One dimly recalls the September 15 riot, which was catalyzed by an anti-Islamic film in the US but really resulted from pent-up hostility. One hopes that authorities throughout Australia have been developing new approaches to integrating the Muslim community and dealing with disaffected youth. Apparently, one's hope would be misplaced.
Australia has an incredibly welcoming society. I live in the Central Business District alongside people from every nation on earth. I can't even count the number of languages spoken in my apartment building. I work at the University of New South Wales, which has an incredibly diverse student body and faculty. Only the United States has a more generous policy toward asylum
seekers--Australia's very open policy brings in large numbers of
Muslims. Their next-door neighbor, Indonesia, is a Muslim country of 240
million.
Yet even here, immigrant youth from the Middle East can find reasons to feel marginalized. The blessings of life here, which include universal health care and numerous safety nets, do not seem to result in any sort of gratitude. Australian policy-makers need to get a better understanding of this. The impacts on this Commonwealth nation are only beginning to be felt.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Prime Minister assesses gains in improving Aboriginal lives
One of the most important ways to improve the quality of life of any group is to improve the education of its children. For Australian people of Aboriginal descent, this is proving elusive. An article in Crikey has listed all of the government's goals, and how they stand. Because it is not possible to link to it, I here include the entire article.
Closing the gap? PM left 'disappointed' on Aboriginal welfare
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has formally
expressed "personal disappointment" that part of Labor's quest to close
the gap on indigenous disadvantage appears to be failing.
Gillard delivered her annual "closing the gap" update to Parliament this morning, revealing a mixed bag of results which include a widening gap between the reading and maths skills of indigenous and non-indigenous school kids.
Five of the key eight indicators for reading and numeracy "will need considerable" work, said Gillard, as she presented the Closing the Gap Prime Minister's Report 2013. Of particular concern are reading levels of year 3 indigenous students, which have actually decreased in 2012 after improving between 2008-2011.
It's the government's own hyped National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy results that reveal these troubling figures. After five years of NAPLAN testing, only four of the eight literacy and numeracy indicators (writing can't be compared as the test has recently changed and data is unavailable) have shown an improvement.
Only one of these -- year 3 reading -- has proven statistically significant, yet ironically year 3 reading levels dropped 2% in 2012. Year 9 reading levels in 2012 again dropped below the 2008 benchmark (as they also did in 2009 and 2010).
Meanwhile, of the four indicators that have decreased, two of them -- year 3 and year 7 numeracy -- are statistically significant. The poorest NAPLAN results show that only 48.8% of year 9 indigenous students meet national minimum standards.
"I cannot conceal that these literacy and numeracy results are a source of personal disappointment. Last year’s optimism gives way this year to a starker realism," said Gillard.
But the government can claim one win: it is on track to achieve its target that 95% of all indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities have access to early childhood education by 2013. It will be the first closing the gap target to be reached.
But it's a complicated win: last year there was no data available to establish exactly how that target was going. This year data from the National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection shows that in August 2011, 91% of indigenous four-year-olds were enrolled in preschool programs. Latest data shows the government is on track to meet its 95% aim this year.
As the report notes, enrolment is not the same as attendance. One of the 2013 priorities for the Northern Territory's Stronger Futures program is attendance.
Here's how the six Closing the Gap targets -- agreed to by federal, state and territory leaders in 2008 -- are progressing ...
Target: closing the life expectancy gap within a generation
Currently estimated at 11.5 years for indigenous males and 9.7 years for females, closing the life expectancy gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australians remains one of the hardest goals to achieve and report -- they’re only updated every five years. Mortality rates, tracked on an annual basis, show a decline of 12% between 1998-2011, and 5% between 2006-2011 although non-indigenous mortality rates have also declined over the same period, meaning little progress on closing the gap. The report says this target won’t be met until 2031.
Target: halve the gap in mortality rates for indigenous children under five by 2018
During the period 1998-2011, mortality rates declined at a rate of 29%, outpacing the decline in non-indigenous mortality rates. This decline is "in the range" to meet the 2018 target, and Gillard said today the target is "within sight".
