Closing the Gap facts for kids

The Closing the Gap plan is an Australian government strategy. It aims to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The plan focuses on reducing disadvantages they face. It started in 2008 with seven main goals.

From 2008 to 2018, the federal and state governments worked together. They used the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to guide the plan. Each year, a report was made to show how much progress was happening.

The first goals of Closing the Gap covered many areas. These included how long people live, how many babies survive, and access to early education. They also looked at reading and math skills, finishing high school, school attendance, and jobs. By 2019, only two of the seven goals were met: early childhood education and finishing Year 12. Other goals, like improving life expectancy and reducing differences in jobs, were not on track.

In 2019, a new group called the National Indigenous Australians Agency was created. This agency now works with Indigenous Australians on the Closing the Gap plan. A new agreement, called The Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap, 2019-2029, was signed. It involved Indigenous groups, state governments, and local councils.

A big change happened on 27 July 2020. A new plan, the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, was signed. It has a fresh approach and 16 new goals.

How it Started

In March 2006, a group called the Steering Committee of the Close the Gap campaign met. This campaign focused on improving the health of Indigenous people. It brought together many health and human rights groups. Their campaign officially began in April 2007. Famous athletes Catherine Freeman and Ian Thorpe supported it.

In 2007 and 2008, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed on six goals. These goals aimed to improve the well-being of Indigenous Australians. They were set for the next 5 to 20 years. In February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an apology to Indigenous Australians. He promised the government would help close the gaps in health, education, and jobs. He also wanted to make sure Indigenous people could make their own decisions.

The First Plan (2008–2018)

The Australian government adopted the Close the Gap campaign's goals in 2008. This became the "Closing the Gap" strategy. Prime Minister Rudd and Health Minister Nicola Roxon signed an important document. It was called the Close the Gap Statement of Intent. This document was an agreement between the government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It was also a plan to achieve equal health outcomes. The government provided money to create a long-term plan. This plan aimed to improve health services and life expectancy for Indigenous people.

The New Plan (2019–2029)

In 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that progress had been slow. He noted that many goals were not being met. This led to a "refresh" of the Closing the Gap plan. In December 2018, Indigenous leaders met with Morrison. Soon after, governments agreed to work more closely with Indigenous groups. The new plan would involve all parts of government. It would also share responsibility with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A formal partnership began in March 2019. It was between COAG and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations. This group is also known as the Coalition of Peaks. They created a Joint Council to make shared decisions. The Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap, 2019-2029 was signed. It included the Coalition of Peaks, state governments, and the Australian Local Government Association.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency was set up in July 2019. It is now in charge of leading the Closing the Gap efforts. It works closely with Indigenous Australians.

What Are the Goals?

Goals from 2008 to 2019

From 2007 to 2008, COAG set six goals. Later, a seventh goal was added. These goals were to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians:

• Close the gap in how long people live by 2031.
• Halve the gap in how many children die young by 2018.
• Make sure 95% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander four-year-olds are in early childhood education by 2025.
• Halve the gap in reading, writing, and math skills by 2018.
• Halve the gap in finishing Year 12 by 2020.
• Halve the gap in jobs by 2018.
• Close the gap in school attendance by 2018 (added in 2014).

By 2019, eleven Closing the Gap Reports had been given to Parliament. These reports showed progress and new information. The Close the Gap campaign also made 10 reports, including a 10-year review in 2018.

New Goals for 2020

The new National Agreement on Closing the Gap was signed on 30 July 2020. It has 16 new goals. These goals were created with much more involvement from Indigenous leaders. The plan also includes new ways to check progress. It promises to address unfair practices in government groups.

The new goals cover many areas:

• Close the gap in how long people live by 2031.
• Increase healthy birth weights for babies by 2031.
• Increase children in early education by 2025.
• Increase children who are developing well by 2031.
• Increase young people (20-24) finishing Year 12 by 2031.
• Increase young adults (25-34) with college or trade qualifications by 2031.
• Increase youth (15-24) in jobs, education, or training by 2031.
• Increase adults (25-64) who are employed by 2031.
• Increase people living in suitable housing by 2031.
• Reduce the number of Indigenous adults in prison by 2031.
• Reduce the number of Indigenous young people (10-17) in youth detention by 2031.
• Reduce the number of Indigenous children needing out-of-home care by 2031.
• Reduce family violence against Indigenous women and children by 2031.
• Increase land and sea areas where Indigenous people have legal rights by 2030.
• Increase the number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken by 2031.

A 17th goal was added later:

• By 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have equal access to digital technology.

In August 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new plan to help meet these goals. It included money for health, education, jobs, and justice.

How is Progress Measured?

Progress from 2008 to 2020

By 2019, eleven Closing the Gap Reports had been given to Parliament. These reports provided new information and updates.

In 2018, a 10-year report showed that only three of the original goals were likely to be met. There were still concerns about education, school attendance, and health.

The Closing the Gap Report 2019 stated that only two of the seven goals were met. These were early childhood education and finishing Year 12. Other goals, like reducing child deaths or improving reading and math, were not on track.

The Closing the Gap Report 2020 showed little progress. Only two of the seven goals had been met. The Prime Minister noted that while overall results were not what was hoped for, there were still some successes. He emphasized that the new plan is based on a true partnership with Indigenous people.

Measuring the New Plan

Since July 2021, a new report is published each year. It is called the Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report. It is made by the Productivity Commission. It is still early to fully measure progress for the new 17 goals. This is because some data is not yet available. However, some goals are on track. These include healthy birth weight, attending early childhood education, and reducing the number of teenagers in the youth justice system.

Key Focus Areas

Health

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people often live shorter lives than other Australians. They also face more health problems. In 2020, Indigenous females lived about 7.8 years less, and males 8.6 years less. This is due to many factors. These include less access to good health services, poor housing, and limited access to healthy food and clean water in some communities.

Past events, like colonisation, and unfair treatment can also affect health. For example, Indigenous adults who finish Year 12, have jobs, and earn more money are less likely to smoke. More education can also lead to healthier choices and better understanding of health information.

Education

Closing the Gap has worked to improve education for Indigenous people. There has been some success. The number of Indigenous young people (20-24) finishing Year 12 has increased. It went from 47.4% in 2006 to 65.3% in 2016. This has led to more Indigenous people going to college or trade schools. The number of Indigenous students in higher education more than doubled from 2006 to 2017.

However, most education goals are still not on track. While some improvements have been made, like in reading and math test results, school attendance rates have stayed the same. Students in very isolated communities often do not perform as well or attend school as regularly as those in cities. By 2019, only early childhood education and Year 12 completion goals were met.

Employment

The goal to halve the gap in jobs by 2018 was not met. In fact, the difference in employment rates has actually grown larger. However, the overall rate of employment for Indigenous Australians did rise. It increased by at least 4% between 2006 and 2016. In remote areas, it rose by about 11%.

See also

• Health care in Australia
• Indigenous Australians
• Reconciliation in Australia