Program fosters indigenous success stories

High expectations are the fastest path to success for young indigenous Australians, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott was in Sydney on Wednesday to launch a blueprint for best practice in teaching indigenous school students, which has been developed by the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.

The foundation, which has support from the federal government and the private sector, funds scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to attend some of the most esteemed schools in the country.

"The commonwealth, I have to say, does spend a fair bit of time investing in failure. What we are being invited to do today Andrew (Penfold, AIEF executive director) is invest in success," Mr Abbott said.

"We are used to the deprivation narrative, increasingly we are comfortable and familiar with the cultural narrative - this is the success narrative, of which we need to see so much more."

Mr Abbott said he looked forward to seeing the first indigenous army chief, billionaire, and Booker prize-winner.

"In every field of endeavour, we must yearn for the day when success for indigenous people is so normal that it is no longer remarkable.

"That day won't come while indigenous youngsters continue to suffer the tyranny of low expectations," Mr Abbott said, borrowing an expression favoured by prominent advocate Noel Pearson.

David Gonski and Commonwealth Bank CEO Ian Narev were among guests at the lunchtime event.