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One of the 19 Closing the Gap targets has officially been reached after early childhood education enrolment for First Nations children hit 95% across the country.

Released by the Productivity Commission today, the annual data compilation report showed an increase from 61.3% enrolments in 2016 (the baseline year), to hitting the 95% mark across every state and territory today.

The minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy , said although it was a “significant milestone”, state and territory governments should “back in” their commitments as other targets continued to worsen.

double quotation mark This result is encouraging, as are improvements in eight other targets including employment and education.

However, it is very concerning that we are still seeing outcomes worsening for early childhood development, children in out-of-home care, incarceration rates and suicide.

Our government remains committed to Closing the Gap; working in partnership with First Nations communities, building on what is working and investing in the areas where we can make the greatest difference to generational change.

State and territory governments must also back in their commitments under the national agreement with investments and policies that improve outcomes for First Nations people.

You can read more about the targets here, in Sarah Collard ’s story from earlier this year: