Ms ANDERSON - 2005-08-18
Can the minister update the House on enrolment numbers of indigenous students to date for school year 2005, and how this compares with previous years?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because it is, indeed, another good news story. The most recent collection of data in June, shows the enrolment numbers of indigenous students was 16 343. That is an increase of 4.15% from that same collection period in 2004. Since 2001, we have had a steady increase in indigenous numbers. In 2001, there were 14 866 indigenous students enrolled, so we are looking at an increase of some 1477 in numbers. It is an increase that simply cannot be explained by population increase alone, and suggests that some of the government strategies, at least, to get indigenous children into school are working. It is around a 10% increase in numbers over the last four years – in 2002, 14 866; 2003, 15 541; 2004, 15 692; and 2005, 16 343.
In global terms, indigenous students currently account for 39.1% of total enrolments. The issue of getting these kids into school is absolutely to improve the opportunity for those young indigenous students to achieve their own goals in life, and to be part of an exciting, growing, economic and social development of the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question because it is, indeed, another good news story. The most recent collection of data in June, shows the enrolment numbers of indigenous students was 16 343. That is an increase of 4.15% from that same collection period in 2004. Since 2001, we have had a steady increase in indigenous numbers. In 2001, there were 14 866 indigenous students enrolled, so we are looking at an increase of some 1477 in numbers. It is an increase that simply cannot be explained by population increase alone, and suggests that some of the government strategies, at least, to get indigenous children into school are working. It is around a 10% increase in numbers over the last four years – in 2002, 14 866; 2003, 15 541; 2004, 15 692; and 2005, 16 343.
In global terms, indigenous students currently account for 39.1% of total enrolments. The issue of getting these kids into school is absolutely to improve the opportunity for those young indigenous students to achieve their own goals in life, and to be part of an exciting, growing, economic and social development of the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016