This report is the product of the Phase Two Review of the Indigenous Education Direct
Assistance (IEDA) Program. The review was conducted between September 2002 and December 2003. The purpose of the Review was to:
- identify ways of improving the appropriateness and effectiveness of the IEDA program;
- develop a performance framework that will measure educational outcomes of the IEDA program;
- review the legal, fraud and audit compliance issues for each policy and program element of IEDA with the view to developing better outcomes;
- identify examples of good practice that can be utilised in the delivery of any proposed policy direction; and
- ascertain timelines and strategies for the implementation of any changes to the IEDA program in 2004.
The Review was conducted by DEST staff and focussed on examining the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current IEDA suite of programs against the four long term goals of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP), which has the endorsement of the Australian, State and Territory governments.
To conduct the Review, data from several sources was gathered and analysed, including:
- 25 case studies of different initiatives from across the country, interviewing teachers, principals, ATAS tutors, students, ATAS coordinators, homework centre management committees and Indigenous parents;
- written responses to questionnaires and discussion papers. There were 62 written responses to IEDA Discussion Paper Number 3 and 24 written responses were received in relation to the Discussion Paper for ATAS Bulk-Funding Arrangements for Higher Education Institutions and Boarding Schools;
- workshops with a cross section of DEST staff and feedback from stakeholders in various forums including the Strategic Thinkers Forum conducted in April 2003;
- historical records, files and previous reviews;
- performance reports of Bulk-Funded higher education institutions; and
- DEST.s Indigenous Education Payments Processing system.
Since IEDA commenced in 1991, its major focus has been the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS), which was allocated approximately $44 million of the total annual IEDA allocation (approximately $65 million) in 2003.
ATAS had its origins in the ABSTUDY Scheme and has a long standing presence in Indigenous school communities, in particular. It is administered by DEST staff in Indigenous Education Units across Australia. ATAS provides supplementary tutoring for Indigenous students across the education sectors. It also provides funding to 693 Homework centres (2002), through which school students can access a supportive environment to complete homework, to study and to use a computer for educational purposes, where available.
IEDA also encourages the formation of ASSPA (Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness) Committees and provides approximately $19 million annually to about 3,990 such committees. ASSPA Committees were developed as an important part of strategies to support the AEP long term goal to involve Indigenous people in educational decision-making. In some States for example, Victoria ASSPA committees have networks across regions and with their Indigenous Education Consultative Body.
The third and last element of IEDA is VEGAS which provides approximately $6 million annually for submission-based projects to improve Indigenous people's access to information about further education, training and career options. It aims to help to improve transitions from one level of education and training to another.
Each of the three sub-program and the elements of ATAS are briefly summarised below, with an overview of their effectiveness and appropriateness.