SNAICC has contributed to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training: Inquiry into Education in Remote and Complex Environments.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children account for 44% of all children in remote areas in Australia, despite making up less than 6% of all children in Australia, and are 12 times as likely as non-Indigenous children to live in remote areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in remote Australia are more likely to experience a lack of access to appropriate services, known to mediate the impact of adversity in early childhood.
For these reasons, when inquiring into the education of students in remote and complex environments, it is crucial to focus on the needs and circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families specifically.