Health education strategies and practices are critical to improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. The Australian Government has recognised the health-promoting potential of schools through its advocacy of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Promoting Schools framework (NHMRC 1996). This framework uses a whole-of-school approach to school-based health initiatives. Schools are ideal for...

The low employment rate of Indigenous Australians contributes to economic deprivation and a range of social problems. Increasing employment rates is key to reducing Indigenous disadvantage (e.g., COAG 2009). Employment is central to the Closing the Gap targets that directly refer to engagement with the mainstream economy. Paid employment can provide the economic independence and...

Employment is an important element of successful integration within one’s community. Across Australia, nearly two-thirds of prisoners were unemployed when they committed the crimes for which they were incarcerated. For Indigenous and non-Indigenous ex-prisoners alike, there are numerous benefits associated with employment. They include benefits related to the individual (for example, increased earning capacity, improved...

This paper provides policy makers with key findings about what works, and assesses the gaps in the evidence for the following three of the seven COAG building blocks that were the focus of the Clearinghouse in Year 2: • Early childhood• Healthy homes• Governance and leadership. Evidence from other building blocks was covered in the...

An independent evaluation of the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education is being undertaken in 2010-2014 to assess its effectiveness in achieving universal access outcomes. This evaluation annual report shows progress to 31 December 2009 and includes a literature review, evaluation framework and an exploration of challenges, including data. It should be noted that...