Rural and Remote School Education

1 Final ReportRural and RemoteSchool EducationA Survey for the Human Rights and EqualOpportunity CommissionHelen StokesJohn StaffordRoger HoldsworthYouth Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Vic 3010 Rural and Remote School and of Phone and Remote : What is Meant? in Rural and Remote in Rural and Remote Issues from the of Distance Education / School of the AirCosts of BoardingCosts of Setting Up Two HousesCosts of TransportCosts of Curriculum EnrichmentCosts of TechnologyCosts of Access to Higher EducationCosts for Students with Distance Education /MinischoolsTo SchoolTo TAFEFor Students with Learning Environment31In Distance EducationIn Social ChoiceVocational EducationRural and Remote School Education3 Curriculum EnrichmentCurriculum RelevanceCultural Curricula Activities of Education : Teachers46 AvailabilityTurnover and ExpertiseQuality and ExperienceAwareness of Indigenous of Education .

2 And Quality for Students With Services In/Out of Development and : Relocation and Learning Social Curricula of Education - of Education - and Quality for Students with Studies67 References72 Rural and Remote School Children who live outside the major population centres in Australiashould not have to settle for a second rate Education (CommissionerChris Sidoti)The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has been conducting BushTalks since March 1998. This has involved consulting with people in regional, ruraland Remote australia about human rights issues. In the talks Education has consistentlyemerged as a major concern for people living in these response to this concern, the Federal Human Rights Commissioner, Chris Sidoti, isconducting A National Inquiry into Rural and Remote School Education .

3 The Inquiryis examining Education from national and human rights human rights agreements have been considered as part of the Inquiry,including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This Conventiondeclares the right of every child to Education regardless of race, sex, disability or otherstatus. To achieve this right, State Parties shall ensure that: primary Education must be compulsory and available free to all; secondary Education must be available, with financial assistance to be offered in cases ofneed. There should be encouragement of the development of different forms of secondaryeducation, including vocational and general; and measures to be taken to encourage regular attendance at School and the reduction of dropout rates.

4 (see )The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry require that the Commission inquire into theprovision of Education for children in Rural and Remote areas with reference to: the availability and accessibility of both primary and secondary schooling; the quality of educational services, including technological support services; whether the Education available to children with disabilities, Indigenous children andchildren from diverse cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds complies with theirhuman rights.(see )The Inquiry involves a number of initiatives, including public hearings and meetings aswell as a Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne was commissioned by theCommission to conduct the survey.

5 The survey sought input from individuals (parents,students and teachers) not otherwise reached by the Inquiry. It was not intended thatRural and Remote School Education5this survey should provide a statistically valid sample of these groups in Rural andremote australia ; rather it was one of the methods of encouraging and supportinginput of information and opinions to the carrying out this survey, the Youth Research Centre wishes to acknowledge theinterest, support and advice provided by parents, students and teachers number of people took responsibility for the collection of data within some specificareas:Dr Murray Lake (Western australia ), Professor Carolyn Matthews (University ofSouth australia ), Don Squires (Charles Sturt University, NSW), and MaureenChiswell (Country Education Project, Victoria).

6 Many organisations assisted with the distribution of surveys through their networks,copied and circulated forms at their own initiative, provided time at conferences forworkshops and consultations, enabled us to take part in conversations on the School ofthe Air and made students available for focus groups in schools in the thanks is due to the support provided by the Youth Research Centre staff -Deborah Thomson, Jasmina Radulovic, Iva Siaosi, Meredith Gawler and Kate Eyles -who provided assistance with the phone surveys during two long and intensive Eyles and John Wright entered basic survey data into the Kay from the Computer Facility of the Faculty of Education , The University ofMelbourne, developed and maintained the web-based and Remote School and SurveyThis survey of Education in Rural and Remote australia was carried out by the YouthResearch Centre in the second half of 1999, principally during July - QuestionsThe survey addressed particular questions raised by the terms of reference of theInquiry.

7 Separate survey forms were developed for each of students, parents andteachers; while these had similar intentions, there were slightly different questions oneach survey to focus on issues of greater relevance to each of these questions included:for students: time taken to get to School ; access to technology; subject choice; advantages and limitations of their location in regard to Education ; strategies for educational change;for parents: costs and means of getting children to School ; other costs of Education ; income support; cultural appropriateness of schooling; advantages and limitations of their location in regard to Education ; strategies for educational change;for teachers: costs involved in teaching in Rural and Remote areas; advantages and limitations of their location in regard to Education ; measures to overcome limitations and their effectiveness; other strategies for educational of SurveysThe surveys were distributed in a wide variety of ways, using networks ofeducationists, parents, teachers and other related organisations and individualsthroughout australia .

8 The existence of the survey was publicised in print journals, onradio, through other electronic communications, and through word of and Remote School Education7 Strategies included distribution through: attendance at conferences (student, parent, teacher and communityconferences); newsletters (parent, School , associations); teacher unions; parent groups; regional service workers; regional Education workers; state based representatives who distributed through local networks toschools; e-mail list servers; the establishment of a website; focus groups/ School visits including lessons conducted over School of theair; responses to individual requests; HREOC workers and their effort was made to enhance participation by particular groups.

9 For example: an Indigenous student was employed in a Rural area to distribute and assistIndigenous community to complete surveys; a linguist in a Remote area was able to assist non-English speakingIndigenous people to complete surveys; disability support groups assisted in the distribution and completion surveys were available and completed in a number of ways. These included: written surveys completed and returned individually or in groups (hardcopy); verbal survey completion via a phone in; electronic survey completion and transmission through a responsesApproximately five thousand surveys were distributed nationally.

10 Reply paid envelopeswere included to encourage greater response. Four consultants with specific localknowledge and networks within particular areas (across australia ) were identified andcommissioned to distribute surveys widely, collect data and return groups ofcompleted the end of October approximately 3,100 surveys had been came from: (these numbers also include those surveys completed on thephone or the web - see below for details) Rural and Remote School Education8 Total responses by category and state/territory:State/TerritoryParentsSt udentsTeachers& othereducationworkersTOTALSNew South Wales329(36%)298(17%)140(28%)767(25%)Nor thern Territory12(1%)51(3%)33(7%)96(3%)Queensl and133(15%)184(11%)104(21%)421(14%)South Australia125(14%)146(9%)39(8%)310(10%)Ta smania83(9%)525*(31%)72(14%)680(22%)Vict oria90(10%)298*(17%)47(9%)435(14%)Wester n Australia133(15%)205(12%)69(14%)407(13%) (No information onstate/territory)6(<1%)2(<1%)4(<1%)12(< 1%)TOTALS911(29%)1709(55%)508(16%)3128 Some other figures describing the overall response rates are:a)140 ( ) of the respondents described themselves as Aboriginal or TorresStrait Islander:parents: 15(2% of all parents)students.