Developing a behavioural model of school attendance: policy implications for Indigenous children and youth by Nicholas Biddle, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research

7 August 2014 Abstract: To design policies that maximise the chances that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) students will attend school on a given day, it is important to have a detailed understanding of how Indigenous students make the decision about whether to attend. In this paper, I analyse four data sets to shed light on the attendance decisions of Indigenous students: the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). I look at three aspects of the school decision: the relationship between past attendance and current academic outcomes, differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in patterns of attendance, and Indigenous-specific determinants of school attendance. The results of the analysis show that, although there is strong evidence for the policy focus on school attendance, the current policy framework may be missing many of the factors that are driving actual behaviour. In the concluding section of the paper, I discuss the importance of the findings for the development of a behavioural model for school attendance, as well as some further research needed to extend our understanding. I also discuss some initial policy implications, with a particular focus on the strengths and weaknesses of alternative policies.

Philanthropist and businessman Andrew Forrest’s Review of Indigenous Training and Employment Programmes has been released, making 27 “ambitious” recommendations to improve indigenous employment outcomes across the country

Gardening

Revitalize your community with these 12 tips for starting a Transition Initiative. http://bit.ly/1jVBltt

Changes to the Racial Discrimination Act - Squashed

A huge win for us!! "Community leaders have welcomed the Abbott Government’s decision to drop its controversial plans to water down the Racial Discrimination Act." yaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo

Cultural Learning Can Save Lives Say Elders

Estelle and Des Bowen already have buried a son and daughter. The heartache that came with doing that is something they don't want other parents to experience. The Cape York elders believe cultural education is the key to reversing an epidemic of youth suicides in remote Aboriginal communities. The suicide rate of indigenous teenage girls is five times higher than non-indigenous girls. For boys, it is four times higher. In some remote communities of Western Australia's Kimberley, the suicide rate is 100 times the national average. 'There's a sense of hopelessness,' Mr Bowen said, blaming overcrowding, unemployment and a lack of cultural support programs. He believes taking youngsters bush, away from modern distractions and the flow of alcohol and drugs, is vital for healing and building resilience. The only way to find out what was going on with at-risk young people was to take them fishing or hunting and to sit down with them on country. 'That's when you will find out who's hurting.' Mrs Bowen says youngsters caught between two worlds are losing their way, but the land has a power to ground them. 'They can start hunting again, feeding and looking after their families.' She laments that red tape - like cooking qualifications - is getting in the way of that approach. 'We never died from our cooking. We learnt to survive in the bush, we learnt from our elders. We never starved out in the bush.' The Elders Report into Preventing Indigenous Self-harm and Youth Suicide, released on Tuesday, has called for federal and state governments to support teaching culture to young people by funding programs and equipment such as four-wheel drives and camping gear. Dean Gooda, from Fitzroy Crossing in WA, warns that outsiders should not be driving suicide prevention programs. 'We end up with ideas on suicide prevention that come from Canberra and bear no resemblance to what is needed in the community and on the ground,' he said. * Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25).

Success for TAFE South Western Sydney Koori Program

This 2008 program conceived of some years earlier by a local community worker and TAFE Outreach teacher. The pilot was run at Bonnyrigg Public School. The short term aim was to provide an opportunity for local Aboriginal women to build a solid foundation for study and eventually work in the community service sector. The longer term goal was to strengthen community by pathwaying students into higher level qualifications in the community services sector in order they work in their own communities.

The teacher had observed the potential within the local communities and designed a program that would engage, support and motivate learners in a dynamic culturally aware and sensitive environment. The pilot proved very successful and led to more classes funded by the TAFE NSW SWSI Aboriginal Education Unit in collaboration with Wetherill Park TAFE Outreach community centres including W.I.L.M.A. (Wilma) Women's Health Centre and MARCIA Refuge provides crisis accommodation for women and their children who are escaping domestic violence.

The collaborative approach led to creative, locally negotiated, supportive and flexible programs for the student groups. Services included MacArthur legal service, court assistance scheme (Sista Girl Yarns), and Liverpool Women's Resource Centre. The program continued to grow and evolve responding to local communities. Every semester has seen students’ progress into higher level qualifications on campus at TAFE and some on to university. Aside from successful pathways into further and higher education for many Aboriginal women, many with multiple strands of disadvantage and complex needs, there have been many benefits to communities, families and individuals. For example four women from Sista Girl Yarns group are now working in community/ government jobs but doing direct client work as a result of doing the course.

Australia's Indigenous Language Map

David R Horton is the creator of the Indigenous Language Map. This map is based on language data gathered by Aboriginal Studies Press, AIATSIS and Auslig/Sinclair, Knight, Merz, (1996). The map attempts to represent all of the language or tribal or nation groups of Indigenous people of Australia.

