Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to complete Year 12 and transition to post-school pathways.
Highlights:
93.8% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 12 completers achieved either a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) in 2019, up from 92.8% in 2017.
16.0% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who completed Year 12 in the previous year were studying at Bachelor degree level or higher in 2019, an increase from 15.3% in 2017.
Schools supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 10 students to make good decisions about their senior learning pathways by completing a Senior Education and Training plan in partnership with their parents.
The Widening Tertiary Participation program worked with schools and students to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students attending university programs. In the decade to 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduate student numbers in Queensland have more than doubled.
Twelve high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were supported in 2020 through the
Pearl Duncan scholarship to attend university to become a teacher in a Queensland state school.
The Indigenous Academic Excellence Initiative and Glencore-supported scholarship programs continued to support high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Central Queensland and Metropolitan regions to achieve success in their chosen academic pathways.
Over 4,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participated in engagement programs designed to improve attendance, engagement, retention and academic outcomes.
Case studies
UQ InspireU Senior Engineering Camp—inspiring engineers of tomorrow
In 2019, Serina, a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Cairns, was fortunate enough to be selected for the 5-day InspireU Senior Engineering camp at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane. InspireU is a tertiary aspiration building camp for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. Serina participated in a number of field-specific activities that provided insight into studying engineering at UQ.
Prior to attending the camp with her sisters, Serina didn't think that university would be an option for her. However, after an inspiring week at UQ, she now believes that anything is possible. Serina stated that she had the most amazing experience learning new things, becoming connected with herself, others and her culture, and meeting incredible people.
The Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarship continues to pay dividends
The Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarship provided a great opportunity for Kira to receive support while studying a Bachelor of Education in Primary Teaching at James Cook University. During this time, the financial support assisted with resources and living expenses.
Having completed her studies as a mid-year graduate, Kira has been able to work in a teaching position at a school in Cairns. Kira is enjoying the different learners she has been teaching and the experiences gained in the classroom, around the school and with other staff. Kira is looking forward to continuing to grow in her teaching career.
Find out more about the
Pearl Duncan scholarship.