Welcome to the Education is the Key Campaign.

[Please note that this page is still under development.]

This page features the seminal report 'Education is the Key', which highlights the significant levels of under-resourcing of the Northern Territory Education system and the impacts that this has on the ability of Indigenous` people to access high quality public education.

Education is the Key calculates as many as 7500 Indigenous children are missing out on preschool or school, and up to 5000 potential students under the age of 18 in remote areas have no access to secondary or vocational education services.

Further to this, the report explores the impacts of the Howard Government's recent intervention in to Northern Territory Aboriginal communities on schools and teachers, determining that:

• There is the potential of increased teacher resignations on top of already high turnover rates as a result of the additional pressures created by the federal intervention; and
• There are significant problems with current funding systems that are based on school attendance rather than enrolments, resulting in a lack of teachers, desks or other facilities when children come to school.

To ensure a high quality education for all students the report recommends at least 1360 extra teachers are needed, along with up to 585 additional school staff, including bilingual Indigenous Assistant teachers, costing around $264 million per annum. It also recommends up to $440 million for one-off infrastructure costs including new buildings.

The AEU will continue to build the case for adequate and appropriate resources for all public schools.

The 'Education is the Key Campaign' aims to build alliances with community groups and individuals who are prepared to raise awareness of the many issues confronting the education of Indigenous students, not only in the Northern Territory, but also across Australia.

The AEU believes that Indigenous students have the right to access high quality public education in their home communities, like all other Australian children.

Education International (EI), the global organisation representing Australian education unions, voiced its concerns about new legislation which undermines the land rights of the Indigenous populations in a letter to the Australian Prime Minister on 10 October. The letter was a result of an urgent resolution passed at the 5th EI World Congress held from 22-26 July in Berlin.

What can you do?

• Please bookmark this page and visit regularly for campaign and action updates

• Subscribe to the campaign email list in order to share information and strategies

• Download the petition prepared by ANTaR, collect signatures and return to:
  Wayne Costelloe, Federal Aboriginal Education Officer
  Australian Education Union
  120 Clarendon Street
  Southbank Vic 3006

• Encourage communities to consider the recommendations and to outline what they believe is needed in their community to build educational success

Further Reading

NT Intervention - Education is the Key AEU Media Release - 14 December 2007

Schooling key to Aboriginal welfare The Australian 7/12/07

$1.7b to fix NT Indigenous school disadvantage ABC World Today 23/10/07

Indigenous groups back calls for funding boost to NT schools ABC News 23/10/07

New Report: Education Funding Key to Success of Federal Intervention in NT AEU Media Release - 23 October 2007

A timely reminder Media release from Warren Snowdon, MP 23/10/07

ACTU welcomes the report Education is the Key ACTU Media release 23/10/07