Closing the Gap facts for kids
Closing the Gap is a plan by Australia's governments. It aims to reduce the differences in health, education, and job opportunities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. The plan started in 2008 and was updated in 2020 with new goals and a new approach.
The goals of Closing the Gap are about improving things like life expectancy, the health of young children, and access to education. They also focus on reading and math skills, finishing Year 12, school attendance, and finding jobs. Each year, the government releases a report to Parliament to show how much progress has been made.
The Closing the Gap Report 2019 showed that of the seven original goals, only two were met. These were getting more children into early childhood education and helping more students finish Year 12. The other goals were not on track to be met in time.
Since 2019, the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) has been in charge of the plan. The NIAA works in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks, a group of leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. Together, they work with all levels of government to achieve the plan's goals.
Contents
History of the Plan
How It Started
In 2006, a campaign called Close the Gap was started by health and human rights groups. Their goal was to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians. Famous athletes like Catherine Freeman and Ian Thorpe helped launch the campaign in 2007.
In 2008, the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, officially adopted the goals of this campaign. This became the "Closing the Gap" strategy. This happened shortly after the Prime Minister made a formal Apology to Indigenous Australians. He promised the government would work to close the gaps in health, education, and living conditions.
A New Approach in 2019
By 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted that the plan was not meeting most of its goals. It was time for a "refresh."
A big change happened in March 2019. The government formed a partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. This meant that for the first time, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations would share in making decisions about the Closing the Gap plan. This new partnership is set to last until 2029.
The Goals of Closing the Gap
Original Goals (2008–2019)
The first Closing the Gap plan had seven main goals:
- Close the gap in life expectancy by 2031.
- Halve the gap in the health of young children by 2018.
- Have 95% of Indigenous four-year-olds in early childhood education by 2025.
- Halve the gap in reading, writing, and math skills by 2018.
- Halve the gap in students finishing Year 12 by 2020.
- Halve the gap in employment by 2018.
- Close the gap in school attendance by 2018.
By 2020, only two of these goals had been met: early childhood education and Year 12 completion.
New Goals (From 2020)
In July 2020, a new National Agreement was signed. It was created by the government in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks. This new plan has 17 goals that are more detailed and cover more areas of life.
The new goals focus on key areas:
- Health and Well-being: Closing the gap in life expectancy, ensuring babies are born with a healthy weight, and improving mental health to prevent people from harming themselves.
- Education: Increasing enrolment in preschool, making sure children are on track with development, and increasing the number of people finishing Year 12 and getting qualifications like TAFE certificates or university degrees.
- Jobs and Economy: Increasing the number of young people who are in school or have a job, and increasing employment for adults.
- Housing: Making sure more Indigenous people live in homes that are not overcrowded.
- Justice: Reducing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in jail and young people in detention.
- Family Safety: To greatly reduce violence against Indigenous women and children, aiming to make it stop completely.
- Land and Culture: Increasing the amount of land and sea where Indigenous peoples' rights are legally recognised, and making sure Indigenous languages are spoken more.
- Digital Access: Ensuring Indigenous Australians have equal levels of access to the internet and technology.
This new agreement is seen as a step forward because it involves Indigenous leaders in the decision-making process.
Progress So Far
Reports from 2008 to 2020
Annual reports showed that progress on the original goals was very slow. A 10-year review in 2018 by the Close the Gap campaign stated that the strategy was not fully put into action. It also said that there is a "funding myth," where people think a lot of money is spent on Indigenous health. However, the report showed that funding was not enough to match the higher health needs of Indigenous communities.
The Closing the Gap Report 2020 confirmed that only two of the seven targets were met. However, the Prime Minister said the new partnership with the Coalition of Peaks offered a better way forward.
Measuring the New Plan
Since 2021, the Productivity Commission releases an annual report on the new goals. Early data shows that some targets are on track. These include healthy birth weights for babies, preschool attendance, and reducing the number of young people in detention. For many other goals, it is still too early to measure progress.
In August 2021, the government announced $1 billion in new funding to help meet the targets. This included money for health clinics, job creation, and support for members of the Stolen Generations.
Key Areas of Focus
Health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous Australians. This is due to many factors, including having less access to hospitals and health services. It is also affected by living conditions, such as the quality of housing, food, and water.
Improving education and income can lead to better health. For example, Indigenous adults who finish Year 12 and have a job are more likely to have healthier lifestyles.
Education
There has been some success in education. The number of Indigenous students aged 20–24 who finished Year 12 or equivalent rose from about 47% in 2006 to 65% in 2016. This has led to more Indigenous students going on to university or vocational training.
However, other education goals have not been met. Students in remote areas often have lower attendance and school results than those in cities.
Employment
The goal to halve the gap in employment by 2018 was not met. In fact, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment has widened. While the number of Indigenous people with jobs has increased, it has not kept pace with the non-Indigenous population.
See also
- Health care in Australia
- Indigenous Australians
- Reconciliation in Australia