Target: ensure access to early childhood education for all indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities by 2018
The report says this target will be met by 2013. The benchmark for the target is 95% enrolment for indigenous children in remote communities. The report from last year claimed data was not available to assess the progress of this target but new data shows the government is on track to achieve it.
Target: halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for indigenous children by 2018
Using NAPLAN testing data, the report shows that progress on this target has been mixed. Only three out of eight literacy and numeracy outcomes for indigenous students are on trajectory to meet the target. The data also shows that indigenous students in metropolitan areas achieve higher literacy and numeracy outcomes than their rural counterparts: only 20.3% of students in very remote areas achieved at or above national minimum standards compared to 76% in metro areas.
Target: halve the gap for indigenous students in year 12 (or equivalent) attainment rates by 2020
Progress on this target is ahead of schedule, according to today's report. The year 12 or equivalent attainment gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians closed by 4.3% points, as attainment rates among indigenous students grew at a faster rate than non-indigenous students. To meet this target however, "continued rapid improvements will be needed" from 2011-16, says the report.
Target: halve the gap in employment outcomes between indigenous and other Australians by 2018
The 2011 census statistics showed that the gap in total employment outcomes widened since the 2006 census by 2.2 percentage points, characterised by a decrease in the proportion of indigenous Australians aged 16-64 in employment against a slight rise by non-indigenous Australians. The total employment rates for indigenous Australians decreased from 48% in 2006 to 46.2 % in 2011 compared to a 0.5% rise in the non-indigenous employment rate.
Closing the gap? PM left 'disappointed' on Aboriginal welfare
 |
|
|
AMBER JAMIESON AND CALLUM DENNESS Crikey journalists |
| EMAIL | COMMENT |
| CLOSING THE GAP, INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS, INDIGENOUS ISSUES, INDIGENOUS STUDENTS, JULIA GILLARD, NAPLAN |
Gillard delivered her annual "closing the gap" update to Parliament this morning, revealing a mixed bag of results which include a widening gap between the reading and maths skills of indigenous and non-indigenous school kids.
Five of the key eight indicators for reading and numeracy "will need considerable" work, said Gillard, as she presented the Closing the Gap Prime Minister's Report 2013. Of particular concern are reading levels of year 3 indigenous students, which have actually decreased in 2012 after improving between 2008-2011.
It's the government's own hyped National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy results that reveal these troubling figures. After five years of NAPLAN testing, only four of the eight literacy and numeracy indicators (writing can't be compared as the test has recently changed and data is unavailable) have shown an improvement.
Only one of these -- year 3 reading -- has proven statistically significant, yet ironically year 3 reading levels dropped 2% in 2012. Year 9 reading levels in 2012 again dropped below the 2008 benchmark (as they also did in 2009 and 2010).
Meanwhile, of the four indicators that have decreased, two of them -- year 3 and year 7 numeracy -- are statistically significant. The poorest NAPLAN results show that only 48.8% of year 9 indigenous students meet national minimum standards.
"I cannot conceal that these literacy and numeracy results are a source of personal disappointment. Last year’s optimism gives way this year to a starker realism," said Gillard.
But the government can claim one win: it is on track to achieve its target that 95% of all indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities have access to early childhood education by 2013. It will be the first closing the gap target to be reached.
But it's a complicated win: last year there was no data available to establish exactly how that target was going. This year data from the National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection shows that in August 2011, 91% of indigenous four-year-olds were enrolled in preschool programs. Latest data shows the government is on track to meet its 95% aim this year.
As the report notes, enrolment is not the same as attendance. One of the 2013 priorities for the Northern Territory's Stronger Futures program is attendance.
Here's how the six Closing the Gap targets -- agreed to by federal, state and territory leaders in 2008 -- are progressing ...
Target: closing the life expectancy gap within a generation
Currently estimated at 11.5 years for indigenous males and 9.7 years for females, closing the life expectancy gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australians remains one of the hardest goals to achieve and report -- they’re only updated every five years. Mortality rates, tracked on an annual basis, show a decline of 12% between 1998-2011, and 5% between 2006-2011 although non-indigenous mortality rates have also declined over the same period, meaning little progress on closing the gap. The report says this target won’t be met until 2031.
