Rural Education Forum Australia

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Rural Education Forum Australia Drought Policy Review Submission 1

Submission from The Rural Education Forum Australia

Submission Number: 206

Public Submission received by Email to Drought Policy Review 14/08/08:

Submission to the Expert Social Panel Drought Policy Review

Rural Education Forum Australia August 2008

Introduction

The Rural Education Forum Australia welcomes the opportunity to make asubmission to the Expert Social Panel Drought Policy Review.

REFA was formed in 2002 in response to the HREOC Inquiry into Rural and Remote

Education initiated in February 1999.

REFA is a collective of national organisations which represent the consumers and/or

providers of education services in rural and remote Australia- see Appendix 1 for

details.

REFAs vision is quality education and training outcomes in rural and remote areas,

so that individuals, families and communities can develop their full potential in the

social, economic, political and cultural life of the nation.

REFAs work recognises the importance and value of people in rural and remote areasbeing able to realise their full potential in their environment, and the fundamental

importance of education in enabling them to do this.

REFAs work is based on principles of social justice, equity and improved access tothe range of goods, services and entitlements that impact on education or on services

related to education and educational outcomes.

Position Statement

Vibrant and productive rural communities are integral to the long term sustainability

of Australia. History as well as research (see Diamond 2005) tell us that countries

which fail to nurture things which are fundamental to sustainability, like the capacity

to produce sufficient food for the population, make themselves vulnerable in times of

pressure as is currently the case with the prolonged drought conditions.

It is widely acknowledged that rural communities in Australia (Hugo 2000, McSwan

2003, Salt 2005) are experiencing fundamental changes socially, politically,environmentally and economically through loss of population, loss or consolidation of


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services, the impacts of globalisation, climate change, and the harvesting of natural

resources, frequently unsustainably, to feed growth.

A particularly alarming aspect of the changes taking place in rural Australia is the

decline in the number of youth who remain in rural communities beyond school

leaving age.

Youth are usually focussed on the future and represent a key nation building asset.

Hence it is REFAs view that policies and programs that encourage and facilitateyouth- as well as others- to opt into the challenges of nation building are essential.

This is especially the case during periods of drought where rural communities oftenexperience loss of population, depressed economic activity and are frequently on the

receiving end of cuts in vital services like education.

Framing proactive educational policies and programs

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissions National Inquiry into Ruraland Remote Education (2000) posited that education must be available, accessible,

affordable, acceptable and adaptable so that children, youth and others who live andwork in rural and remote contexts can receive the education [required] to participate

to his or her full potential in the social, political and cultural life of the community

(HREOC, 2000, P. 2).

In addition, the Australian Academy of Social Sciences has identified 5 capitals in

relation to sustainability. They are natural, human, social, institutional and produced(Cocklin & Dibden, 2005). Retaining, and indeed in many instances enhancing these

fundamental assets for building community, needs to remain central to any review of

policies in relation to the impact of drought on individuals and their capacities to keep

going when times are tough and it becomes impossible to visualize an end to

depressed circumstances.

Typically, when approaches to economics are based on competitive market forces to

determine which services can be viably run in communities, rural and remote areas-

and therefore the individuals and families who live in them- often miss out.

The critical learning that arises out of this is that when individuals and communitiesare under great pressure is not the time to rationalize and close services to generate

savings and so called efficiencies. Rather the challenge is to be creative in a time ofduress and decline by reconceptualising how vital services- like education and

training- can be retained and even expanded.

Moving to action

The 2020 Summit held earlier this year was charged with generating big ideas to take

Australia forward. REFA is pleased that rural education and training did make it ontothe radar but much remains to be done to move ideas proposed into real action on

the ground. The Expert Social Panel Drought Policy Review provides an idealopportunity to embrace key ideas from the 2020 Summit that will have, if

implemented, a positive impact. They will contribute to reversing what is perceived tobe a deficit view of many rural and remote contexts due to the grip of drought and the


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continued growth of city and big population centre voices in articulating futures for

Australia.

