Schools failing disadvantaged students: report

A new report paints a bleak picture of how disadvantaged students do at school, say the people who work with those children.

The COAG Reform Council report on education, released on Wednesday, shows there are still huge gaps between the performance of indigenous and non-indigenous students.

The Smith Family, a leading provider of education support to disadvantaged students, says the results are depressing.

"It's really clear that there's a significant group of young people ... who just aren't getting the education that they deserve," chief executive at The Smith Family, Lisa O'Brien, told AAP.

Indigenous children are twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable and unprepared for starting primary school, then have poor literacy and numeracy results and school attendance.

After school, 60 per cent of young indigenous people weren't fully engaged in study or work - almost three times more than non-indigenous people.

There are also big differences between students from low socio-economic backgrounds compared with their wealthier, more advantaged peers.

"It remains the case in Australia that if you are disadvantaged for any reason, you will perform less well," council deputy chairman Greg Craven said.

"It's a mixed picture but it's clearly something that COAG's work is not finished on."

Dr O'Brien said students weren't getting a firm grounding early on and problems were exacerbated by a lack of good role models.

In a western Sydney school, teachers kicked off a careers program by asking their Year 7 students to interview an adult they knew about their job, career choices and training.

"All the kids were looking a little bit concerned about how to do it so (the teacher) was wondering what's the issue," Dr O'Brien said.

"Only two in that class actually knew someone who was employed.

"What does a post-school career look like when inter-generational poverty is set and unemployment is all that you've known?" he said.