Kirsten Storry

Contact details

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Kirsten is best contacted at kstorry at cis.org.au.

The Centre for Independent Studies
Post: PO Box 92, St Leonards NSW 1590
Tel: (02) 9438 4377
Fax: (02) 9439 7310

Bio

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Kirsten Storry is a Visiting Fellow on the Indigenous Affairs Research Programme at the Centre for Independent Studies, a non-profit non-partisan public policy think tank in Sydney. She researches, writes and speaks on indigenous policy issues, principally education. Her work covers such issues as teacher quality, school attendance, literacy and numeracy, governance, and law and order.

For CIS, Kirsten has published two policy papers and 25 opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines in Australia and New Zealand. She has given many media interviews with newspapers and radio stations across Australia and appeared as a panelist on a TV current affairs show in New Zealand. She has also published three journal articles and one policy paper as a freelance writer.

Kirsten has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales and is completing a Master of Public Policy at the Australian National University.

Impact

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Kirsten's work on indigenous education is well known in media and policy circles. Published endorsements of her work include:

* Christopher Bantick, 'Teachers key to books' relevance', The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 5 September 2007.
* Editorial, 'Save Yourselves', The Australian, 19 June 2007.
* Productivity Commission, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage, 2007 edition.
* Helen Hughes, Lands of Shame (Sydney: CIS, 2007).
* Luke Slattery, ‘This national disgrace must end’, The Australian Financial Review, 4 September 2006.
* Professor Jon Altman (Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research), 'Curricula the crucial issue', The Australian, 13 June 2006.

Books

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Kirsten is editing chapters for a forthcoming edited volume on school education in remote indigenous communities. The book is expected to be released in the first half of 2008.

Policy papers

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What can corruption and anti-corruption theory tell us about the problems facing policing in remote indigenous communities?, Policy & Governance Discussion Papers No. PDP08-02, Crawford School, Australian National University, 2008

Corruption and anti-corruption theory has already been applied to the problems of policing in a multicultural society in Britain and Australia. What can it tell us about the problems facing policing in Australia's remote indigenous communities? There are various conceptions of corruption in the literature and legislation, but there is a strong argument that over and under policing in remote communities is grey area conduct that could constitute police corruption. Anti-corruption theory can be applied to over and under policing to help us diagnose the problem and work towards a treatment program, but it will not provide a ‘one size fits all’ cure.

What is working in good schools in remote indigenous communities?, Issue Analysis No. 86, Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney, 2007

This paper hands down a report card on school attendance, achievement and retention in remote indigenous communities. It examines what is working in good remote schools on the supply side and the demand side.

Tackling literacy in remote Aboriginal communities, Issue Analysis No. 73, Centre for Independent Studies, 2006

This paper looks at low rates of adult literacy among remote indigenous communities. It examines existing community and private sector projects and proposes initiatives to make community and private sector involvement more efficient and effective.

Opinion pieces by topic

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Teacher quality
Effective teachers where they are needed most, Online Opinion, 25 February 2008
Rethinking Pay for Performance, New Matilda, 15 October 2007.
Boost pay to keep top-class teachers, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 3 October 2007
More teachers, less truancy, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 27 July 2007
Broader scope in NT for schools, The Canberra Times, 24 July 2007
In indigenous communities it is all about the teachers, Online Opinion, 2 July 2007
Teachers key to remote schools, The Australian, 18 June 2007
State must focus on Aboriginal schooling, The West Australian, 11 May 2007

School programs
Excuses fail our neediest students, The Australian, 4 April 2007
A hand up, not handouts, Online Opinion, 19 December 2006
A hand up, not handouts, is the solution, The Courier Mail, 1 December 2006
Stop excuses on indigenous education, The Adelaide Advertiser, 1 December 2006

School attendance
Lessons to be learnt in tackling truancy, The West Australian, 20 October 2006
Sticks and carrots good for a start, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 19 October 2006

Literacy and numeracy
Testing times for literacy and numeracy, Online Opinion, 24 September 2007
Testing times for literacy and numeracy, The Herald, Newcastle, 15 September 2007
Setting readers to rights, The Australian, 31 August 2006
The statistics don't show the full picture, The Advertiser, Adelaide, 11 August 2006
'Report into literacy and numeracy too narrow', The Canberra Times, 8 August 2006
Steep learning curve for all, The Australian, 12 June 2006
Skills better investment for indigenous, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 25 April 2006

Northern Territory intervention

Breaking the cycle, The Press, Christchurch, 10 August 2007

Governance

Wrapped up in red tape and denied the flexibility to grow, The Australian, 29 December 2006

Law and order

How can we move forward?, Online Opinion, 27 December 2007
Law must be upheld by all sides, Online Opinion, 25 January 2007
Law must be upheld by all sides, The Australian, 17 January 2007

Opinion pieces by date

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Since 2006, Kirsten has published 25 opinion pieces on indigenous policy in newspapers and magazines across Australia and New Zealand, including the Australian, Canberra Times, Courier Mail (Brisbane), Advertiser (Adelaide), West Australian (Perth), Herald (Newcastle), Press (Christchurch), Online Opinion and New Matilda.