Emily Kngwarreye

Few contemporary artists have so captured the public’s imagination as the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye (sometimes spelled Emily Kam Ngwarray). Born in about 1910 at Alhalkere near Utopia in Central Australia, Emily Kngwarreye first saw white people at the age of about nine. She worked as a stock hand on pastoral properties at a time when Aboriginal women were usually only employed as domestics on the stations and was a respected Eastern Anmatyerre senior Law woman. It is a testament to Emily’s extraordinary spirit and character that in the eight years before her death in 1996, she painted a remarkable 3000 paintings on canvas with an undiminished energy that belied her years. In a meteoric rise to fame she came to be internationally acclaimed as Australia’s most eminent female artist

In the history of contemporary Aboriginal art, the work of Emily Kngwarreye proved to be of profound significance. Kngwarreye started making art around the mid to late 1980s, her work has had a lasting impact on Australian art.

Pat O'Shane

Pat O'Shane was the first woman appointed permanent head of the New South Wales Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in 1981, she became not only the first Aboriginal person but also the first woman to become a permanent head of ministry in Australia.

Patricia O'Shane was born in Northern Queensland in 1941. A noted activist for indigenous rights, her achievements in the public sphere have been remarkable. She was the first Aboriginal Australian Barrister (1976) and the first woman to be appointed to the New South Wales Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board (1979). When she was appointed permanent head of the New South Wales Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in 1981, she became not only the first Aboriginal person but also the first woman to become a permanent head of ministry in Australia.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska on 3 November 1920, on North Stradbroke Island, country of the Noonuccal tribe. She attended Dulwich Primary; left school and became a domestic in Brisbane at the age of 13. As an Aboriginal person, she said, 'there wasn't the slightest possibility of getting "a better job" [even] if you stayed on at school' (Murawina, 1993).

Oodgeroo's work has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Mary Gilmore Medal (1970), the Jessie Litchfield Award (1975), the International Acting Award and the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Award. She also held an honourary doctorate of letters (Macquarie University) and was awarded the degree of Doctor of the University from Griffith University. In 1970, Oodgeroo (under the name Kathleen Walker) was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) for services to the community. She returned it in 1987 in protest against the forthcoming Australian Bicentenary celebrations (1988). It was around this time that she reclaimed her traditional name, Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal Tribe.

NSW Ombudsman - Addressing Aboriginal Disadvantage

This report details an audit of the implementation of the NSW Interagency Plan to Tackle Child Sexual Assault in Aboriginal Communities 2006 - 2011 (Interagency Plan). The report seeks to bring together what has been said over a number of years publicly - as well as to agencies directly - about the systemic reforms that are needed to address Aboriginal disadvantage in NSW. It also builds on the findings and recommendations contained in our December 2010 report about service delivery to the Bourke and Brewarrina communities. The report highlights the importance of taking bold approaches to the priority areas of education, building economic capacity and protecting vulnerable children in Aboriginal communities.

Click Here

Nadeen @ Ultimo TAFE

Nadeen is here with me on a short visit from her class, Community Engaging Technologies course where students are learning to examine and research a variety of web 2 tools with the view of establishing their own or many sites. And guess what you fellas; its all FREE!!

This is Yagan and Rene` at Christine Anu's first video clip shoot taken down at the old wharehouse near the fishmarket.
Just checking out how easy it is to use BLOGGER.

Ruth and Barry Smith - Bits n Pieces

Hi there folks

I am here in Bowen with Kate, Ruth and Barry watching Barry install, yes you guessed it, Lesley's new kitchen and OMG, its beautiful. I actually wish I could stay in Bowen until all of the kitchen is finished but no such luck - meeting finished lined up for Monday morning hey.

So Lesley will just have to come back when the other stuff is finished.

Folks thought I would put a picture of the lovely beach here in Bowen just to tease you all ok.

Reconciliation Australia

Reconciliation Australia was established in 2000. It is an independent, not-for-profit organisation set up by the former Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Reconciliation Australia is the peak national organisation that builds and promotes reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Reconcilation has recently written a position paper titled 10 Years after the bridge walks

Does reconciliation have a place in Australia today or is it a spent force, superseded by more tangible efforts towards “closing the gap”? If we are to move forward in post-apology Australia where many Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander citizens continue to endure poor life conditions, this question needs a
careful answer.

The website is rich in resources and up to date information on Reconciliation. The Myth busters page is one of my favourites, check it out.

Renowned Aboriginal Activist, Michael Anderson's Slams the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples as the “Joke of the New Millennium”

Aboriginal political activist, Michael Anderson, says the Rudd government’s attempt to pacify the Aboriginal people by establishing the Aboriginal Congress of First Nations is an absolute joke and a waste of public $30 million of public funds.

“When the acronym ATSIC was touted by the Aboriginal people as ‘Aborigines talking shit in Canberra’, this as a replacement is sickening and the waste that people spoke of with ATSIC pales into significance when we look at this organization,” Mr Anderson writes in a media release.

