Closing the Gap Great Strategy - Essay Example

Students Name: Instructors’ Name: Course Code and Name: Date of Submission: CLOSING THE GAP ESSAY Introduction There was a rather uncertainty in expectations of what to get in the learning of the Aborigines and their affairs. With more weekly studies and writing of journals about their lives, the concept has turned out to be a good field to study as a lot is shared and the prejudice held beforehand has been washed away. Attention to various issues of their affairs has led to more intensive search for themes. One of the themes I am dealing with is closing the gap. It involves health, education and law affecting the indigenous Australians. Closing the gap in this context can be seen as reducing the differences between estimates in Aboriginal issues and issues of the whole population. These issues, as from learning of the Aboriginal affairs, can be seen as more influential when it comes to living in Australia. For a long time, the indigenous people have been left behind in many affairs and their lives have been more problematic, shorter and more negative than the general population’s (PHOLI, K., 2009). The government started an initiative to reduce the gap in the disparities between the White and the indigenous people who are of Aborigine and Torres Island origin. Focus on the theme From reading and researching, I have come to a realization of how the issues of education, law and health are of great importance. Studying of needs to be met by Legal Aid system to be revised by FRASER, 2011, my knowledge expanded I terms of judicial issues affecting the Aborigines. I immediately pounced on books dealing with health issues affecting the Aborigines. Nursing Assignment Help from nursing database gave a clear comparison in health status and life expectancy differences between aborigines and whites. The statistics shown were aimed at reducing the disadvantages of life expectancy and morality of the children to access education. Statement about Aboriginal retired soccer player Sidney Jackson’s age not being exactly given (KORFF, J., 2015) brought a clear thought on the legal issues. This reinforces the reason for the strategy, which is aimed to reduce the negative in the country and steps with actions about the problems. In terms of education, I configure finding out that closing the gap for Aboriginal students needs understanding their culture more deeply and also getting to know their view of the world and past life and effects (FARIES, E., 2006). In terms of health, the problems of health that mainly affects the Aborigines should be addressed and in terms of law, the inhibitions put upon the Aborigines are to be cut off. The theme closing the gap has really put a major light in my thinking eye. The disadvantages that affect the indigenous people are put forth to cut them. It tries to give light why the policies put before have not easily stopped the disparity between the overall population and the indigenous people. The government has been putting these policies trying to figure out solutions but only a few years ago have the things started to change for the better (PHOLI, K., 2009). Address of the issues has been minimal because in the policy making, the government has least been involving the indigenous people. Health Whilst studying about the plight of the Aborigines, I came about a consideration which said that prior to colonization, the Aborigines were healthier than the colonizers (FLOOD, 2006) but with sexual and other encounters with the world, their population started declining, making their life expectancy shorten. The mortality rate thus increased. Iva Davies says that their citizenship has not delivered them quality education. Heart disease, mental disorders and diabetes make the major problems in health with heart disease having an estimated 21% gap, which is large, in the country’s cities. Most of the deaths of the Aborigines happened as a result of being separated from their families, original land and their way of life. The people do not get much education and are three times more likely to be unemployed leading to most of the youth abusing substances leading to mental problems and risks. Other risks include unsafe sex, obesity and high blood pressure. Health’s close up focuses on management of diseases and improving of diagnosis and treatment. Health promotion and education prevents risky daily health habits among the people. Adolescent, maternal and child health effective improvement with also parental support and early childhood developing of Aborigines are put into focus in the health policy. The health policy also focuses on attention to the health needs of the Aborigines in the urban areas and giving complementary action to the social policy areas so that the health outcomes improve by a greater margin thereby reducing the gap. Nurses and midwives are taking more steps into giving an effective and efficient contribution and responsibility towards closing the gap. Statistics show that most cases of high mortality rate among the inborn was caused by poor health intervention by the doctors or nurses. This has enabled widespread government enthusiasm in its commitment to close the gap. The power and control imbalance is getting addressed and the well-being of the indigenous people is going to improve. Law Being, a new student in the Aboriginal issues, I was shocked when I was taught the contemporary issues affecting the Australian society particularly the Judicial undertakings and the bad relations of the Aborigines and the law. It would bring an ethnocentric or rather a racial approach but gradually the problems sunk in my mind. Caroline Jones who is an Aborigine, though, views the pain and disappointment as inspiration for