Nelson accepts NTEU Indigenous Proposal
November 25 2003
The Minister for Education Science and Training, as part of the Backing Australia’s Future policy, announced the proposed establishment of an Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council to advise the Minister and the Department for Education Science and Training on Indigenous tertiary education matters.
While the Minister announced in detail the Council’s terms of reference, no detail was provided regarding the structure of the proposed Council. The NTEU Indigenous Tertiary Education Policy Committee (ITEPC) subsequently provided a submission proposing a roundtable discussion of Indigenous higher education stakeholders be conducted to finalise the draft structure, also proposed by the ITEPC.
A number of organisations have provided submissions advising on the formation of the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council. The Minister has accepted the ITEPC proposal and is inviting Indigenous stakeholders to participate in this consultation process, to be held in Canberra on the 3rd December 2003, in order to finalise the Council’s terms of reference, membership, size and function.
ITEPC Chair Tracey Bunda said, “The establishment of this Council presents an opportunity to bring together, for the first time, the achievements and experience gained in the development of Indigenous higher education policy by all Indigenous higher education groups”.
Organisations invited to participate include the NTEU Indigenous Tertiary Education Policy Committee, National Indigenous Higher Education Network, Higher Education Network Aboriginal Corporation, Australian Vice Chancellors Indigenous sub committee, National Indigenous Postgraduate Association Aboriginal Corporation, Indigenous Student Network and other state and territory Indigenous higher education groups.
NTEU Indigenous Officer Joel Wright said, “Most of these groups have never had the opportunity to develop consensus among themselves as a coordinated response to their communities’ education needs and Commonwealth higher education policy, and as such these groups have developed their Indigenous policy separately to each other with minor consultation and cross referencing being the exception”.
“A coordinated, consistent and unified approach in the development of Indigenous higher education policies by these groups will bear more heavily on Commonwealth reforms to Indigenous higher education and in particular, issues such as the Government’s cuts to ABSTUDY, and Indigenous specific initiatives as contained in the higher education package”. Ms Bunda said.
For information and comment:
NTEU ITEPC Chair - Tracey Bunda 0411405005
NTEU Indigenous Officer – Joel Wright 0408525492