| Abstract: |
The Commission of Inquiry into Poverty in Australia investigated the relationship between poverty and education. Specifically, the Commission was concerned with cultural disadvantages among the poor, the poverty cycle, and adequacy of existing education and cultural services for the poor. The Commission maintained that improved education for disadvantaged minorities should accompany a redistribution of wealth, not be seen as a substitute for it. This document briefly summarizes perspectives of a larger report and lists specific recommendations covering: (1) unequal outcomes of schooling: collecting, monitoring, and disseminating data on level of schooling and earning power and occupation; (2) high risk children: schooling costs, dropouts, teacher training in literacy and numeracy skills, school health services, migrants (provision for bilingual education), rural education; (3) school policy: community involvement, teachers (training, appointment, promotion), support staff and services, curriculum and career education, career information; (4) learning and work: transition from school to work, unemployment reduction, job descriptions, adult education, migrants; (5) Aboriginals and education: administration, separate or integrated schools, training for non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal teachers, community involvement, flexible facilities, further research and data dissemination. (RS) |