Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Plan Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teenagers could be supported by the government for six months after finishing school in changes to the education system being considered by the state government. Development of a Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood, school education, training, tertiary education and employment action plan is under way and Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has released a discussion paper. The paper is focused on helping indigenous people from "crayon to career" and says Education Department staff need to be more "culturally competent." "Cultural competency of a service is considered a key factor in how or whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people decide to use it," the report says. Queensland is home to about 25 per cent of Australia's Aborigines and almost two-thirds of the Torres Strait Islander population. The discussion paper suggests supporting each indigenous year 12 student throughout their final year of schooling and six months following school to help them make the shift to further education, training or employment. It also says support should be offered to students who leave school before year 12. The paper foreshadows the establishment of a community-based advisory board in Cape York to advocate on behalf of indigenous people there as well as provide advice to the government on issues affecting the region. It emphasises the importance of recognising students who speak their own dialect at home and have English as an additional language. Mr Langbroek says in the foreword that the government will look into partnerships, including with the private sector, to try to improve education for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. "Achieving improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is of the highest priority for Queensland," he says. This is built on the knowledge that improved outcomes in education and employment are cornerstones to increased health, social and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders and their communities. The government knows this cannot be done alone. The discussion paper is intended to lead to a four-year plan of action.