Education fails the Indigenous

40% of Australia's Indigenous students are not achieving minimum education standards

The achievement gap between non-indigenous and indigenous students is significant.
The Rudd government expressed the need to halve the gap in reading writing and numeracy of indigenous students by 2018. Which is great, BUT it matters on how you define this 'Gap'.
The measures used to test this is actually making the gap worse. It is not changing the content of the text.
As outlined by Ladson Billings the poor instruction coupled with poor quality curriculum (which does not serve indigenous students at all) equals poor results.
We must also recognize that 'gap talk' is a political tool, it serves to show that inequalities are narrowing and that the pollies are doing good things, NOT so teachers can improve their teaching.
The same data can be used to provide different conclusions according to Steven Guard. The data forces people to be a part of a group, this in itself creates disadvantage and a type of micro-aggression. The fluid society that is talked about in the media does not exist with the polls, you must be a part of a group! creating a 'locked in equality' described by Apple.

Ladsob and Billings go on to talk about that education inequality will never be lessened until the education debt is settled. Education needs to be looked at as an investment.

In the case of indigenous students, the way data is presented is extremely important,




References:

• http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/education-fails-indigenous-kids/story-e6frg6zo-1225859601205

• Dunn, K.M., Kamp, A., Shaw, W.S., Forrest, J. & Paradies, Y. (2010). Indigenous Australians’ Attitudes Towards Multiculturalism, Cultural Diversity, ‘Race’and Racism, Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 13(4), 19-31.
• Apple, M. W. (1996). Cultural politics and education. New York: Teachers College
  Press. Chapter