Target: halve the gap in mortality rates for indigenous children under five by 2018
During the period 1998-2011, mortality rates declined at a rate of 29%, outpacing the decline in non-indigenous mortality rates. This decline is "in the range" to meet the 2018 target, and Gillard said today the target is "within sight".
Target: ensure access to early childhood education for all indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities by 2018
The report says this target will be met by 2013. The benchmark for the target is 95% enrolment for indigenous children in remote communities. The report from last year claimed data was not available to assess the progress of this target but new data shows the government is on track to achieve it.
Target: halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for indigenous children by 2018
Using NAPLAN testing data, the report shows that progress on this target has been mixed. Only three out of eight literacy and numeracy outcomes for indigenous students are on trajectory to meet the target. The data also shows that indigenous students in metropolitan areas achieve higher literacy and numeracy outcomes than their rural counterparts: only 20.3% of students in very remote areas achieved at or above national minimum standards compared to 76% in metro areas.
Target: halve the gap for indigenous students in year 12 (or equivalent) attainment rates by 2020
Progress on this target is ahead of schedule, according to today's report. The year 12 or equivalent attainment gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians closed by 4.3% points, as attainment rates among indigenous students grew at a faster rate than non-indigenous students. To meet this target however, "continued rapid improvements will be needed" from 2011-16, says the report.
Target: halve the gap in employment outcomes between indigenous and other Australians by 2018
The 2011 census statistics showed that the gap in total employment outcomes widened since the 2006 census by 2.2 percentage points, characterised by a decrease in the proportion of indigenous Australians aged 16-64 in employment against a slight rise by non-indigenous Australians. The total employment rates for indigenous Australians decreased from 48% in 2006 to 46.2 % in 2011 compared to a 0.5% rise in the non-indigenous employment rate.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
As Australia Day approaches...
...this editorial from the Sydney Morning Herald is noted without comment.
There is certainly nothing approaching a consensus on the issue of the First Peoples of Australia.
There is certainly nothing approaching a consensus on the issue of the First Peoples of Australia.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Freedom of speech takes a weird turn in Oz
In Australia, freedom of speech and of the press are not rights guaranteed by law. In the US, of course, those rights are protected by what commentator George Will calls "the five sweetest words ever written," which are, "Congress shall make no law." But not in Oz.
In this vacuum, the Australian Labor Party saw an opportunity: use an ongoing series of media gaffes as an excuse to impose controls on the media. This has been a slow-burning debate, and not having read any proposed legislation, I'm not really sure how severe the restrictions might be. I can only say that, in America, if anyone proposed a "public interest test" for media ownership, there would be a general reaction of "What the hell is going on here?"
Possibly related, we see this week the entry of the Pirate Party into Australian politics . If you're an American and have never heard of the Pirate Party, you can be excused--the issues leading to its creation are largely absent in the US. But it's kind of a big deal in Europe. There are two Pirate Party senators in the European Parliament.
The founder of the Pirate Party, Rick Falkvinge, is an eloquent spokesman for the party's ideals, which mainly have to do with freedom--of information, but also of individuals. It will be fun to watch as this innovative, protest-centric group steps into the class-conscious, mud-slinging, maelstrom of mediocrity that is Aussie politics.
In this vacuum, the Australian Labor Party saw an opportunity: use an ongoing series of media gaffes as an excuse to impose controls on the media. This has been a slow-burning debate, and not having read any proposed legislation, I'm not really sure how severe the restrictions might be. I can only say that, in America, if anyone proposed a "public interest test" for media ownership, there would be a general reaction of "What the hell is going on here?"
Possibly related, we see this week the entry of the Pirate Party into Australian politics . If you're an American and have never heard of the Pirate Party, you can be excused--the issues leading to its creation are largely absent in the US. But it's kind of a big deal in Europe. There are two Pirate Party senators in the European Parliament.
