UNSPENT FUNDING REINFORCES NEED FOR ACTION TO REVERSE DECLINE IN INDIGENOUS STUDENTS ATTENDING UNI
14 February 2006
Information revealing that the Federal Government has spent 34% less than it has budgeted to support Indigenous students in tertiary education over 2004-05, confirms research by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) linking changes to ABSTUDY with serious declines in Indigenous student enrolment in tertiary education.
“This surplus of ABSTUDY funds, as reported in Monday’s Australian newspaper, has occurred despite clear evidence of the need for improved outcomes in Indigenous student participation in higher education, with the number of Indigenous students attending university having declined at over double the rate of other domestic students in 2004”, said Maureen Ah Sam, Chair of NTEU Indigenous Tertiary Education Policy Committee (ITEPC).
In a submission to the 2006-2007 Federal Budget, presented to then Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson last year, the NTEU outlined a proposal for a new Indigenous specific student income support scheme that the Union believes is an essential component in improving Indigenous Australians’ access to and sustained participation in higher education.
“NTEU has also presented clear evidence that changes made to ABSTUDY over the last 10 years have resulted in the scheme being mainstreamed, leading not only to a decline in the number of students able to access the scheme, but also to a decline in the overall participation rates of Indigenous Australians in higher education”, said Ah Sam.
“The failure of the Government to reach its own targets for spending on ABSTUDY while Indigenous students’ participation in higher education continues to decrease, demonstrates their failure to understand the issues facing Indigenous students and their need to re-engage with the Indigenous tertiary education policy debate”, said Ah Sam.
“NTEU, through its ITEPC, has made a number of recommendations for improving Indigenous student participation in higher education and has called for the provision of appropriate levels of student income support, coupled with appropriate curriculum development and delivery methods, which the Union believes can act as both a support and an incentive for Indigenous students to participate and succeed in further education”.
“NTEU calls on the new Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop to make a commitment to improving educational outcomes for Indigenous students and we look forward to her response on the issues contained in our Federal Budget submission”.
The Union’s submission is available at: http://www.nteu.org.au/policy/submissions/submissions05/IndigBudget
For Further Information and Comment Contact:
ITEPC Chair Maureen Ah Sam: 0405 358 164 or
NTEU Policy and Research Officer Emma Cull 0417 660 112