Effective learning issues for indigenous children aged 0 - 8 years
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This is a discussion paper by the Taskforce on Indigenous Education within the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs in Australia. It focuses on the age group 0-8 years, looking at cultural inclusivity within early childhood education in Australia. It summarises advice on early childhood service provision and access, development and learning stages, cultural and linguistic diversity, literacy and numeracy, and the importance of mutual community capacity building. It identifies five issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands children. These are: (i) low levels of access and participation in early childhood education and parental enrichment programmes, (ii) uneven transition from early childhood practices to the primrary school curriculum, (iii) educators needs a better understanding of children's diversity of experience and diverse cultural capital, (iv) educators need a better understanding of how the literacy and numeracy development of children takes place amonst idigenous multi-linguals and (v) educators and parents need to acquire ' transitional cultural comptenencies' to create sense of community between the home and school.