Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

The Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2013 makes administrative amendments to the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000, which is commonly called IETA. The bill provides for an amendment to funding arrangements for the continuation of Labor's effective and targeted education programs for Indigenous students in the Northern Territory. These amendments were introduced by the Labor government earlier this year. A 2013-14 budget decision was made to administer IETA as an annual appropriation rather than as a special appropriation. Currently, IETA funding comes to an end under the special appropriations arrangement on 1 January 2014. This bill will enable the minister to continue to enter into agreements with providers beyond 1 January to ensure the long-term security of this important funding.

Labor believes that an excellent education is an opportunity that should be available to every Australian student, no matter their circumstances or where they live. These amendments ensure that Indigenous students will continue to benefit from Labor's investment in targeted education and training programs beyond 2014 and well into the future. These programs include our School Nutrition Program, which encourages and supports school attendance by providing meals to schoolchildren in Northern Territory communities; our Indigenous Youth Leadership Program; supporting 200 additional teachers; and the Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education project, which encourages and supports school attendance through sporting and recreation activities.

The bill reflects Labor's ongoing commitment to ensure that Indigenous students are supported in their school setting so that they are best able to achieve their potential. It is vital that we maintain consistent funding so that individuals, communities and educators can plan to ensure that we do close the gap that still exists between the education results of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. We are making progress. Under Labor's unprecedented investment in closing the gap we have seen improvements in reading in primary school students, with 74.2 per cent of Indigenous students meeting basic year 3 reading levels, up from 68.3 per cent when the close the gap framework began in 2008. More of our Indigenous young people are completing year 12 or certificate II equivalent, with 53.9 per cent of students attaining this qualification compared to 47.7 per cent in 2008.

There are challenges though that remain. The latest COAG report showed a slight drop in meeting basic levels of numeracy, down to 72.7 per cent from 78.6 per cent in 2008. If we are to close the gap in education, we must continue to have investment in a range of programs that we know will lift results. That is why the coalition government's commitment to the Labor government's better school funding plan—a needs based model that would deliver resources to our most vulnerable students across the country—is so crucial. Under this funding reform, extra funding in the form of special loadings is guaranteed for every Indigenous student right across the country, no matter what school they attend.

We know that for many of our Indigenous young people, a quality education is a path from disadvantage and we have the absolute responsibility to ensure that every Indigenous student is given the very best support that they need to achieve their potential. That is why it is important for the coalition government to guarantee funding for education targets under the close the gap framework and to develop the new close the gap higher education target, which they supported prior to the election. I commend the bill to the chamber.