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Bound for Success

Education Strategy for Cape York

A new approach to Indigenous education in Cape York has been released to lift student attendance, achievement and school completion.

For ease of downloading, the Strategy document has been made available in the following sections:

Front Cover (new window) 163k
Introduction (new window) 312k
Section 1 (new window) 576k
Section 2 (new window) 594k
Section 3 (new window) 429k

Complete Strategy document for download Bound for Success: Education Strategy for Cape York (new window) 1.8M

The Bound for Success: Education Strategy for Cape York provides a comprehensive response to the obstacles children in the region must overcome to attend school and remain engaged in education.

The strategy, developed in consultation with Cape York communities, puts forward a three-part approach to address the education needs of children in the region.

It outlines greater community input into schooling, improved education services across all stages of schooling and ongoing research to ensure that real progress is being made.

One of the key elements of the strategy is the establishment of a Cape York Education Leaders forum to drive education improvements in the region.

The forum will bring together Cape York communities to plan, support, monitor and make recommendations to the Government to improve the education and training outcomes of Cape York students.

It recognises that parents and the community play a vital role in shaping student attitudes to schooling and raising their expectations of what they can achieve.

The Cape York Education Strategy builds on and continues the Government's commitment to improving the outcomes of Indigenous students as outlined in the Bound for Success: Education Strategy for Torres Strait, which was released in December 2005.

Education Strategy for Torres Strait

Bound for Success: Education Strategy for Torres Strait (new window) 564k recognises that children and young people living in the Torres Strait face greater challenges than others in accessing education and achieving academic success.

The strategy responds to these challenges by outlining priority areas for action including increasing student accommodation on Thursday Island, an improved pre-Prep early education program for young children, a consistent regional school curriculum for all state schools in the Torres Strait and clearer, more regular opportunities for consultation with Torres Strait Island communities on important education issues.

The new strategy follows the release in May 2005 of the Bound for Success: Cape York and Torres Strait Education Discussion Paper (new window) 239k . The discussion paper presented an initial set of options for improving the educational achievement of Indigenous students in the Far North.

A series of education round tables with key stakeholders in the Cape and Torres Strait sought input to strategies that would assist the children and young people of those regions. Participants at these round tables included representatives of communities, community councils and shires, schools, Queensland and Australian government agencies, peak Indigenous community organisations, peak body organisations, business and industry, non-government education sector and other education and training providers.

Four key themes emerged through the consultations:

acknowledgment that change is needed and things need to be done differently to improve the education outcomes for Indigenous
strong commitment from communities and government to work in true partnership based on a mutual understanding of the roles and responsibilities of families, communities and schools
general support for the actions proposed in Bound for Success: Cape York and Torres Strait Education Discussion Paper
recognition that although the Cape and the Torres Strait share many similar characteristics, they are different communities, and each requires its own specially considered strategy that takes account of its distinct circumstances and educational needs.

The Bound for Success strategies for Cape York and Torres Strait respond to the issues raised by stakeholders, and present a way forward for working with and supporting communities in Cape York and the Torres Strait to improve the educational outcomes of their children and young people.

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