MEDIA RELEASE
$14 MILLION TO IMPROVE INDIGENOUS STUDENT LITERACY
11 May 2004 MINBUD 34/04
The Australian Government will provide $14 million over 2005-2008
to continue the work in improving Indigenous literacy levels,
through a unique teaching programme that targets those Indigenous
students most in need.
The programme, Scaffolding Literacy, utilises a structured
approach to teaching and has proven to be especially effective in
assisting students in remote areas.
A pilot programme, which included remote schools in SA and WA,
showed that on entry, only 4% of Years 1-3 students could read
independently at, or above, Year 1 level and 96% of students had
insufficient literacy skills to take part in class room lessons.
At the conclusion of the programme, 60% were able to read
independently. Similarly impressive improvements were achieved by
students in Years 4-6 and Year 7 and above.
An independent evaluation by the Australian Council for
Educational Research of the Scaffolding Literacy
pilots concluded that:
-
The results of
introducing Scaffolding procedures were ‘little short of
sensational’;
-
The changes were
‘always solid, always upward and often spectacular’;
-
Scaffolding
‘works’ with regard to students' personal development –
behavioural, attitudinal and motivational;
-
Scaffolding can
be done anywhere; and
-
The programme had the
full participation and support of the Indigenous communities.
This announcement includes an $8 million commitment for 2005-2008
from the Australian Government to work with the Northern Territory
Government in a system-wide rollout of the Scaffolding
Literacy approach.
Funding will be used to develop resources and train 700 teachers
to implement the Scaffolding programme and to target 10,000
high-need Indigenous students (90% of whom are in remote areas) in
100 Territory schools.
As part of this commitment, the Australian Government will also
continue its support for current Scaffolding partnership
pilots in other parts of the country with a $6 million allocation
for 2005-2008.
Improving the educational outcomes for Indigenous students,
particularly those in remote areas, remains an important commitment
of the Coalition Government and we will continue working towards
closing the educational divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
students.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
Note: The information in this media release has been
previously announced on 5 April 2004.
|
