March 18, 2016

New Colombo Plan – Indigenous Focus: IRU response

The IRU members strive to be universities of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff, promoting understanding of Indigenous knowledges in education, research and policy. The IRU supports the aim of the NCP Secretariat within DFAT to encourage greater participation by Indigenous students in the New Colombo Plan.
The need for action is based on participation to date being lower than the enrolment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students would suggest should be expected. As part of the NCP application and acquittal process, universities are not required to report participation (of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity or any other demographic) as part of the completion reporting process. To assess the effectiveness of the program in reaching all students this data should be collected, using the Department of Education and Training’s student data set items.

Read more below.