The founder of the Pirate Party, Rick Falkvinge, is an eloquent spokesman for the party's ideals, which mainly have to do with freedom--of information, but also of individuals. It will be fun to watch as this innovative, protest-centric group steps into the class-conscious, mud-slinging, maelstrom of mediocrity that is Aussie politics.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Dangerous heat and fire across Australia
The continent has been heating up, and now the conditions in the inland seem unearthly. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's temperature forecast predicts a region of 54 C temperatures tomorrow--that's 129 F.
Fires are breaking out in several states. The country is on red alert. Over 100 homes have been lost in Tasmania. Several thousand hectares of forest have burned in South Australia.
Here in Sydney, temperatures reached "only" 41 C today (hot enough for me to stay home) and will be pleasantly cool for the next few days. But fires are burning even in Sydney's west.
The last two summers in New South Wales were non-events. People tell me they really didn't have any unpleasant heat at all. This summer is turning out to be different.
This is a country with an average annual rainfall of only 550 millimeters. It's amazing that agriculture can be so successful. Australian farmers are the most water-efficient in the world. But the rain isn't coming right now. Graziers are among the first to feel the effects.
The US drought was a boon for Australian grain prices. Let's hope that Australia doesn't suffer a similar reduction in output. Between the two countries, billions are fed around the world.
Fires are breaking out in several states. The country is on red alert. Over 100 homes have been lost in Tasmania. Several thousand hectares of forest have burned in South Australia.
Here in Sydney, temperatures reached "only" 41 C today (hot enough for me to stay home) and will be pleasantly cool for the next few days. But fires are burning even in Sydney's west.
The last two summers in New South Wales were non-events. People tell me they really didn't have any unpleasant heat at all. This summer is turning out to be different.
This is a country with an average annual rainfall of only 550 millimeters. It's amazing that agriculture can be so successful. Australian farmers are the most water-efficient in the world. But the rain isn't coming right now. Graziers are among the first to feel the effects.
The US drought was a boon for Australian grain prices. Let's hope that Australia doesn't suffer a similar reduction in output. Between the two countries, billions are fed around the world.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Even The Lucky Country can't balance its budget
As an American, some aspects of Australia's economic situation certainly fill me with envy. Low unemployment, abundant resources to exploit, and great prospects for growth, even with a superior social benefits program. You would think that, under such circumstances, balancing the federal government's budget would be a snap. You would be wrong.
The story is passing strange. Evidently BOTH the Labor-Green government and the opposition Coalition believe, and have made a priority, that a budget surplus is the way to demonstrate to the voters that they are being fiscally responsible. Labor has been saying consistently, until last night, that they would deliver a federal budget surplus even earlier than promised.
Evidently October's revenue projections finally forced the government to throw in the towel on the surplus. Last night, I watched in astonishment as a news anchor raked the Finance Minister over the coals on this policy backflip. (The other Americans watching with me said, "Wow, wish our US media would hold people's feet to the fire like that!") And this morning, the Opposition said they weren't sure that they would continue having a surplus as part of their platform, either. So there may not be a huge political penalty for the backflip--just a concession to changing circumstances.
News stories since I've been in Oz have presaged this development. Deep cuts in research and defense have been among the sacrifices to the surplus god. Being in research, and having considerable sympathy for defense, I've found this somewhat alarming. And yet, simultaneously, government program after government program was announced providing EVEN MORE social benefits: supplemental pay for day care workers; national disability insurance; relief for climbing energy bills. Each one cost billions. Evidently these were EVEN MORE important than the surplus!
Now here's something I really don't understand. One would think that Labor folks would be Keynesians. You know the mantra: government deficit spending stimulates the economy, inflationary effects are absorbed by growth, and money grows on trees. So why were these left-leaning folks EVER touting a surplus?
Someone will explain it to me in terms of the unique Australian psyche. Until then, it'll just remain a mystery.
Now, having had some fun at Aussies' expense, I will praise them. In Australian politics, both the government and the opposition CARE about fiscal responsibility. They give it PRIORITY. They COMMIT to fiscal responsibility, even when they sometimes have to modify their stance in the face of economic changes.
