Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The primary purpose of this bill is to amend the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 by appropriating additional funding of $2 million over the 2008 program year to improve education opportunities for Indigenous students in the Cape York region of Queensland. Additional funding of $8.1 million will also be provided to support these measures beyond 2008.

This funding will be used by the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership to embed the Making Up Lost Time in Literacy (MULTILIT) accelerated literacy program and to work with parents and guardians to establish Student Education Trusts (SETs) in the Cape York communities of Coen, Hope Vale, Aurukun, and Mossman Gorge.

The funding provided to support these measures will ensure additional education support for Indigenous Australians living in the remote communities in Cape York, to achieve equitable educational outcomes.

The MULTILIT measure will provide approximately 1,280 MULTILIT interventions for students who require intensive literacy support. The successful MULTILIT accelerated literacy program will be embedded through teaching methodology in classrooms to enhance teaching practice and through tutorial centres to further improve literacy skills of Indigenous students.

While some parents in Cape York already contribute financially to their child’s education, a high number of schoolchildren start school with minimal learning support in their homes. The Cape York Institute will work directly with parents in the nominated communities to establish education trusts to support their child’s ongoing education and its cost.

These measures reflect the Australian government’s continuing commitment ensuring that Indigenous students, wherever they live, have access to educational opportunities.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Mr Griffin) adjourned.

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