275. In 2017, the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
that met the national literacy and numeracy standards were much lower
when compared to their non-Indigenous peers. A full data set is available
from 2008. 250
276. In 2017, an average 78.6% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
met the national literacy and numeracy standards, compared to an
average 95.6% of non-Indigenous students.251
8.3
LGBTI children
277. Children who are part of, or assumed to be a part of, lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and gender diverse or intersex populations can face
particular difficulties at school, as well as more generally.
278. The Commission’s report on Resilient Individuals: Sexual Orientation, Gender
Identity & Intersex Rights identified the following concerns:
•
harassment and abuse at school and concerns for safety
•
lack of visibility in LGBTI representation in school policy, curriculum and
leadership
•
lack of comprehensive sexual health education.252
279. Particular concerns were also raised about religious schools and the
appropriateness of school chaplaincy programs.253
8.4
Inclusive education
280. Through COAG, Australian state and territory governments have agreed to
report annually, in a nationally consistent way on students with disability,
receiving support to enable them to participate in education on the same
basis as other students. A full set of data is available from 2015.254
281. In 2017, the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students
with Disability identified 724,624 students receiving such support
(18.8%).255
282. The most frequently identified category of disability was ‘cognitive’
(10.4%).256
283. While it is useful to have this information, it is also critical to know how
many children did not qualify for support or could not access mainstream
schools. Some students are discouraged from enrolling or not allowed to
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