Education key for urban Indigenous kids: Macklin

Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin has emphasised the importance of education in urban Indigenous communities, as she visited schools and communities in Parramatta, in western Sydney.

Western Sydney has the largest urban population of Indigenous Australians anywhere in the country - with over 32,000 Indigenous Aussies living there.

In an interview with NITV News, Ms Macklin said Indigenous families she had spoken with value their children's education highly.

"The priority for them was making sure that their children get a great start in life, get a terrific early childhood education and then go on to good schools," she said.

Minister Macklin said early childhood development is "so important for little Aboriginal kids to get the best start in life."

Although emphasis is often placed on Indigenous communities in remote parts of Australia, Minister Macklin believes that urban communities are not being overlooked.