“Do the Prime Minister and his Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Jenny Macklin, truly think that we Aborigines are childlike and cannot see the insult being waged against us with the establishment of such an irrelevant organization, and then to say that they represent Aborigines when NO public elections are being held for its membership?”

Mr Anderson argues that if you look at the structure of this body it is a job creation program for broken down and irrelevant former public servants who want to be leaders of the Aboriginal populace.

“Aboriginal people must take a stand against this mockery,” says Mr Anderson and calls on them throughout Australia “to stand up to this assault on our intelligence and refuse to have anything to do with this organization; and make it known loud and wide that this is not an organization that represents anything to do with Aboriginal people.”

The Aborigines named in this organization are people who would sell their own mother and all her heirlooms, Mr Anderson writes. “What chance do we have?”

“What Sam Jefferies, the deputy chair of the Congress, says about closing the gap of Aboriginal disadvantage is a joke,” Mr Anderson says.

“He fails to realise the bigger picture which is that our people are being discriminated against with martial law imposed on Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory in the guise of an intervention program.

“The incarceration rates of Aboriginal youth and adults are the highest in Australia, making our population in the prisons the highest in a country that is supposed to be free.
“Our section of the community continues to have the highest suicide rate in the Australia population etc etc,” Mr Anderson notes.

“To fight the establishment over these disproportionate figures and at the same time represent these people, take on the government and to fight against the intervention on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory is the task Sam Jefferies should be talking about instead of dreaming of dollar signs and being a friend of the multi-nationals and then maybe an Australian award for his contribution in Aboriginal Affairs.

“This is a farce and should be called what it is: the joke of the 21st new millennium,” Mr Anderson writes.

“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd needs to reassess his options because $30 million for this charade is a total waste and Aboriginal people will hound this puppet organization of the Labor government and the multinationals,” he says.

“The people who accept a position within this organization cannot be so blind as not to see that they are being used. The government seek to pass the buck when it comes to direct consultations with Aboriginal people on these imposed restrictions and rules of tyranny being applied to our people, not to mention the approvals the multi-nationals need to forcefully acquire Aboriginal lands for mining, so what better way than to locate some misfit and ambitious want-to-be-Aborigines.”

Goodooga, Northwest NSW, AUSTRALIA - 5 May 2010

Michael Anderson can be contacted at 02 68296355 landline, 04272 92 492 mobile, 02 68296375 fax, ngurampaa@bigpond.com.au.

RECONCILIATION - Respect, Knowledge and Understanding

Reconciliation Week plays a significant role in heightening awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.

This year, Reconciliation Week starts on Wednesday 27 May which is the 1967 Referendum anniversary and finishes on Wednesday June 3 celebrating the High Court’s Mabo decision anniversary.

The theme this year is celebrating the United Nations International Year of Reconciliation which aims to highlight the need to Recognise, Respect and Protect the Rights of Indigenous People as an essential part of the reconciliation process.

Reconciliation is a comprehensive. The core of it is about addressing the divisions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians – some say its about divisions that have been caused by a lack of respect, knowledge and understanding.

It's about "recognising the truth of Australia’s history, and moving forward together with a commitment to social justice, and building relationships based on mutual understanding, respect and trust. Social justice for Indigenous Australians must include: recognition of the distinct rights of Indigenous Australians as the first peoples of this nation, including the right to self determination; reparations for past injustices, elimination of racism and discrimination, and closing the gaps in health, social and economic outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians".

More resources:-

Reconciliation Australia | Australian Culture Portal | ANTaR | From Dispossession to Reconciliation | Racism No Way | Queers for Reconciliation | Scholastic | HEROC | Jumbanna | ENAIR | ArtsLaw

My Visit To Sydney

Hello my name is Stephanie Campbell . I'm from the Titjikala community which is South of Alice Springs. It is my first time here in Sydney. In the desert it's hot but here in Sydney, it's very cold, especially at night. So anyway, I'm havin' fun going out shopping and going to the beach it's fun here in Sydney.

From Desert To Forest

Hello everyone, we are having fun taking photo of ourself at the supermarket.
"We had fun".

Learning blogging

Hi there everyone. My name is Susan Doolan and I am originally from Finke Community which is 450km south east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Now I live at Titjikala Community which is 107 south east of Alice Springs. At titjikala I work at the Tapatjatjaka art and craft centre. I work as office administrator, I enjoy working and meeting alot of different people. Now I am here in Sydney studying art, Sydney is crouded and cold so we are not used to the weather here. The art works that I do are painting and canvas,basket making with raffia and ceramics.

