Remote School Retention in Australia

Why do First Nations Students Disengage and Drop out?

Authors

Keywords:

remote education, First Nations education, retention, disengagement, attainment

Abstract

The Australian education system works well for most students. However, equitable access to secondary education is problematic for First Nations people living in remote communities. There is a strong emphasis on Year 12 completion as an indicator of successful engagement in remote First Nations education. This has been partly driven by Australian Government ‘Closing the Gap’ targets. Yet for remote students Year 12 Certificate attainment is trending down, from 113 in 2013 down to 82 in 2022. Nationally, the target to achieve 96% Year 12 or equivalent is not on track for achievement.

This article explores what students, school staff and community members say leads to disengagement and dropout. It is based on research conducted in Western Australia and the Northern Territory during 2023 by a team of researchers from Batchelor Institute, Curtin University and University of Notre Dame. The research focused on remote and very remote Independent and Catholic schools. It engaged 229 in surveys and 136 in yarns or interviews. Most of the respondents were First Nations people.

Author Biographies

John Guenther, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

John is the Research Leader Education and Training, with Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, based in Darwin, Northern Territory. Over the last 20 years John has conducted research and evaluation projects which have focused on remote contexts, covering all states and territories of Australia. While his work has focused mainly on learning, the intersections between training and education with health, wellbeing, traditional knowledge systems, economic, natural resource management, mining and a range of social issues, feature in his work.
John's research expertise extends from an array of practical qualitative and quantitative methodologies for research and evaluation, through to a range of theoretical and philosophical perspectives. He is interested in the translation of empirical evidence to policy and practice settings. He has a growing publishing track record and regularly contributes to conferences and researcher forums to share his knowledge. 
John supervises and mentors several higher degree research students across Australia and supports networks and collaborations in several universities across Australia.

Rhonda Oliver, Curtin University

Rhonda Oliver has been undertaking research in schools for more than 30 years, including in various remote Aboriginal schools in Western Australia. . She has undertaken several projects in Indigenous Education, including examining the needs of Aboriginal students in schools and higher Education. She recently completed a study undertaken at a remote Aboriginal boarding school where the students were trained to become co-researchers undertaking the interviews and analysis related to the experiences of past students.  

Robyn Ober, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Robyn Ober is a Mamu/Djirribal woman from the rainforest region of North Queensland. She recently completed her Phd thesis titled - ‘Aboriginal English as a Social and Cultural Identity Marker in an Indigenous Tertiary Educational Context’. She has a strong interest in philosophy and practice of both-ways education, educational leadership and Indigenous Australian languages in particular, Aboriginal English. Robyn has undertaken several research projects focusing on these topics and has published papers in educational and linguistic journals, both nationally and internationally

Catherine Holmes, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Catherine Holmes has been working and researching in remote Western Australian schools for the past 12 years. She recently completed a PhD in Ngaanyatjarra and Pintupi early years children's practices to assist in the transition from home to school. The project was in collaboration with 7 Community-Based Research Collaborators. Catherine has worked in the Research and Evaluation team at Children’s Ground co-designing and carrying out Action Research projects with First Nations educators and elders. More recently she has joined Batchelor as a research specialist, based in Alice Springs.

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Published

02-10-2024

How to Cite

Guenther, J., Oliver, R., Ober, R., & Holmes, C. (2024). Remote School Retention in Australia: Why do First Nations Students Disengage and Drop out?. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 1–19. Retrieved from https://journal.spera.asn.au/index.php/AIJRE/article/view/743

Issue

Online First

Section

JOURNAL PAPERS

License

Copyright (c) 2024 John Guenther, Rhonda Oliver, Robyn Ober, Catherine Holmes

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