The National Indigenous English literacy and numeracy strategy: 2000-2004

This report outlines the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (NIELNS), which aims to bring the literacy and numeracy skills of Indigenous students up to the same standards as non-Indigenous Australian students.

Six key elements will be implemented in order to reach these goals:

1. Lifting school attendance rates of Indigenous students to national levels.
2. Effectively addressing the hearing and other health problems that undermine learning for a large proportion of Indigenous students.
3. Providing, wherever possible, preschooling opportunities.
4. Training sufficient numbers of teachers in the skills and cultural awareness necessary to be effective in Indigenous communities and schools and encouraging them to remain for reasonable periods of time.
5. Ensuring that teaching methods known to be most effective are employed.
6. Instituting transparent measures of success as a basis for accountability for schools and teachers.

Crucial to the success of these endeavours will be:

• Raising the expectations of parents, teachers and the community about the literacy and numeracy levels which can be achieved by Indigenous students.
• Achieving a commitment to success by principals and teachers both in Indigenous community and mainstream schools.
• Active management of local level attendance and learning strategies for students at risk.
• Providing adequate opportunities for community leadership and action.
• Building on the results of a national program of strategic projects for Indigenous students carried out during 1998 and 1999.

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