First Nations Voices Invited to Shape New National Education Policy

The Australian Government is seeking feedback on the draft direction of a new First Nations Education Policy, designed to provide a long-term national framework for improving the experiences and outcomes of First Nations learners across Australia.

The current consultation asks for feedback on the Policy’s draft Vision, Guiding Principles, Focus Areas and Expected Outcomes, with responses open until 30 September 2026.

Building on Earlier Engagement

Importantly, this isn’t the first opportunity communities have had to shape the Policy.

The Department of Education and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC) have co-drafted the current content following earlier engagement, including work by First Nations partner organisations with communities across the country and a public submission process that closed in February.

The Policy is being developed in partnership with First Nations organisations including NATSIEC, SNAICC, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principals Association, the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition and the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium.

What Engagement Practitioners Can Take From the Process

For engagement professionals, there’s value in looking at the staged nature of the process.

Earlier engagement helped identify themes and priorities. The current consultation then gives learners, families, educators, community members and organisations an opportunity to respond to the direction that has emerged before the Policy is finalised.

The Department also explicitly states that the draft content may change as a result of feedback, further partnership work and consideration by governments and key stakeholders.

That creates an important connection between asking for community insight and demonstrating where there is still genuine scope to influence the outcome.

For practitioners designing engagement around policies and strategies, it’s a useful example of engagement occurring across multiple stages — rather than asking for input once and returning only when the final policy is complete.

Consultation closes 11:59pm, 30 September 2026.

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