Career aspirations of rural and urban indigenous students

![CDATA[One of the major issues facing Indigenous students in Australia is that of social disadvantage in relation to mainstream Australian society. Compared to non-Indigenous peers, Indigenous students tend to fall behind in reaching satisfactory standards in both education and career attainments. Poor academic self-concepts also contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. In order to further understand and also help to alleviate these negatives for Indigenous students, a large-scale study funded by the Department of Education, Science, and Training was undertaken. A component of the larger study is reported in this paper. Interviews were held with Indigenous and non- Indigenous students (n=148), their career advisors, and parents. A serious range of issues was identified including lower career aspirations; poor career advice by family, peers, and teachers; and a lack of Government assistance. In this paper we report on the findings and the implications thereof for enhancing Indigenous education.]]