SNAICC calls on governments to commit to early years investment this NAIDOC Week – SNAICC in the News

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children is urging governments to double down on their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap this NAIDOC Week, as evidence confirms the positive impact of community-led, culturally strong early years programs in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The call for early years investment comes during NAIDOC Week 2025, with this year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, being a reminder of all of Australia’s responsibility to ensure that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child grows up to thrive, strong in community and connected to culture.

Arrernte and Luritja woman Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, has called on all governments this NAIDOC Week to keep their promises to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by staying the course and scaling up investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early childhood education and care services.

This call follows the release of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), which shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are demonstrating greater resilience than some national trends of declining developmental outcomes. Catherine said this is a clear sign that targeted supports under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap are beginning to turn the tide, that change is happening, and that community-led, culturally strong early years programs are helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive. She said that investment in these policies is what should be happening because we know they work, not ones that continue to entrench disadvantages.

SNAICC is also deeply concerned by the growing trend of punitive, tough-on-crime youth justice laws that disproportionately target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Catherine said that children cannot be punished into thriving and that locking up Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids instead of supporting them is a policy failure. She said that these laws do not make communities safer, rather, it is early years investment, strong families, and culturally safe supports that build connection and confidence.

According to Catherine, the 2024 Census results are part of a legacy of change driven by decades of advocacy, built on the work of those who have fought for self-determination, access to culturally strong services, and a better future for children. She said it’s up to us to keep going, to honour that legacy by giving the next generation every opportunity to succeed. Catherine said that it’s not about being soft on crime, it’s about being smart on solutions; prevention, not punishment, is what works, and it’s how we keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and communities safe.

NAIDOC Week 2025

During NAIDOC Week 2025, SNAICC celebrated the incredible work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early childhood education and care services. We are proud to support these services as they nurture and empower the next generation with culture, care and connection.

SNAICC also released a bonus NAIDOC Week podcast episode, featuring proud Meuram man Joel Matysek, SNAICC Youth Voice Lead, sitting down with host Mandy Taylor to yarn about how SNAICC is creating space for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share their ideas and shape the decisions, policies and programs that affect their lives, now and into the future.

Around the continent, NAIDOC Week 2025 marked a significant milestone—50 years of honouring and celebrating the histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Events and celebrations took place all over Australia, and are still continuing beyond the week.

To start the week, the NAIDOC Week Awards took place on Whadjuk Noongar Country in Boorloo/Perth, celebrating ten outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals. Among them, Anmatjere and Marranunggu man Michael Long received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his unwavering advocacy against racism. Marranunggu and Anmatjere woman Danielle Ponter was named Sportsperson of the Year, and Larrakia, Wadjigan, and Central Arrernte man Professor Eddie Cubillo was honoured with the Education Award.

In lutruwita/Tasmania, NAIDOC Week calls for Treaty continued in light of the state’s stalled progress. While the Tasmanian government has pledged to establish a Truth-telling and Healing Commission, many Aboriginal leaders and organisations, including the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and palawa woman Nala Mansell, have rejected the proposal, calling instead for meaningful action on Treaty, land return and justice.

Across the continent, communities engaged in events celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievements, with the Country to Couture fashion show celebrated its 10th anniversary, featuring over 120 collections and promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion on a national stage. Events are still happening; find a local NAIDOC event here: Local NAIDOC Week events.

Record high graduations for NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

As reported by the ABC, a record number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students graduated from high school in New South Wales in 2023, with 1,934 students awarded their Higher School Certificate.

The record high graduation numbers have been driven, in part, by the efforts of Dubbo College Senior Campus, and represent a significant example of how culturally safe and inclusive education environments can transform outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peoples. As reported by the ABC, the school is deeply committed to embedding cultural identity, belonging and connection across its campus. Every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student is supported by a mentor, with cultural leadership roles such as Cultural Captains embedded across the school. Daily practices like Welcome to Country, Acknowledgements of Country and strong community engagement reinforce cultural pride and student wellbeing.

Deputy Principal Jenadel Lane credits the school’s record Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduation rates to these culturally affirming approaches. She says students aren’t just completing school—they are thriving, becoming role models, achieving strong results, and for many, becoming the first in their families to finish Year 12.

Catherine Liddle said, in the article, that the achievement gap starts early, and reiterated calls for the urgent need for investment in, and genuine partnerships with, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to deliver early education services that are culturally strong, locally driven and proven to work. She said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are nearly twice as likely as non-Indigenous children to fall behind in developmental milestones before starting school. Catherine said that we know that when our children start school behind, it’s harder for them—and for their teachers—to catch up. She also noted that in remote areas, as many as 90 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students weren’t meeting literacy and numeracy benchmarks.

The need for early detection of ear disease to close the education gap

As reported by EducationHQ, clinical data from Hearing Australia shows that more than a third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience fluctuating ear disease—conditions that come and go over time, making them difficult to detect and treat. A further eight per cent live with persistent ear health issues that begin earlier, occur more frequently, and last longer than those experienced by non-Indigenous children.

These high rates of undiagnosed ear disease have a profound impact on children’s ability to connect, communicate and thrive—in the classroom, in culture, and in community life. Hearing Australia’s Early Ears program, which screens more than 10,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–6 each year, has uncovered concerning trends:

• over 26 per cent of children were found to have undiagnosed ear disease
• one in five children had undiagnosed hearing loss.

These figures reveal a systemic gap in early detection, intervention and culturally safe support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Yorta Yorta woman Kirralee Cross, Cultural Leader at Hearing Australia, says these conditions often develop silently in infancy, without obvious signs, making regular hearing checks every six months essential. She said that if ear disease is not picked up then it has long-term effects as they’re growing and learning, explaining that it affects the ability to connect and yarn with mob, with others, with family, and when they get to school it can be a bit isolating. She said that there are reports of teachers saying they have kids that muck up or aren’t paying attention in their class, but Ms Cross stressed that it is nothing to do with their attitude or behaviour, it’s actually because they can’t hear.

Ms Cross explained that untreated ear disease can interrupt listening, speech and language development, limiting a child’s ability to engage with family, culture and learning environments. She said that children with undetected hearing loss may appear disengaged or disruptive in school, when in reality, they are struggling to hear, not to behave. Ms Cross said that hearing should be checked every six months and that every child deserves to hear and learn and thrive.

For full coverage, find our media release and the relevant news stories linked below.