We know that while four per cent of students are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, only one per cent of teachers are Indigenous. We want to lift those numbers and get a better understanding of both the impediments and incentives for Indigenous people entering teaching.
The More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI), a national project funded by the Australian government, is developing national strategies to increase the number of and retention of Indigenous teachers employed in schools.
The project's research aims to underpin the development of many more Indigenous teachers to enrich the learning experience of all Australian children and in particular Indigenous children. In the longer term, the work we do to unpack the elements that will inspire, encourage, recruit, retain and develop leadership in Indigenous teachers will be hugely significant for the Australian education system. It will build substance and authenticity into the national goals for inclusivity.
Professor Peter Buckskin, Dean: Indigenous Scholarship, Engagement and Research, is the Project Director for MATSITI, supported by Emeritus Professor Paul Hughes and Dr Kaye Price from the University of Southern Queensland.
> Visit the MATSITI website and learn more
Contact information
MATSITI office at UniSA
c/ University of South Australia
GPO Box 2471
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia
t: +61 8 8302 9046
f: +61 8 8302 7034
Dean: Indigenous Scholarship, Engagement and Research: Professor Peter Buckskin
Project Manager: Mark Tranthim-Fryer