The Commonwealth’s 2023 Closing the Gap Implementation Plan builds on the Commonwealth’s efforts in achieving the targets in the National Agreement over the coming decade.
About the Plan
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is centred around four Priority Reforms to transform the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and includes 17 socio-economic outcomes, five of which are education related:
- Outcome 3 — children are engaged in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years
- Outcome 4 — children thrive in their early years
- Outcome 5 — students achieve their full learning potential
- Outcome 6 — students reach their full potential through further education pathways
- Outcome 7 — youth are engaged in employment or education
To drive the required action and momentum, the Australian Government is investing in new measures for early childhood and school education. These measures complement a range of existing and mainstream initiatives to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across education, skills and employment outcomes.
Closing the Gap is a whole-of-government priority that requires commitment, accountability and action from all Commonwealth agencies. This Implementation Plan is the outcome of collaboration across the Commonwealth, with each agency identifying how it will embed the Priority Reforms and align its programs and policies to achieving the targets and outcomes for which it is responsible.
Early Childhood Measures
The Australian Government is investing in measures to improve the lives of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children through better access to quality early childhood education.
Schools Measures
The Australian Government is empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their full learning potential through a range of measures to accelerate progress towards closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in attainment of a Year 12 or equivalent qualification.
Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership
The Australian Government has established a new partnership to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
The Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership (ECPP) brings together governments and First Nations representatives to develop recommendations that improve early childhood outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The partnership is co-chaired by the Department of Education with SNAICC – National Voice for our Children. SNAICC is the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. The Australian Government has committed $10.2 million over three years to establish the partnership.
The ECPP is part of the commitment of Australian governments to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
For further information on the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan and other investments to support the delivery of the Plan, visit the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s Closing the Gap website.