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By almost all socioeconomic indicators, Australia’s Indigenous young people are the most disadvantaged group in the nation. The educational outcomes of Indigenous children are closely related to their opportunities for further education and employment. Although the retention rates of Indigenous children are slowly increasing, Indigenous young people are leaving school far more often than their non-Indigenous peers.

A lack of education can also lead to ongoing health problems, crime, high risk alcohol consumption, and financial and psychological stress. [3] Early intervention and support in literacy and numeracy skills is vital to keep Indigenous children engaged in education. Sadly, a large majority of Indigenous children in regional and remote areas struggle to read and write, and fall well below the national literacy benchmarks.

The priority of the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is to provide ongoing literacy programs and opportunities for Indigenous young people through education and community-based initiatives such as book distributions, in-person tutoring, online tutoring and the Aspire program for Indigenous girls.

References:
Creative Spirits 2013, Aboriginal Educationhttp://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2011, Census of Population and Housing: Characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/2076.0main+features302011
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2010, The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Oct 2010 –http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/lookup/4704.0Chapter365Oct+2010
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2013, National Reportshttp://www.nap.edu.au/results-and-reports/national-reports.html