The Conversation 19 August 2025 by Maryanne Macdonald, Eyal Gringart, Renae Issacs-Guthridge, Terry (Ngarritjan) Kessaris
Statistics showing Indigenous school students in a negative light are regularly reported in the Australian media and policy debates. We often hear how Indigenous students “trail” their non-Indigenous peers in NAPLAN results and how there are persistent “gaps” when it comes to finishing high school.
These messages unfortunately reflect a common bias against Indigenous Australians in the community. These stereotypes – such as “Indigenous people aren’t interested in education” – often seep into schools, creating obstacles for Indigenous students.
Until now we have not had a lot of quantitative evidence on Indigenous students’ actual attitudes towards education.
Our new research, based on a survey of more than 500 WA secondary students, shows Indigenous students care about their school education and want to complete Year 12.
But they continue to face obstacles to completing education, including equal access to computers, varied support for their Indigenous culture, and needing to complete high school away from home.
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