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Reconciliation includes equal access to educational opportunities

25 May 2015

When Australia starts celebrating National Reconciliation Week on Wednesday, 27 May, The Smith Family will also be celebrating the educational achievements of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the charity is supporting.

The Smith Family CEO Dr Lisa O’Brien said support provided by the national children’s charity is positively impacting on school attendance and retention rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

“Of the 34,000 disadvantaged students supported through The Smith Family’s core support program - Learning for Life - almost 5,500 or 16% are from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds,” Dr O’Brien said.

“In addition to financial assistance and support from program coordinators, The Smith Family delivers reading, mentoring and leadership programs developed specifically to help engage with education and post-school options.

“Of course we want to grow this support given the substantial gap in educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.”

In 2013, the apparent retention rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students was 55.1 per cent, compared to 82.9 per cent for other Australians.

Dr O’Brien said: “We know that young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds who do not complete Year 12 are at risk of a lifetime of economic and social disadvantage.

“The key is to ensure they have the support they need to attend and complete school. This is even more critical among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children where school attendance and educational achievement is significantly lower than other young Australians.

“Our vision for reconciliation is where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children fully benefit from the education and learning opportunities that Australia has to offer, and are truly valued as the First Peoples of Australia through a deep respect and understanding by the broader Australian community.

“This includes our ongoing work with parents, schools and communities to ensure they are engaged in positively influencing the education and employment prospects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.”

These are important elements of The Smith Family’s 2013-2016 Reconciliation Action Plan, which demonstrates our continued commitment to the reconciliation process.

During National Reconciliation Week, from 27 May to 3 June, The Smith Family will be involved in and hosting a wide range of events across the country.

In line with this year’s theme - It’s time to change it up – The Smith Family will be showing its respect for community connectedness and a strong commitment to understanding the complex cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.