Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Caucus www.nteu.org.au/atsi A&TSI Director: Adam Frogley A&TSI Organiser: Celeste Liddle QLD/NT Division A&TSI Officer: Phil Mairu (to Feb 2020) Branch Organiser (Monash): Frank Gafa
A&TSIPC 2019–20 Chair Shane Motlap (to Dec 2019) Acting Chair Sharlene Leroy-Dyer Deputy Chair Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (from Feb 2020)
National Council 2020 – Motions Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander motions from National Council 2020 have formed part of the annual work plan for the A&TSI Team. The following motions were developed at the 2020 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Forum. • C2a_Carry forward actions from 2019 National Council motions • C2b_Identified positions and senior appointments • C2c_FNWA withdraw NTEU support
Job-Ready Graduates Package – Impacts on Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander participation The Job-Ready Graduates package announcement by the Education Minister on 19 June 2020 detailed significant changes to higher education funding priorities. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students
Course increases ranging between 28% – 113% to Law, Commerce and Arts/Humanities courses respectively will factor highly into considerations for many Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples contemplating tertiary education.
Division Representatives
Federal Budget 2020/21
Tas Jacob Prehn
2020-21 Federal Budget, released on 6 October 2020, saw further reductions to the supplementary funding allocation and forward estimates via the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants (ISAG) for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student support administered through the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP).
On current full-year statistics (2018), 51% of the total Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student cohort were undertaking courses under the broad fields of management and commerce, society and culture and creative arts.
When compared to the previous year’s Federal Budget and forward estimates, an overall funding decrease of -$177k has been applied to the ISSP in the 2020-21 financial year, with a further -$3.78m removed from the comparable forward estimates.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander academic and general/professional staff, like many other academic and general/professional staff, are facing loss of employment, reduced hours, additional tasks to their workloads and utilising annual leave and other leave to reduce university leave liabilities.
Vic Terry Mason WA Brendon DeGois
National Councillors Sharlene Leroy-Dyer UQ Terry Mason Deakin Robert Anders UTas
Image (this page): Celeste Liddle (right) at the Melbourne Invasion Day march, Jan 2020 (Brandan Bonsack) Images (opposite page): Melbourne Invasion Day march, Jan 2020 (Brandan Bonsack)
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As the key funding allocation supporting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support Centres and their staff, the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) provides funding allocations to all Table A and B higher education providers to provide Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students with culturally appropriate support and places of cultural safety on campus.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff are appointed to roles funded with Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) funds and significant changes to student enrolments will impact these Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student support staff significantly and may force staff reductions in student support areas.
NTEU ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ◆ Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Caucus
