The task, for our Indigenous students, is to improve:
their
levels of literacy and numeracy, and
their rates of school completion and
successful participation in post-school options.
You
have three general strategies:
1.
Skills
To
develop useful academic skills in ways you currently
know how.
2.
Participation
To
encourage engaged participation in ways which are well
established.
3.
Partnerships
A
third — knowledgable and sensitive respect for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their
cultures — pervades the other two.
Genuine partnerships which are effective
and productive for all parties are not always easy to foster.
That is the hard part.
You
have three focal points all stemming from
the intersection of school culture with the cultures of students.
1.
School
entry
Getting
used to 'doing school' is harder for some students than
others. A good start may not lead to a good finish,
but it's much better than a bad start.
2.
Transition to secondary
school and adolescence
It
is in the early years of secondary school that most
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are 'lost'
to formal education. These are the most challenging
years for many students. A valued purpose must be found
for continuing.
3.
The senior secondary
years
Clear
pathways are required to ongoing education, training
or employment.
Qualifications:
A
commitment to succeeding.
A
certain amount of courage and persistence.
A
will, and an ability, to find a way.
You
have support.
This
section of the materials is about taking action to help produce
higher levels of success. It has three parts. They are sequenced
to reflect the way in which educators seem to work on this
issue.
