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

Again I thank the senator for that question. I am pleased to report that the Remote School Attendance Strategy is providing real jobs for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities across Australia. There are currently over 500 local community members employed as school attendance supervisors and school attendance officers across the 73 communities that the strategy is operating in. These attendance officers who are on the front line of efforts to get children attending school are all local people who know their communities. It has been a great privilege of my job to spend time with them and to see their determination. I must say that the most pleasing aspect has been the number of school attendance officers who have been poached by other organisations in the community. That has been a real starting point to begin a great career. From Donald in Yirrkala to Lennie in Halls Creek, school attendance officers are doing such a great job, and I take this opportunity to thank them for the fantastic work they are doing for their communities.