous Student Support System, this government has developed a range of programs and initiatives to assist schools improve attendance for all students. This includes an electronic leave pass system in all secondary schools and some primary schools to monitor student attendance during the day and a No School No Pool policy in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. In addition, 10 attendance counsellors are working across the state to support students to re-engage with school.

Last year we had a record number of Aboriginal students achieve their finishing certificate, SACE, and we want this success to continue. However, we still have a long way to go. This government has made education a priority. We are absolutely committed to improving the educational outcome for all students, including Aboriginal students, and closing the gap in South Australia.

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