Career aspirations of rural and urban indigenous students

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.