The Post-Schooling Transitions of Remote Indigenous Secondary School Graduates: A Systematic Scoping Review of Support Strategies

Abstract

School completion has been hailed by many as the ‘holy grail’ of Indigenous education, and 42% remote-living Indigenous students now attain year 12 completion each year. But for a range of complex reasons, only 60% of these graduates translate this achievement into further engagement in study, training or employment. This systematic literature review examined the evidence for strategies that support the post-schooling transitions of these students. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, it examinedthe scope and quality of the existing evidence and appliedqualitative meta-synthesis to elucidate the conditions that enable or hinder, and strategies that support post-schooling transitions. Findings suggested that lower rates of post-schooling study or employment uptake are influenced by: historical misalignment of education approaches with community values and aspirations; limited opportunities in remote communities; and other socio-economic factors. Strategies were found to bemost effective when cross-sectoral education/employment and community partnerships were formed, and remote communities were integralin the planning and implementation process. Strategies to improve transitions included: embedding Indigenous and Western knowledge systems in education, task-based learning, explicitly addressing students’ language needs, providing immersion experiences such as in universities, and mentoring programs to widen students’ aspirations. However, the evidence-base remains weak and further research is needed to understand the impact of strategies on students’ aspirations and their immediate and long-term post-schooling transitions.
 
 Keywords: remote; Indigenous; transition; post-secondary; pathways; aspiration
 

“From the Bottom to the top”

“…Transitioning from school to the workplace is multifarious for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote communities. According to statistics, 60% of the remote Aboriginal youth in Australia engage in further education, training, or work after school (Rutherford et al, 2019). Employment of Aboriginal Australians decreased overall in the last decade, falling to 59% in major cities and 35% in very remote areas in 2018(AIHW, 2021b.…”