greatness. Studies show that Aborigines are over-represented in legal systems at all stages, from children to adults. Without any doubt, bad legislative acts, such as the harsh rules of 1992 by government, (SIDOTI, C., 1994) were targeted to Aborigines. It is seen that the Aborigines have had an eleven times tendency of getting arrested than the white counterparts. Aborigines have had more demonstrations for rights of land ownership and greater autonomy in their affairs .An Aborigine Andrew Forrest observes that welfare did not work and hence there was a need to change course. This is because legislation back in the 1990s limited application of titles. High Court decisions did not favour their rights. As a way to reduce the gap in law affairs, the government, through corrections office has put forth two principles; - the principle of individualized managing of offenders and the principle of provision of anti-discrimination . This ensures checking of needs of individual offenders and no discrimination in terms of race. Other initiatives created by the government are development of suicide-controlling prisons and cells, strategy of Aboriginal employment, culture camps for young wrongdoers, creation of boards of justice within local communities and creation of Liaison Officer position for Aborigines. These are targeted to curb offences by the Aborigines, hence creating a close level of criminal offences in the country. Education Focusing on education system historically, my mind sees a rather spiritually-based education before their system was spoiled by the settlers. Education was used to negatively change their culture. It was not about education meeting the Aborigine’s needs but the Aborigines meeting the education system’s needs (AFN, vol 1.p.73). This contradicts Aborigine Yvonne Butler’s voice which brings out a view that education is the greatest single weapon to overcome the problem with the disadvantages. As of now, the government is committed to the target of curbing the gaps. This is started with ensuring that school-going children do it every school day. Funding of schools for new needs is arranged and there is supporting of schools with more than fifty Aboriginal boarders. Also, there is Remote Primary School programme and schools do not need to be forced to applying. This aims at increasing the below average percent turnout of students by grade twelve from the low 39% towards the 79% of their population counterparts. MORRISSEY (2005) seeks to call for an end to excessive privileging and start quantitative goal setting. Essence of the task The task has had a pushing factor in enabling me to understand the people. The reasons for their removal of life, problems with marriages and poor health have helped me in a way to understand them. This task has also enabled knowing much of their needs and the progress of their generations in matters concerning the nation. I can now relate with the Aboriginal voices and feel the pain in their words without explanation The journals gave me that thirst for getting more information as I did them regularly on a weekly basis. The country’s affairs are now well known as before engaging in writing and studying the topics as a whole, my knowledge in the affairs was vague. Conclusion Closing the gap is a great strategy for the future of the country. It tries to change a rather hard thing in the context of the past, which is improving co-relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the country. It is more beneficial to the native people and is a good step in ensuring national cohabitation. The results of the strategy have been poor as in the current situation. A few people have pledged support for the campaign making it progress slowly. Some organizations like The National Rugby League have dedicated to it but the events are still few compared to the target. Assessment of progress about life-expectancy cannot be accurately measured but the progress shows a good progress which may lie within the target by the year 2018. The campaign seeks for the government to address the progress. Recordings of deaths and births have to be accurately done. There needs to be more planning in the coverage of effective services to the people. This is to be complemented with assessing against existing services. With the initiative being successive, the governments long-term plans will be effective as the major internal problems will have been addressed. It will lead to an improved per capita spending of the country because improvement in income of The Aborigines will increase the country’s income level. REFERENCES Council of Australian Governments (2008) National Indigenous Reform Agreement, p.A-20 CUNNEEN, C (1992) Current issues in Criminal Justice Sydney CRAFORD-MAHER, E Developing Community Initiatives in Juvenile Justice Retrieved from www.aic.gov.au/../maher/pdf on May 16th, 2015 FARIES, E (2006) Closing the Gap for Aboriginal Students GRAY, A & HOGG, R (1989) The Mortality of Aboriginal Australians in Western NSW 1984-1987 New South Wales Department of Health, Sydney McCORQUODALE, J (1987) Aborigines and the Law: A Digest Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra PHOLI, K et al (2009) Is ‘Close the Gap’ a Useful Approach to Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous Australians? Australian Review of Public Affairs Steering Committee for the Review of Governmental Service Provision (2007) Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: key Indicators 2007, Productivity commission, Canberra[ONLINE], Available: http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/indigenous/keyindicators2007 [2015,16 May] ZIGLIO, E (1997) How to Move Towards Evidence-based Health Promotion Interventions Promotion and Education Read More