Oh, the envy from this American. In the US, it took the grass-roots Tea Party movement to force even ONE of the two parties to address fiscal irresponsibility, and that party does so with EXTREME reluctance. Fiscal responsibility is FAR, FAR below the big priority, which is RE-ELECTION: buying votes with social programs (for the Democrats) and avoiding backlash from the AARP (for the Republicans).
You rock, Australia.
[And on a silly note: did you know that Australia has its own TEA party? Clearly its name is not a reference to that event in Boston Harbor in the 1770s. No, here TEA stands for "Taxed Enough Already." You gotta love it.]
The story is passing strange. Evidently BOTH the Labor-Green government and the opposition Coalition believe, and have made a priority, that a budget surplus is the way to demonstrate to the voters that they are being fiscally responsible. Labor has been saying consistently, until last night, that they would deliver a federal budget surplus even earlier than promised.
Evidently October's revenue projections finally forced the government to throw in the towel on the surplus. Last night, I watched in astonishment as a news anchor raked the Finance Minister over the coals on this policy backflip. (The other Americans watching with me said, "Wow, wish our US media would hold people's feet to the fire like that!") And this morning, the Opposition said they weren't sure that they would continue having a surplus as part of their platform, either. So there may not be a huge political penalty for the backflip--just a concession to changing circumstances.
News stories since I've been in Oz have presaged this development. Deep cuts in research and defense have been among the sacrifices to the surplus god. Being in research, and having considerable sympathy for defense, I've found this somewhat alarming. And yet, simultaneously, government program after government program was announced providing EVEN MORE social benefits: supplemental pay for day care workers; national disability insurance; relief for climbing energy bills. Each one cost billions. Evidently these were EVEN MORE important than the surplus!
Now here's something I really don't understand. One would think that Labor folks would be Keynesians. You know the mantra: government deficit spending stimulates the economy, inflationary effects are absorbed by growth, and money grows on trees. So why were these left-leaning folks EVER touting a surplus?
Someone will explain it to me in terms of the unique Australian psyche. Until then, it'll just remain a mystery.
Now, having had some fun at Aussies' expense, I will praise them. In Australian politics, both the government and the opposition CARE about fiscal responsibility. They give it PRIORITY. They COMMIT to fiscal responsibility, even when they sometimes have to modify their stance in the face of economic changes.
Oh, the envy from this American. In the US, it took the grass-roots Tea Party movement to force even ONE of the two parties to address fiscal irresponsibility, and that party does so with EXTREME reluctance. Fiscal responsibility is FAR, FAR below the big priority, which is RE-ELECTION: buying votes with social programs (for the Democrats) and avoiding backlash from the AARP (for the Republicans).
You rock, Australia.
[And on a silly note: did you know that Australia has its own TEA party? Clearly its name is not a reference to that event in Boston Harbor in the 1770s. No, here TEA stands for "Taxed Enough Already." You gotta love it.]
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Entrepreneurship in Oz: missing in action
I've been working on a space project here at the University of New South Wales. It's very cool: the satellite would carry a huge radar which would monitor Australia's natural resources. Moisture in soils, growth of trees, damage caused by fires and flooding--all would be measured more often and more accurately by this unique system. We are doing a very preliminary design, but with a few years of dedicated effort, it could be ready to fly.
Sadly, the students keep asking me: "Where can I do such projects after I graduate?" You see, Australia has no aerospace industry. Many of Australia's universities have programs in aerospace engineering, which includes both the "air" and "space" systems. But no companies here build any. Students come to me to ask what's available in the US. Answer: lots. It's a little tricky if you're not a US citizen, because a lot of US aerospace work is defense-related, but there are many, many high-tech opportunities. One recent PhD here found a cutting-edge job, following my suggestion, with a major heavy equipment manufacturer in the US. That company wants to automate its huge vehicles; the PhD is an expert in controlling vehicles without drivers.
To give these bright students a future in Australia, one would like to see some small companies starting up in the space business. Many of us feel that an Australian space industry wouldn't just be an indulgence for the sake of coolness--rather, it could be the centerpiece of a new high-tech economy. Because right now, the Australian economy is anything but high-tech: it's mining, agriculture and tourism.
