THE HON. MALCOLM TURNBULL MP
PRIME MINISTER
MR TREVOR RUTHENBERG
LNP CANDIDATE FOR LONGMAN
Saturday July 7 2018
Investing in Young Lives Through Former Origin Greats
The Turnbull Government is supporting the education of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Caboolture and throughout Queensland, with a new $1 million investment.
This commitment to the Achieving Results Through Education (ARTIE) Academy, will transform lives and empower young Queenslanders to achieve their dreams.
The ARTIE Academy, operated by the Former Origin Greats, will harness the attraction of rugby league and partner with schools to improve school attendance, provide mentoring support and promote literacy and numeracy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in South East Queensland.
This investment is part of the Government’s $5 billion Indigenous Advancement Strategy that is supporting Indigenous students to attend school and get an education that sets up a pathway for a better future.
This $1 million in new funding for the next two years follows our previous $1 million investment in the Former Origin Greats ‘At Work Indigenous Tutoring and School Attendance Project’.
The Executive Chairman of Former Origin Greats, Gene Miles has welcomed the announcement.
“I am delighted that the Turnbull Government has committed extra funding to continue the legacy of my friend the late, great Arthur Beetson.”
“Arthur was a man who fought with courage for his people to be acknowledged, respected and valued as First Australians. A man who always believed in the absolute need for young First Australians to be educated, to finish school and to be employed.”
“This boost in funding will enable the ARTIE Academy to assist an extra 1300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, supporting them with school attendance, mentoring, cultural activities and one on one tutoring”, Mr Miles said.
The ARTIE Academy already has a strong presence across Queensland – including Morayfield State High School and Tullawong State High School in the electorate of Longman.
This announcement will extend their work to other schools such as the Bribie Island State High School.
The Government is guaranteeing the essential services that Australians deserve. This investment will give young Queenslanders a chance to get ahead and succeed.
Through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, the Turnbull Government has invested more than $400 million to support more than 25,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to stay engaged, complete their school education and make successful post-school transitions.
The ARTIE Academy is named in honour of the late Arthur Beetson – a rugby league legend who became the first Indigenous captain of an Australian national sporting team.
Positive programmes like the ARTIE Academy reinforce that being an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian means to succeed, to achieve, to have big dreams and high hopes, and to draw strength from your identity as an Indigenous person in this country.
