NT's education review to target failing programs

THE first major review of indigenous education in the NT in years will ask why the billions spent have failed to lift school results.

THE first major review of indigenous education in the Northern Territory in more than a decade will ask why the billions spent have failed to lift school results and attendance figures off the floor, and give the NT government ammunition in its funding negotiations with the federal government.

Details are still being finalised, but The Australian can reveal failing programs are expected to be axed, more powers devolved to school principals and communities, and a standard curriculum for core subjects introduced so kids can keep up with their lessons while families move around.

Some schools will be allowed to break away from the government system to join the Catholic system, or even become independent.

Possible changes to teachers' training will be examined, alongside a range of additional school performance metrics, but changes to teachers' pay are unlikely.

The government will also reach outside the Territory in search of the best teaching methods, contemplating trials of techniques such as Direct Instruction, favoured by indigenous leader Noel Pearson at his Cape York Aboriginal Academy in far north Queensland.

Discussing the proposed reforms publicly for the first time, NT Education Minister Peter Chandler said indigenous children's futures were in jeopardy.

He said continuing to spend more money for the same poor results would be a "sign of madness".

"There's absolutely no disagreement that there has been a lot of money thrown into education in the Territory over the last decade or more. But I would argue that the money spent has not improved educational outcomes to anywhere near the degree expected," he said.

Mr Chandler said no matter who was in power in Canberra the Territory should not accept deals or go to the federal government open-handed until it had a clear idea of what it wanted to do and why. "We have some programs that are extremely expensive, but the outcomes are pretty marginal," he said.

This year's average school attendance figures are about 42 per cent for primary, and 27 per cent for seniors. Average standard test scores for students at most indigenous schools are appallingly low. Chief Minister Adam Giles said the main aim of the review would be to lift these indicators.

Ken Davies, chief of the NT Department of Education and Training, said investments in recent years had created a "plethora" of programs, and it was now time to stop and find out which ones worked.

The Territory is locked in negotiations over the Gillard government's multi-billion-dollar Gonski reforms. Mr Giles has ruled out signing up to any agreement before the federal election.

Mr Chandler and Mr Davies spoke to The Australian during a tour of remote schools at Kalkaringi and Lajamanu, respectively about 530km and 640km south of Darwin.

At Kalkaringi school, principal Jeff Parker told indigenous students books containing the Western knowledge they needed to find jobs might as well be "padlocked shut" if they could not read.

At Lajamanu school, principal Max Agnew said that locals often lacked the skills to take on jobs.