I've written an article describing how a space industry, composed primarily of small businesses, would benefit Australia, particularly in increasing ties with Asia. The article is currently with the editor of a major Australian news organization; we'll see how that goes. I'll post a link if it's published, and I'll post the article if it's not. Government seed funding of a few small companies making space hardware, software and even complete small spacecraft would pay off many times.
Unfortunately, starting small companies here is not like starting them in Silicon Valley. The laws, the bureaucracy, and even the social construct get in the way. One Australian, a CEO of a successful US startup, gave this excellent summary of the problems facing high-tech startups in Oz. It's a 7-minute video well worth watching.
Like that CEO did 12 years ago, a new Aussie startup venture is leaving the country for Silicon Valley . And it's more than just the lack of venture capital: the social construct here disparages success, considering it "reaching too high". They call it the "tall poppy syndrome" and every Aussie I've talked to about it agrees that it's real.
Let me be clear, too, that Australia does not lack talent. Australia is a world leader in astronomy, for example, including many skills that could help bootstrap a space business. Some Aussie organizations are also doing cutting-edge data processing of very large datasets--which will become ever more important around the world.
Yet, ironically, there is another social problem that I have been told about repeatedly: students simply can't visualize what a high-tech career would even look like. University professors are paid less than plumbers, and are less respected in Aussie society. Young people don't have a vision that motivates them to pursue careers in technology.
The Sydney Morning Herald has a whole series of recent articles about the obstacles to entrepreneurship, even one about tall poppies . I hope that things change quickly, before the bright students with whom I work today decide they have to leave too, and the next generation all becomes plumbers.
Sadly, the students keep asking me: "Where can I do such projects after I graduate?" You see, Australia has no aerospace industry. Many of Australia's universities have programs in aerospace engineering, which includes both the "air" and "space" systems. But no companies here build any. Students come to me to ask what's available in the US. Answer: lots. It's a little tricky if you're not a US citizen, because a lot of US aerospace work is defense-related, but there are many, many high-tech opportunities. One recent PhD here found a cutting-edge job, following my suggestion, with a major heavy equipment manufacturer in the US. That company wants to automate its huge vehicles; the PhD is an expert in controlling vehicles without drivers.
To give these bright students a future in Australia, one would like to see some small companies starting up in the space business. Many of us feel that an Australian space industry wouldn't just be an indulgence for the sake of coolness--rather, it could be the centerpiece of a new high-tech economy. Because right now, the Australian economy is anything but high-tech: it's mining, agriculture and tourism.
I've written an article describing how a space industry, composed primarily of small businesses, would benefit Australia, particularly in increasing ties with Asia. The article is currently with the editor of a major Australian news organization; we'll see how that goes. I'll post a link if it's published, and I'll post the article if it's not. Government seed funding of a few small companies making space hardware, software and even complete small spacecraft would pay off many times.
Unfortunately, starting small companies here is not like starting them in Silicon Valley. The laws, the bureaucracy, and even the social construct get in the way. One Australian, a CEO of a successful US startup, gave this excellent summary of the problems facing high-tech startups in Oz. It's a 7-minute video well worth watching.
Like that CEO did 12 years ago, a new Aussie startup venture is leaving the country for Silicon Valley . And it's more than just the lack of venture capital: the social construct here disparages success, considering it "reaching too high". They call it the "tall poppy syndrome" and every Aussie I've talked to about it agrees that it's real.
Let me be clear, too, that Australia does not lack talent. Australia is a world leader in astronomy, for example, including many skills that could help bootstrap a space business. Some Aussie organizations are also doing cutting-edge data processing of very large datasets--which will become ever more important around the world.
Yet, ironically, there is another social problem that I have been told about repeatedly: students simply can't visualize what a high-tech career would even look like. University professors are paid less than plumbers, and are less respected in Aussie society. Young people don't have a vision that motivates them to pursue careers in technology.
The Sydney Morning Herald has a whole series of recent articles about the obstacles to entrepreneurship, even one about tall poppies . I hope that things change quickly, before the bright students with whom I work today decide they have to leave too, and the next generation all becomes plumbers.
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