Solid Pathways for top Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

A new program will tackle the under-representation of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at university and in the top tiers of academic achievement.

Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek today joined the University of Queensland’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj to officially launch Solid Pathways – a pilot program which supports Queensland’s high achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through school and into a career.

“The LNP made an election commitment to give Indigenous Queenslanders more certainty and a real opportunity to reach their full potential,” Mr Langbroek said.

“We have a great responsibility to foster Indigenous children and this innovative program will deliver on our promise by giving encouragement and support to them throughout their schooling.

“We want to put a stop to high achieving Indigenous students slipping back during Years 3 to Year 9 as they did for 20 long years under lazy and ignorant Labor Governments.

“The first students which began the program in Term 4 last year are reportedly thriving under the guidance of the program’s four teachers.

“They will be joined today by 68 out-of-home care students as well as another 100 high-achieving Year 4 students from 185 schools in the metropolitan region.

“Together they will make up around 350 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who scored in the top two NAPLAN bands in reading and numeracy.

“This program also delivers on our election promise to revitalise frontline education services.”

Mr Langbroek said the University of Queensland’s School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics academic staff had been instrumental in the program’s ongoing development.

UQ President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said it was important for universities to begin engaging with primary school students early in their education to boost their confidence and help them maintain their results through to tertiary study.

“By starting early with high-achieving students, the Solid Pathways pilot program helps students and their families to feel that a university like UQ is a place from which they can build their futures,” Professor Høj said.

“Importantly, we are exposing participants to a new community of high-performing Indigenous peers and creating an environment that supports and celebrates their success.”  

[ENDS] 19 February 2014

Media contact: Minister's office 3237 1000