A welcome increase in Indigenous school students

The number of Indigenous school students has increased by 23 per cent. In its report released this week, the Bureau of Statistics says 131,000 Indigenous children were in primary or secondary school in 2004, an increase of 25,000 over five years.

In the Northern Territory, the number of Aboriginal students rose by 6.5 per cent but all other jurisdictions recorded an increase of at least 15 per cent. But year 12 retention rates are still almost half that of non-Indigenous students. The retention rate for Indigenous people is still 39 per cent, compared to 76 per cent for non-Indigenous students.