The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation

The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation provides literacy, tutoring and mentoring services to young indigenous Australians. This is in the form of afterschool homework groups, tutorial groups in remote areas and our “Need a Tutor” online assistance program. The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation also is the largest non-government provider of books to schools in northern Australia (more than 100,000 volumes a year) and also plays a role in research into the literacy needs of indigenous Australians.

An important development has been the Aboriginal Digital Literacy Hub which enables remote Aboriginal schools to have access to books, magazines, videos and software, otherwise unobtainable. At the present time, 51% of the adult Aboriginal population is functionally illiterate, and the most recent ABS figures (2015) indicate that the “gap” between indigenous and non-indigenous students at upper primary and lower secondary has grown not narrowed (approximately 2.5 reading years on the Schonell Scale).

The impact of Covid 19 on schooling only made this worse. It is only by improving literacy that further education is possible, which will result in employment. Without improving literacy skills, the Australian Aboriginal population cannot fully enjoy the benefits of living in Australia. By improving the students education we can assist their wellbeing and address social injustice.

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