Reference no: EM133210864
Question:
Critically review how the service/project or campaign, for each chosen target, addresses the target. (How does it involve shared decision making and self-determination for Indigenous Australians?).The critical review should include some indicators of achievement for each target, and any past or ongoing evaluations of the service/campaign in meeting these indicators.
The Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS)
University enrolments by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have increased significantly over the past decade, possibly reflecting higher Year 12 completion rates.
The Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) and the Connected Beginnings project are two programs that aim to improve school attendance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The RSAS was launched to reduce absenteeism among Indigenous students by 50% over three years.
An evaluation in 2016 found that the RSAS had positively impacted school attendance rates in remote communities. The RSAS was also found to have improved communication and coordination between schools, community organisations and families. However, the RSAS was not without its challenges. The evaluation found that the RSAS was not always well coordinated and that there was a lack of clarity about the various organisations involved in the RSAS.
Achievements
Despite these challenges, it is one of the most successful programs in our history. It works with parents and guardians to encourage them to send their children to school regularly and with community members to identify and address the barriers to education in remote areas.
In the program's first year, there was an increase of 5% in school attendance in target communities. This impact was even more significant in the second year, with an increase of 10%. The RSAS has also successfully reduced truancy and improved academic performance in remote schools. According to ABS., 2020, 49% of people aged 25-34 had a cert III level or above qualification in 2018-19, up from 28% in 2008.
- 2016 - 42.3% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-34 had completed non-school qualifications of cert III or above → no new data since
- 49% of people aged 25-34 had a cert III level or above qualification in 2018-19, up from 28% in 2008 (ABS., 2020)
Connected Beginnings
The Connected Beginnings project aims to improve school attendance and engagement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
The Connected Beginnings project provides training to over 12,000 teachers from primary schools throughout remote communities across Australia's northeast coast, enabling them to provide culturally responsive teaching experiences to their students.
The Connected Beginnings initiative aims to boost the number of children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds attending early childhood programs throughout the country. It achieves this objective by delivering to parents information and resources concerning the many advantages of receiving early childhood education and financial assistance to assist them in meeting the costs associated with enrolling their children in the respective programs. [providing training opportunities that enable teachers to become more culturally responsive when delivering curriculum and learning experiences within their classrooms. These supports will be provided through culturally-appropriate programs, tailored education programs and practical assistance offered by police officers.]
The program aims to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are not in school by 20%. This will reduce the number of disengaged students who are unlikely to progress into higher learning.
Achievements
Connected Beginnings is a local non-profit organisation that provides early education and support services to low-income children and families. This campaign was designed to increase awareness of their services and promote their mission of providing early education and support services to those in need.
The campaign was successful in raising awareness of Connected Beginnings and their work and resulted in an increase in donations and volunteers for the organisation. In 2021, 96.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the year before full time schooling age cohort were enrolled in a preschool program. This is a significant increase from 76.7% in 2016 (baseline year). If you look at the graph on the poster, this displays the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and non-Indigenous children in the Year Before Schooling age cohort enrolled in a preschool program. Along with these proportions, a linear regression is displayed that shows the data trend for the target and confidence intervals are also displayed around the trend providing an indication of its reliability. The aim under Closing the Gap is to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from a 2016 baseline value of 76.7% to a target value of 95% by 2025. Nationally, based on the progress from the baseline, the target shows good improvement and is on track to be met.