The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission in support of Scoping a Policy Partnership on First Nations Economic Development (the Partnership).

NATSIEC is Australia’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education body. We deliver community-informed independent evidence-based advocacy and advice to Australian governments. We focus on education policies and programs of national importance and ensure there is a national community-controlled education voice in Closing the Gap efforts. Our engagement with the education sector spans across the lifelong learning cycle – through early childhood education, primary and secondary schooling, skills, training and higher education sectors.

Formally established in 2023, NATSIEC evolved from the more than 40 years of continued educational sector engagement and collective leadership of the six state and two territory Indigenous Education Consultative Bodies (IECBs – sometimes also referred to as Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups). NATSIEC continues a tradition of strong community-based consultative voices to government from the legacy of the ground-breaking 1977 National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC1) and the 1989 Aboriginal Education Policy (AEP2) that underpins education strategy to this day.

As a community-controlled education corporation NATSIEC aims to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are consulted and listened to when developing education policies and programs. Our Membership and Network includes all of Australia’s incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled education organisations (in NSW, VIC and SA) and Indigenous Education Consultative Body (IECB) representatives (in QLD, NT, ACT, TAS and WA). Our national community-controlled structure enables our effective coordination of communication, consultation, policy analysis and advocacy to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community viewpoints are heard and acted upon within Australian governments, their Departments of Education and beyond.

NATSIEC’s Membership and coordinated National Network of IECBs is our strength. Our community-
controlled governance structure and network enables us to advocate on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and through the principle of self-determination.

Our submission provides a set of 8 recommendations outlining initial priorities and advice for the
Partnership. Informing our recommendations is a detailed response to many of the questions posed within the Background paper.