Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration
The Education Goals
for Young Australians
Improving educational outcomes for all young Australians is central to the
nation’s social and economic prosperity and will position young people to
live fulfilling, productive and responsible lives.
This commitment will be supported by a number of interrelated
work areas
:
Developing stronger partnerships
Supporting quality teaching
and leadership
Promoting early childhood education
Foundations
development.
Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration 5
Goal 1: The Australian
education system
promotes excellence
and equity
Australian Governments commit
to promoting excellence and
equity in Australian education.
y act with moral and ethical
integrity
y have empathy for the
circumstances of others and
work for the common good,
in particular sustaining and
improving natural and social
environments
y appreciate and respect
Australia’s rich social, cultural,
religious and linguistic diversity
and embrace opportunities
to communicate and share
knowledge and experiences
y have an understanding
of Australia’s system of
government, its histories,
religions and culture
y are committed to national values
of democracy, equity and justice,
and participate in Australia’s
civic life by connecting with their
community and contributing to
local and national conversations
y understand, acknowledge
and celebrate the diversity
and richness of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander histories
and cultures
y possess the knowledge,
skills and understanding to
contribute to, and benefit
from, reconciliation between
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples and
non-Indigenous Australians
y are informed and responsible
global and local members
of the community who
value and celebrate cultural
and linguistic differences,
and engage in the global
community, particularly
with our neighbours in the
Indo-Pacific regions. . . Through
Education, we are
committed to ensuring that all
students understand the diversity of
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander cultures and to see that all
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait
young people progress in their education and defend all
lives.
y have a sense of self-worth,
self-awareness and personal
identity that enables them
to manage their emotional,
mental, cultural, spiritual and
physical wellbeing
y develop personal values and
attributes such as honesty,
empathy, loyalty, responsibility
and respect for others
y are resilient and develop
the skills and strategies they
need to tackle current and
future challenges
y are able to recognise, adapt to,
and manage change
y have a sense of optimism
about their lives and the future
y show initiative, use their
creative abilities and are
enterprising
y have the imagination,
knowledge, skills,
understanding and values
to establish and maintain
healthy, satisfying lives
y understand their
responsibilities as global
citizens and know how to
affect positive change
y have the confidence and
capability to pursue learning
throughout life, leading
to enjoyable, fulfilling and
productive employment
y relate well to others and
form and maintain healthy
relationships
y are well prepared for their
potential life roles as friends,
family, community and
workforce members
y embrace opportunities,
make informed decisions
about their own lives and
accept responsibility for
their own actions
y have a sense of belonging,
purpose and meaning that
enable them to thrive in
their learning environment.
y develop their ability and
motivation to learn and play an
active role in their own learning
y have the essential skills in
literacy and numeracy as the
foundation for learning
y engage in respectful debate
on a diverse range of views
y are productive and informed
users of technology as a vehicle
for information gathering and
sharing, and are able to adapt
to emerging technologies into
the future
y are able to think deeply and
logically, and obtain and
evaluate evidence as the
result of studying fundamental
disciplines
y are creative, innovative and
resourceful, and are able to
solve problems in ways that
draw upon a range of learning
areas and disciplines and deep
content knowledge
y are inquisitive and experimental,
and have the ability to test
different sources and types
of knowledge
y are responsive and adaptive
to new ways of thinking
and learning
y are able to plan activities
independently, collaborate,
work in teams and
communicate ideas
y continue to improve through
formal and informal learning in
further education, and training
or employment, and acquire
the skills to make informed
decisions throughout their lives
y are able to make sense of their
world and think about how
things have become the way
they are
y are confident and motivated
to reach their full potential.
This means that all Australian
Governments will work with
the education community to:
y provide all young Australians
with access to high-quality
education that is inclusive
and free from any form of
discrimination
y recognise the individual
needs of all young Australians,
identify barriers that can be
addressed, and empower
learners to overcome barriers
y promote personalised learning
and provide support that aims to
fulfil the individual capabilities
and needs of learners
y ensure that young Australians
of all backgrounds are
supported to achieve their
full educational potential
y encourage young people to
hold high expectations for
their educational outcomes,
supported by parents, carers,
families and the broader
community
y ensure that education
promotes and contributes
to a socially cohesive society
that values, respects and
appreciates different points
of view and cultural, social,
linguistic and religious diversity
y ensure that learning is
built on and includes local,
regional and national cultural
knowledge and experience of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples and work
in partnership with local
communities
y collaborate internationally to
share best practice and help
young Australians learn about
and engage with the world
y support all education
sectors – government and
non-government, secular
and faith-based
y promote a culture of excellence
in all learning environments,
by providing varied,
challenging, and stimulating
learning experiences and
opportunities that enable all
learners to explore and build
on their individual abilities,
interests, and experiences
y ensure that Australia’s
education system is recognised
internationally for delivering
high quality learning outcomes.
