NT education engagement strategy 2022 to 2031

The Northern Territory (NT) education engagement strategy 2022 to 2031 focuses all education sectors on improving the engagement of children and young people in learning. It was developed through extensive consultation to ensure the strategy articulates the views and opinions of children, young people, their families, communities, educators, and non-government organisations.

The strategy aims to grow our connection with young people, families and communities to engage every child in learning. It is a 10‑year strategy consisting of 4 foundations, 4 goals and 18 actions.

In October 2021, the Minister for Education launched the strategy and reflections paper in Alice Springs.

A detailed 10-year implementation plan is currently being developed with the Centre for Evidence and Implementation.

Foundations for engagement

• Relationships - children and students feel a strong sense of belonging through positive relationships with their peers and educators.
• Wellbeing and inclusion - the learning environment is safe, supportive and welcoming for all students and their families.
• Culture and identity - cultural, social and linguistic diversity amongst our learners is valued, celebrated and embedded in learning.
• Belief and motivation - student’s beliefs, interests and aspirations are at the centre of their learning.

Our goals

• Families and education services work together to ensure all children and students get the best start to learning and are supported and encouraged to continue their learning journey.
• Positive, energetic, culturally responsive and skilled educators motivate children and young people to engage in learning and experience success.
• Children participate regularly in early years programs, remain engaged through the stages of schooling and achieve success in their education.
• Inclusive education supports the physical and mental wellbeing and diversity of all children and young people.

Key deliverables, phase 1, 2022 to 2024

There are 10, phase 1 key deliverables commissioned for implementation between 2022 and 2024 including:

1. Work with communities, taking a place-based approach, to embed cultural and 2‑way learning in and through the curriculum.
2. Establish a youth voice peak group.
3. Establish an Aboriginal education advisory group in Darwin, Top End, East Arnhem, Big Rivers, Barkly and Central.
4. Provide localised cultural competency training for educators and regional staff.
5. Expand the Remote Aboriginal Teacher Education program to increase the number of Aboriginal educators in the NT.
6. Support greater employment opportunities for local community members to work in schools, including as cultural educators.
7. Embed the languages of First Nations people as languages to be taught within the Australian curriculum.
8. Work with the Australian Government to expand the Learning on Country program.
9. Provide more options for secondary education in remote locations.
10. Improve school counselling services, including to be more culturally responsive, through a partnership-centred approach.

Implementation

The NT Government is investing $10 million over the first 3 years to deliver a number of key parts of the strategy.

In 2022, an early phase implementation plan was developed and this has guided initial implementation activity for the strategy at the school, region and system level.

Every NT Government school has an engagement goal and target in their 2023 annual school improvement plan.

Each region has a strategic improvement plan which also incorporates an engagement goal.

At the system level, 10 key deliverables were identified through consultations with system leaders, regional senior directors and school leaders. These projects are being implemented as part of phase 1, to be delivered between 2022 and 2024.

Work has commenced against all key deliverables including:

• The Youth Voice Peak Group (named Youth Voice Crew) was established in 2023. The Youth Voice Crew meet quarterly, face-to-face and connect in between meetings online to provide student voice and advice to the Department of Education on priority policy pieces.
• Co-design workshops with key stakeholders to develop guiding principles, terms of reference, and a member duty statement to guide establishment of Aboriginal education advisory groups in Darwin, Top End, East Arnhem, Big Rivers, Barkly and Central region.
• Cultural competence training mandated for all education staff who work in schools or provide education related services in Yolŋgu communities in East Arnhem region is being delivered by the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation.
• The Remote Aboriginal Teacher Education (RATE) program expansion includes the addition of the Assistant Teacher Project as well as formalising partnerships with key training providers including Charles Darwin University and Bachelor Institute. There are currently 15 participants enrolled in the RATE tertiary program in 2023 across 4 communities.
• The review of secondary education will be used to plan provisions for more options for secondary education in remote locations.

The department is also partnering with Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory (APONT) to support the establishment of the Aboriginal education peak body to provide advice on delivering the strategy and input on department policy and services.

Consultation phase

Consultation was held between May and August 2021, with 72 consultation sessions occurring in 21 locations across the NT, including remote communities. Additionally, 51 online submissions were received by email and the Have Your Say website.

The views and ideas that have been shared as part of these consultations has helped shape the strategy.

The consultations took many forms so that as many voices as possible could be captured. This included:

• community visits
• school visits
• roundtable discussions
• online forums
• larger public community forums
• workshops
• online submissions.

Reflections paper

A reflections paper has been released, which was shaped by the questions posed in the 2021 education engagement strategy discussion paper and the beliefs and assumptions that underpin those questions.

The Department of Education worked with Charles Darwin University to collate, analyse and prepare the reflections paper.

This includes an analysis of what was heard during the consultation and encapsulates what children, young people, their families, communities, educators and non-government organisations believe early childhood education and care services, schools and the education system can do more of to engage all children and young people in learning.