Tasmania has the smallest gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students of any Australian jurisdiction, the Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim, said today.

Mr McKim said that National Indigenous Literacy Day was a great way of celebrating the significant achievements in improving educational outcomes for Tasmanian Indigenous students.

Mr McKim said that the 2011 Performance Indicators In Primary Schools (PIPS) results showed a decrease in the gap in literacy and numeracy for Indigenous students in Tasmania.

"In terms of a national comparison, Tasmania has the smallest differences in mean scores between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students for all NAPLAN tests and year levels," Mr McKim said.

"This was also true for 2010 where on average the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students is 50% less in Tasmania than other States and Territories.

"In addition, participation rates in Reading and Numeracy for Tasmanian Indigenous students were higher than the national figures for all year levels and are the highest of any State or Territory in both Years 3 and 5."

Mr McKim said that the State Government was committed to providing equal educational outcomes for all Tasmanian students, including Indigenous students.

"While the gap is improving, more work still needs to be done to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students in Tasmania," Mr McKim said.

"The Department of Education, through its Aboriginal Education Services, continues to support schools within each Learning Service to engage with Aboriginal families within their local school communities as well as providing training in Aboriginal cultural understandings for school staff.

"Tasmanian Aboriginal-specific curriculum resources have also been developed as well as new reference material to help enhance teaching and learning.

"In Tasmania, 59 Tasmanian schools have been identified to be part of the Tasmanian Strategy for Closing the Gap in Aboriginal Outcomes 2010-2014.

"The Smarter Schools National Partnerships aims to add resources where needed, particularly in the area of supporting learning outcomes for Indigenous students.

"Schools such as Rokeby Primary School have been nationally recognised for their work in improving learning outcomes for Aboriginal students and I look forward to working with everyone involved in Aboriginal Education in Tasmania to strive for positive outcomes for our students."