The Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians

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Added on 2020-04-21

The Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians

Added on 2020-04-21

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Running Head: AUSTRALIA 1Closing the Gap between the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous AustraliansNameInstitution

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AUSTRALIA 2Closing the Gap between the indigenous and non-indigenous AustraliansIntroduction Over the past years, the gap between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities inAustralia has been widening significantly. By and large, studies indicate that indigenousAustralians are significantly disadvantaged as compared to the non-indigenous populace (Koziol,2016). Currently, the main areas of concern with the highest gaps include education, training andhealth (ABS, 2011). Research shows that indigenous Australians have generally low educationlevels as well as health outcomes (Gordon & Hunter, 2016). For this reason, the Australiangovernment has taken a keen interest on the issue and is working towards the narrowing andclosing of the existing gaps between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities in thecountry. Importance of Closing the Gaps in AustraliaNarrowing the gap between the two communities would not only be beneficial locally forindigenous people but will also be vastly beneficial nationally with regard to economic andsocial improvements (Gooda & Huggins, 2016). One major importance of narrowing the healthdisparity between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities is to ensure health equalityamong the people of Australia. It is worth pointing out that poor health among the Aboriginalpeople is very evident. A 2008-2012 study indicates that the infant mortality rate among theindigenous population was almost double that of the non-indigenous communities (AustraliansTogether, n.d.). Generally, the report suggests that native communities have a lower lifeexpectancy than the non-indigenous population (ABS, 2011). Further statistics reveal that nativecommunities suffer from higher death rates than the non-native ones for all major causes of death

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AUSTRALIA 3(Australians Together, n.d.). What is more, the study reveals that the indigenous people havehigher chances of suffering from mental health, suicidal cases and self harm (Little, 2016). Forthis reason, closing the gap will help reduce the disparity between the two Australiancommunities. In turn, it will create a situation of health equality whereby both the non-indigenous and native Australians have a high life expectancy rates, low infant mortality rates aswell as long term health and well being. It would result in a healthy Australian population withgenerally high life expectancy levels and wellbeing. In the same way, it is important for the government to close the education and traininggap between the two groups in the country in order to achieve social and economic progress atthe national level. According to the western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey,education is a vital means through which individuals can achieve their full potential (Krishnan,2015). Notably, possessing a good education can significantly influence an individual’s jobprospects. In addition, it acts as a booster and elevator in support of a person’s cultural andeconomic life. Furthermore, educational attainment and participation in education is a lifechanging factor that positively influences the social well being for all Australians. Unfortunately,statistics indicate that the indigenous population is characterized by lower levels of education ascompared to the non-indigenous Australians. As a result, there is a large disparity between non-indigenous and indigenous education and training in the country. In effect, the level ofunemployment among the indigenous population is significantly higher compared to the non-native populace. As at 2012, the level of unemployment among the indigenous people wasapproximately five times higher than that of other Australians. Mainly, this can be attributed totheir low levels of education and training, making it difficult to secure decent employmentopportunities within the country. In this regard, it is vital for the Australian government to close

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