Only one quarter of Indigenous Year 5 students in very remote areas were at or above the national minimum standard for reading compared to 91 per cent for non-Indigenous students.
The 2016 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Report was released today and the results indicate that our work, focusing on early literacy in remote communities, is absolutely essential.
Although there has been a definite improvement amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Year 3 and Year 5 in reading across the board, there is still a long way to go for students in remote and very remote regions.
Only one quarter of Indigenous Year 5 students in very remote areas were at or above the national minimum standard for reading compared to 91 per cent for non-Indigenous students.
National chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools, Karen Spiller, says there is a long way to go. She welcomes gains in early learning but emphasies that the the transition from primary to secondary school and building writing skills still needs more attention from policy makers.
WHY THIS GAP? There are many complex issues that impact on the results, and in most cases a combination of factors. These include issues of historical, health, social, and educational disadvantage. Even the simplest things, like quality reading materials and resources, items that we take for granted, are not present in many remote and very remote communities across Australia. Most of the remote communities that we work with report there are less than five books in family homes.
Our Foundation's approach to raising literacy levels starts at a community level. The focus is on early exposure to appropriate and quality books – through book supply – to homes and communities. We now supply book packs into more than 230 – 250 remote communities and this number is increasing every year.
Our Book Buzz program is proving effective in one community in WA and shows how providing young children (0-5 years old) with the right resources and in language, is a great start in developing pre-reading skills. See more information here.
The challenges are immense in remote communities and our Foundation is committed to taking sustainable steps to make a difference. There are strengths and challenges in each community, but we continue to build relationships and find new ways to support communities according to what they need.
The funds and awareness raised by our donors are invaluable. You can help too by making a donation here.
Image credit: Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School.
More more information on these figures, please refer to Table 5.R6: Achievement of Year 5 Indigenous Students in Reading, by Geolocation, by State and Territory, 2016 here.
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation works as an initiative of the Australian Book Industry with the support of:
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Indigenous Literacy Foundation is registered with the ACNC and is a Public Benevolent Institution with DGR1 and TCC status.
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