1,986 children and young people from Year 3 to Year 12 who participated in a survey or took part in group discussions.264 290. Data gaps relating to suspensions and expulsions should be considered as part of the national children’s data framework referred to in Recommendation 10 above. 8.6 Bullying 291. The National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF) provides Australian schools with guiding principles for creating safe, supportive and respectful school communities. 292. It is not compulsory to use the framework. In one survey of the effectiveness of anti-bullying strategies used in Australian Government schools, less than half of the schools that participated, reported using the NSSF to assist them in developing their school anti-bullying policy.265 The framework is currently under review.266 293. In a 2016 report on the prevalence and effectiveness of anti-bullying strategies employed in Australian Schools, 50% of students and 35% of parents stated that they were unaware of their school’s bullying policy.267 8.7 Cultural rights of children belonging to Indigenous and minority groups 294. In the Commission’s consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, as part of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani project, they consistently identified the need for stronger cultural connections, support for cultural identity and acknowledgement of Indigenous Australian history. 295. While the National Curriculum includes a framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, there is no national approach and the programs implemented in schools vary greatly across the jurisdictions. 296. One in ten Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reported speaking an Australian Indigenous language at home in the 2016 Census.268 297. Many submissions made to the NCC raised the urgent need to preserve and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in the national curriculum.269 Evidence suggests that learning Indigenous languages increases self-esteem, and a sense of identity and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.270 49