The Gonski Institute for Education has been awarded $25,000 from the CAGES Foundation to research “What Does Success Mean for Aboriginal Children in NSW Preschools?”
This project aims to comprehensively explore the quality of education that young Aboriginal children receive in early childhood care and will focus on what constitutes ‘success’ to Aboriginal parents and communities. This initial funding will be geared towards a scoping and relationship building phase and will provide the opportunity for community voices to inform a long-term research methodology and approaches to be used in the second phase of the project. This funding will assist researchers in scoping the current state of affairs in Aboriginal early childhood education.
The CAGES Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that is passionate about providing equality of opportunities for Aboriginal children. They have identified that focusing on early years in Aboriginal children’s lives is the most effective way to improve their life course, and henceforth funds organisations that work within this area. The CAGES foundation demonstrates a strong desire to create a positive, educational environment that enables Aboriginal children to reach their full potential, which aligns with the Gonski Institute for Education’s mission statement – to address growing inequality in Australian education.
The Gonski Institute for Education’s aim is to produce recommendations for systemic change in the way that early childhood education is approached by government, teacher training entities, peak bodies and individual institutions, with a focus on Aboriginal children. We are extremely proud to be collaborating with the CAGES Foundation, who have developed a vast network of meaningful relationships, values the voice and input of Aboriginal communities and demonstrates passion for educational equity for Aboriginal children.