The article examines the importance of effective secondary education for all children as Australian society embraces globalisation. In a global era, where societal development will rely on the knowledge and skills of the workforce, an effective education will become even more important for socio-economic engagement and equality. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most vulnerable to globalisation as they are less likely to achieve academically or go on to benefit from the restructured neo-liberal economy.
According to a report by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Indigenous students remain overrepresented at the lower levels and underrepresented at the upper levels of proficiency. Performance of Indigenous students has not improved over time.
Engaging social and professional communities around students with high educational needs has come to be seen as an active protective process for these students. This paper examines the role of state and local agencies (education, health, families, communities, and criminal justice) in documenting but not altering student trajectories towards life failure.
