A share in the future: review of Indigenous education in the Northern Territory

In July 2013, the Minister for Education and Children's Services, Peter Chandler, and the then Department of Education and Children's Services (DECS), requested a review of Indigenous education in the Northern Territory (NT). The terms of reference for the review set out its objective as 'within the context of national and Territory reforms, programs and initiatives in Indigenous education, provide the Northern Territory Government (NTG) with recommendations to optimise education and training outcomes for Indigenous students'. This report analyses the current state of play in the education of Indigenous young people in the NT, outlines findings, discusses the basis of those findings and makes recommendations. The review focuses on the English language skills and knowledge that underpin success in the Western education system and proposes that these are gained through rigorous and relentless attention to the foundations of the language and the skills that support participation in a modern democracy and economy. This report recommends the explicit teaching and assessment of foundational elements of English literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics and vocabulary.

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