Improving Indigenous employment levels is at the heart of a new education plan that is being launched by the Queensland government.
The framework is being developed by Indigenous education experts, schools, communities and leaders.
John-Paul Langbroek, minister for education, training and employment, met with key stakeholders to discuss relevant issues and provide guidelines for moving forward.
“Indigenous education strategies have been strongly geared towards improving educational outcomes in primary schools and high schools up until now,” he explained.
“Our new approach will be wider in scope and look at building a continuous pathway from ‘crayon to career’ for Indigenous Queenslanders.”
Mr Langbroek’s roundtable meeting was the beginning of what he described as an “extensive” consultation process, which will result in a four-year Indigenous education plan.
The proposals, which will be delivered in mid-2013, will help to further the work already being done by the government to reduce the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous pupils, he said.
According to the politician, attendance rates and learning outcomes are already on the rise, but there is still plenty to be done.
Organisations involved in the consultation process will include the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee, the Torres Straight Islander Regional Education Council and the Stronger Smarter Institute.
