A Time for Serious Resources for Indigenous Education

“The fact that Australia’s Aboriginal peoples remain at the bottom level of every economic, health and social indicator is unacceptable and should be a source of national shame,” said Independent Education Union Federal Secretary Chris Watt.

“Changing this must be a national priority and Australians need to commit to support courageous policy to tackle together the issues that continue to divide this country,” said Mr Watt.

“Noel Pearson’s plan to recruit both experienced teachers and graduates is worthy of support.”

As Jeff McMullen eloquently said last year in his Children of the Sunrise address; in the early 1970’s Native Americans lived 12-16 years less than white Americans. But a serious injection of primary health care, coupled with a well-funded program of affirmative action in education, closed those gaps remarkably so that today Native Americans only lag 3.5 years behind the white life expectancy.

It was education and economic development that lifted the standard of so many lives. 

Indeed when the former US Surgeon General, Dr David Satcher, after looking around Central Australia, was asked:  “What is the solution to this misery?”. He didn’t say “emergency seizure of the remote communities”. He said “education, education, education.”

“The IEUA strongly supports the notion that education can help transform social and economic opportunities’” he said

“Accordingly the IEUA believes that increased resources and support are a long overdue national priority in indigenous education”.

“Noel Pearson’s project deserves serious consideration”

Contact

Chris Watt                                                                   02 6273 3107

Federal Secretary                                                       0419 259 143