2008

Effective teachers where they are needed most, Online Opinion, 25 February 2008

2007

How can we move forward?, Online Opinion, 27 December 2007

Rethinking Pay for Performance, New Matilda, 15 October 2007

Boost pay to keep top-class teachers, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 3 October 2007

Testing times for literacy and numeracy, Online Opinion, 24 September 2007

Testing times for literacy and numeracy, The Herald, Newcastle, 15 September 2007

Breaking the cycle, The Press, Christchurch, 10 August 2007

More teachers, less truancy, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 27 July 2007

Broader scope in NT for schools, The Canberra Times, 24 July 2007

In indigenous communities it is all about the teachers, Online Opinion, 2 July 2007

Teachers key to remote schools, The Australian, 18 June 2007

State must focus on Aboriginal schooling, The West Australian, 11 May 2007

Excuses fail our neediest students, The Australian, 4 April 2007

Law must be upheld by all sides, Online Opinion, 25 January 2007

Law must be upheld by all sides, The Australian, 17 January 2007

2006

Wrapped up in red tape and denied the flexibility to grow, The Australian, 29 December 2006

A hand up, not handouts, Online Opinion, 19 December 2006

A hand up, not handouts, is the solution, The Courier Mail, 1 December 2006

Stop excuses on indigenous education, The Adelaide Advertiser, 1 December 2006

Lessons to be learnt in tackling truancy, The West Australian, 20 October 2006

Sticks and carrots good for a start, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 19 October 2006

Setting readers to rights, The Australian, 31 August 2006

The statistics don't show the full picture, The Advertiser, Adelaide, 11 August 2006

'Report into literacy and numeracy too narrow', The Canberra Times, 8 August 2006

Steep learning curve for all, The Australian, 12 June 2006

Skills better investment for indigenous, The Courier Mail, Brisbane, 25 April 2006

Journal articles

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Special Circumstances and the Common Law, Indigenous Law Bulletin (2003) 23(5), p 19

This case study reviews the decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Eatock v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services in 2002.

National and International Security: An Introduction to the Issues, Reform (2003) 82, pp 5-7

This introduction to Issue 82 of the Australian Law Reform Commission journal Reform provides an overview of the legal background to international and national responses to recent and ongoing threats to security.

The Implications of the Macpherson Report into the Death of Stephen Lawrence, Current Issues in Criminal Justice (2000) 12(1), pp 106-113

This article examines the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, a black 18 year old who was brutally killed by five white youths in Britain in 1993. The inquiry sought to identify the lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes. The article considers the implications of the inquiry for Australian criminal justice.

Book reviews

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Review of Murray Goot and Tim Rowse's 'Divided Nation? Indigenous Affairs and the Imagined Public' in Policy (Summer 2007) 23(4) pp 58-59

Review of Louis Nowra's 'Bad Dreaming' in Policy (Winter 2007) 23(2) pp 58-59

Review of Max Griffith's 'Aboriginal Affairs 1867-2005' in Policy (Autumn 2007) 23(1), pp 61-62

Review of Tim Prenzler and Janet Ransley's 'Police Reform: Building Integrity' in Reform (2003) 82, p 69

Media interviews

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Kirsten appeared as panelist on TV current affairs show ‘Eye to Eye with Willie Jackson’ in New Zealand on 14 July 2007. Read excerpts from the program in Eye to Eye - 'Racism in Australia' on scoop.co.nz.

She has been interviewed for articles in national and metropolitan newspapers, including the Australian Financial Review, Age, and Australian.

She has also given interviews on 15 radio stations across Australia, including:

* Nationally: 'Perspective' on ABC Radio, National Indigenous Radio, 'Across Australia' with Charles Wooley on Macquarie Regional Radio, SBS Radio
* Australian Capital Territory: 'Mornings' with Ross Solley on ABC Radio Canberra
* New South Wales: 'Razor's Edge' on 2SER, 'Tuesday Daily' with Sarah Hanniffy on 2SER, 'Mornings' with Janice McGilchrist on ABC Radio Orange, WS FM
* Northern Territory: 'Mornings' with Katya Quigley on ABC Radio Alice Springs
* Queensland: ABC Radio Mt Isa, 'Mornings' with Jackie Mackay on ABC Radio Rockhampton, 'Mornings' with Paula Tapiolas on ABC Radio Townsville
* Victoria: Triple R News Melbourne
* Western Australia: 'Mornings' with Vanessa Mills on ABC Radio Kimberley, ABC Radio Goldfields

The transcript of Kirsten's appearance on 'Perspective' on ABC Radio on 7 December 2006 is available online.