Joe,It is a pity that statistically, no distinction is made between the two different cohorts of aboriginals. I suspect that generally, the life expectancy of the Urban group would be much better than the marginalised tribal ones. There would probably be a significant difference between the two groups on most measures with the so called gap being almost closed with the urban ones and if anything, probably widening with the tribal ones. In many cases, urban aborigines do somewhat better than poor whites.
David

Hi David,

I would hope that many urban Indigenous people are doing far better than many indigent non-Indigenous people IF they are putting far more effort into their lives.

As it happens, on the data available, Indigenous women are completing university in numbers which are slightly greater, for their population numbers, than non-Indigenous men each year. Of course, women generally are doing far better than men in Australia in terms of university graduate numbers, something like 58: 42 %.

Yes, very crudely, there are two Indigenous populations - one working, seizing opportunities, the other following a sort of family tradition into non-achievement, welfare and comparatively early demise. Yes, the graduates would tend to live and work (since they also tend to have been born) in the cities; the welfare population dominate in rural and remote populations, but are also strongly represented in the cities, usually in the outer suburbs and in social housing.

Changes to higher education costs may eat into Indigenous participation numbers, but one lives in hope that - given the amount of land which Aboriginal groups now control - enrolments in agriculture-oriented courses may increase.

But maybe not: I recall that after the Mabo Decision in 1993, when I was working in Indigenous student support at an SA university campus which included conservation management, I anticipated a significant rise in Indigenous applications, given (to my naive brain) the association between land and conservation. Boy, did I get that wrong.

Joe

What sort of degrees are the current aboriginal students undertaking. I have an impression that a lot of them finish up in the public service. Law seems popular. I would be good to see a lot of teachers.
David

David,

According to Ed. Dept stats, around 11,000 Indigenous students have graduated in Education to the end of last year.

Ed. Dept figures could be under-counting by up to 20 % (while ABS Census figures may over-count by at least as much), so - taking into account graduates who also complete post-graduate studies - I'd say there would be between ten and twelve thousand qualified Indigenous teachers across the country, a third with post-graduate qualifications as well. Give or take.

Currently, about four hundred Indigenous students (+/- 20 %) graduate as teachers each year.

Joe

I was wondering if Rob favoured pulling down every mosque in Australia considering Mohammed was a slave trader?

Now there is a thought Runner. How can we soo them onto each other ?
That could solve a lot of problems for all of the rest of us.
Anyway watch that space, they are both intent on world domination
and already are antagonists.