Tuesday 9 August 2011

This presentation considers the intrinsic link between health and education and the benefits of collaborative research for improving the education and life outcomes of Indigenous children. The Council of Australian Governments’ Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage framework and the Closing the Gap generational strategy have resulted in significant new funding through a range of national partnership agreements to improve Indigenous child health, development and education. The focus of these reforms is consistent with the human development paradigm now advocated by international agencies such as UNICEF, WHO and OECD. They are also informed by recent advances in scientific knowledge regarding the developmental origins of adult health and disease and new understandings of the importance of early life environmental influences on children’s success in school learning and their subsequent opportunities for participation. The implementation of these policy initiatives has highlighted the need for a higher level of collaboration between education, health and other areas of research relevant to development of Indigenous children. It is in this context that the research methodologies derived from population health and evidence-based medicine are proving useful in building the evidence base for Indigenous education. The presentation will discuss the implications of these developments for policy and practice in Indigenous education and conclude with a description of some recent collaborative research supporting the implementation of Indigenous education and other service reforms in the Northern Territory.

Concurrent Sessions Block 3

This keynote presentation uses an Indigenous storytelling methodology to relate the success factors that institutions, policy makers, administrators, teachers and communities can attend to in making changes to support the achievement of Indigenous learners. It draws on what Indigenous students, families and communities themselves have attributed their educational success. The article serves as a witness to their stories.