The number of First Nations staff employed by the education department in the Northern Territory has alarmingly decreased by 17 per cent since 2014.
While 33,000 public school students across the Territory returned to the classroom this week some 113 Indigenous Department of Education staff have departed the service in little over a year.
Northern Territory Australian Education Union president Jarvis Ryan says the result is bad news for the 44.5 per cent of NT public school students who identify as either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
He says First Nations staff are important role models for children as they bring perspective and wisdom to their non-Indigenous colleagues.
Mr Ryan says First Nations staff are essential in remote Aboriginal communities, where they can assist with translating and culture.
