This report, which is to be produced annually, is based on outcomes achieved in 2001 and documents the progress of Indigenous education and training in Australia. It enables the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Science and Training to report to the Parliament at the end of each funding year on outcomes associated with Indigenous education and training. In addition, the report provides important information for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, the educational community and Indigenous students. Data has mainly been derived from official national collections or from Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) data. IESIP covers over 90% of Indigenous students in education and training. The monitoring and reporting of progress for these students is based on eight priority areas endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in 1995. These are: literacy, numeracy, educational outcomes, enrolments, Indigenous employment, professional development of staff involved in Indigenous education and training, involvement of Indigenous parents and communities in education and training, and culturally inclusive curricula. The last four of these priorities are discussed collectively as Indigenous presence, involvement and influence. The introductory chapters provide an executive summary presenting highlights of improvements and continuing gaps in outcomes for Indigenous students, information about the national report, and contextual information associated with the history of, and current policies and social influences on, Indigenous education and training in Australia. The report is then structured according to the four main sectors of education and training in Australia: preschool (chapter three), schooling (chapter four), vocational education and training (VET) (chapter five), and higher education (chapter six). A similar structure is followed in each of these chapters, based on the eight MCEETYA priority areas. Each chapter begins with introductory information, data and discussion about Indigenous presence, involvement and influence. This is followed by the key areas of enrolments and educational outcomes. Chapter seven provides progress information on the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (NIELNS) and chapter eight reports on payments under the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000. Appendices and bibliography are included.
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