The Education Attrition Rate !

The attrition rate in the Australian education systemn is shocking.   Nationally, just one third of the  students who begin in year one go on to complete year twelve. Significantly, the loss mainly occurs in the transition to high school and we are losing an amazing degree of talent.

The Federal government is negotiatig a deal with the states and territories to implement a programme called " Closing the gap ".   In particular, this loss is impacting heavily on indigenous students, many of whom could speak two to five languages and would be regarded as highly talented in other circumstances.

The plan calls for six million dollars to fund the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience which would brng mentoring help to 250 schools to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children engage in education.  A National University study found that indigenous children starting school have a 200 to 400 word vocabulary whereas non-indigenous children usually had an extended vocabulary of 600 or more words.

This will be even more important now that university fees are under review and it is likely that fees for the most popular courses are set to rise sharply.  The drop out rate at university is also a cause for concern and higher fees will probably bring with it a drop in the numbers seeking to advance their job prospects by seeking higher education levels and that is exactly the opposite of what industry in Australia needs to happen.

It is highly important that indigenous people have access to well paying career jobs and that will only be attained through them obtaining the necessary qualifications.  That can only be brought about by ensuring that they complete their education which then opens the right doors.  It is quite clear that incentives are needed to keep bright young indigenous minds within the education system.

This " Closing the Gap " is welcome as indigenous education suffered a five hundred million cut in the 2014 budget.  A lack of education is unacepptable.  These are not just statistics - they are real people.  Education is the key to a better lifestyle.

This programme will not miraculously cure the drop out rate, but it will help by making an improvement.  This is a problem that will be solved on a case by case basis - with one family at a time.  At least it is a step in the right direction  !