Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

We all recognise that a good education is the foundation of a healthy and successful life. We know that the evidence says: if you are not attending school at least 90 per cent of the time, you are not retaining the information you need to get a proper education. A Western Australian study has found that as much as one-third of the gap in educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children could be attributed to poorer rates of school attendance for Indigenous children.

A good education leads to good employment opportunities and supports a healthy and safe community. Whilst there has been a lot of talk around this place about targets and aspirations, we on this side of the chamber recognise that the most effective way to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Australians is to work on the ground with communities to deliver practical solutions.

The Remote School Attendance Strategy is a community-driven strategy, and this kind of improvement is only possible when schools, parents, families and local organisations work together to get these kids to school.