My Visit to Sydney

My name is Kenneth Hayes and I come from Titjikala Community which is in the Northern Territory. Titjkala is 107km south east of Alice Springs. Today I am here in Sydney studying art. I am using the computer for the first time. The art I do is make horses out of scrap wires and I play guitar. We have a band in our which is called the Simpson Desert Band.

Australia's Sorry Day - Commemorated on May 26 Every Year

Sorry Day is a day for all Australians to take time out of their busy lives to remember Aboriginal people who where forcible removed from their families under early Government policies. The day was recommended as part of the Bringing Them Home report . If you get a chance to have look, it is worth reading some of the people's personal stories from the report - this is just not another Aboriginal report - read it from the horse's mouths.

Also, a "National Sorry Day Committee (NSDC) was established in 1998 and has been incorporated since January 2001. From the beginning, the NSDC has continued through the commitment, dedication and involvement of both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. The NSDC is unique because it’s networks and voluntary memberships comprises of First Nations Peoples of Australia, including Stolen Generations and members of the Broader Australian Community. It operates on a reconciliatory basis that upholds a positive partnership between First Nations Peoples of Australia and the Broader Australian Community".

Arts Yarn Up - Australia Council for the Arts' Indigenous arts magazine

The Australia Council for the Arts' produces an Indigenous arts magazine,Arts Yarn Up - check out the Autumn 2009 edition. This issue includes "Australia's delegation to the Festival of Pacific Arts, Vernon Ah Kee's selection for the Venice Biennale, and Terri Janke's thoughts on the need for a national Indigenous cultural authority"

Respect, Acknowledge and Listen

This resource has practical protocols for working with the Indigenous Community of Western Sydney.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are as diverse as any other community. We are not all one cultural group and not all the same. Every community will have common ground and similarities, but also very different issues. Too often it is assumed that one Indigenous person is the knowledge holder and the sole voice for the whole community in which they live. There are different traditions and customs, different ways of communicating, different understandings, different sensitive issues, different Elders.

The Apology - One year on

A classroom resource from the RacismNoWay website
"February 13th 2009 was the first anniversay of the apology to the Stolen Generations by the Australian Parliament. The apology was a powerful event in the nation's history for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Theme: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders - Australian history and race relations
Key Learning Area: English - Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)
Age Group: Primary Upper (10-12) - Secondary Lower (13-14) - Secondary Middle (15-16)
Resource Type: Audio-visual
Stimulus Name: The Apology"

Aboriginal Culture and History Calendar

"When you look at the events which are significant to Aboriginal people you'll notice that their recent history is one of a fight for rights, land and recognition. It is also a history of sadness, loss and denial."

Twelve Canoes

The Yolngu people of Ramingining in the Northern territory now have a cyber presence sharing their art, music, people and place.
"The 12 Canoes site gives the world access to an immersive and engaging view to celebrate the culture, art and history of one of world’s the oldest existing people -the Yolngu - whose homeland is the town of Ramingining and the Arafura Swamp of north-central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The main sections of the website, designed and built by Wanted Digital, is built around twelve filmed “visual poems” describing and illustrating many aspects of Yolngu history, life and culture from Creation, Our Ancestors, The Macassans, First White Men, Thomson Time, The Swamp, Plants and Animals, and Seasons, to Kinship, Ceremony, Language, and the community’s contemporary life in Nowadays.
Other features also include artwork galleries, music, language and common terms, and photographs that capture life in the region."
Thanks to Mark from Ultimo TAFE for passing on this info too ok.

Stolen Generation Fact Sheet

ReconciliACTIONnsw is part of the national ReconciliACTION Network which is a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people interested in reconciliation and Indigenous rights issues.

This section of the ReconciliACTION website explores the policy of forcibly removing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children from their families. These children became known as the Stolen Generations

.

E-governance in Indigenous Communities

Governance is a critical aspect of strengthening communities. This moodle has been developed to support Indigenous leaders and managers in training which builds fundamental business and governance skills, such as budgeting and reporting.
SWSI and SI Outreach and Aboriginal Units are keen to pursue such a project. let us know if you would like to participate in such a project.

Finding Common Ground

This ABC site examines the issues surrounding the draft document for Reconciliation which was released for nationwide discussion On June 2, 1999.
The information rich page links to a National Indigenous Calendar, arts, events, health, recipes and an to excellent online Indigenous Language Area Map. You can add your own recipes or events as the page is dynamic.

Hello from us here @ Ultimo TAFE

Hi folks I am here with John Ake from Paddington looking at NSW TAFE Outreach network of blogs and how easy it is to have a presence on the web in my office at Ultimo TAFE in the central business area of Sydney..

Basicially our hub is made up of the front webpage and a network of blogs throughout NSW with all of the Outreach staff across the state. This hub was made with funding from NSW Learnscope under the Australian Flexible Learning framework.

If you think you may want to put in for funding you must be an RTO and for other criteria info please click on this link ok.