The 2020 Rural Access and Equity Big Idea Paper comprises 11 strategies to progress

improvements. Ten of them are quoted below that REFA endorses and strongly

believes if implemented, would make a significant contribution towards ensuring thatindividuals, families and communities in rural and remote Australia currently living

with the impact of prolonged drought, could play a vital role in the sustainability of

the nation. Perhaps more importantly from the perspective of the individual and basichuman rights, is ensuring that policy settings and subsequent funding, facilitate the

development of education and training services that enable people to pursue theirpotential.

The 10 strategies endorsed by REFA are:

1. National Rural Education Strategy: A national rural education strategy

will provide a collaborative policy framework that embraces early childhoodthrough to adult learning for all remote, rural and regional Australians. Itwill ensure that no rural Australian is left behind, including those fromremote communities, remote properties and those with disabilities. Thestrategy will integrate research such as that recently completed by theNational Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology,and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMMER),and build upon the MCEETYA framework for rural and remote education.

2. Flexible and online learning opportunities: Many rural students cannotaccess educational courses because they are not available (for example,

many rural students are disadvantaged through lack of language courses).For increased rural education opportunities, funding and support isrequired to develop and expand primary, secondary, TAFE and highereducation online courses. This strategy will also encourage rural youngpeople to remain in rural communities to complete their education.

3. Satellite Education Centres with high tech, high speedcommunications: The current shortage of teachers impact highest onremote, rural and regional education. Sending students to cities andregional centres for quality education can disrupt families, depletecommunities of whole generations and add unnecessary financial burden

(however, it must be acknowledged that relocation is, and will continue tobe, necessary for some students to reach their potential and aspirations).This strategy proposes state of the art education centres as the hub oftowns, with the highest quality teachers zoomed in online. Communitieswill be empowered and enabled to seize opportunities. In these centres,teaching would be interactive, innovative, exciting and of the highestquality, while also maintaining the presence of face-to-face teaching.These centres will also encourage those from a metropolitan backgroundto relocate to rural and regional Australia for their studies. Rural ClinicalSchools for medicine students in rural and remote communities are anexample of successful satellite learning, and could be expanded to include

other disciplines within the existing infrastructure. This strategy will alsoprovide additional opportunities within Australias educational export trade.


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4. Non-means tested Youth Allowance and Tertiary Access Allowancefor all rural tertiary students: Many remote, rural and regional youngpeople must relocate to an urban or regional centre for tertiary education,and encounter considerable costs (a recent study estimated expenses of$15,000-$20,000 per year, plus up to $6000 for start-up costs). The

current eligibility criteria for Youth Allowance marginalizes ruralAustralians, is a financial barrier to tertiary education for rural youngpeople, and results in loss of services when whole families move to urbancentres to access education. This strategy removes that financial barrier.All rural young people will be eligible for Youth Allowance if they need toleave home for tertiary education. Rural students will also be eligible for anon-means tested Tertiary Access Allowance for their start-up andrelocation costs. Tertiary education will then be seen as a viable option forall rural young people, and families can remain in rural communities whiletheir children study away from home.

5. Commonwealth Scholarships for TAFE and other post-secondarystudents: Currently, Commonwealth Scholarships are only provided forhigher education students. However, rural young people who leave homefor TAFE and other post-secondary courses encounter the same costs(TAFE students must also pay up-front fees). Extending CommonwealthScholarships for vocation post-secondary students will ensure they canequitably access financial support.

6. Mentoring a Rural Renaissance: A national mentoring program willbridge urban and rural Australia. Rural young people will be linked to ruraland/or urban mentors to learn life skills such as entrepreneurship andcommunity development, emotional intelligence and environmentalstewardship. Rural tertiary students and trainees will have a rural and/orurban mentor to guide career pathways. Rural professionals and business-people will have urban mentors to share information and ideas, and forprofessional development (this program will include rural teachers). Thestrategy will also include a school buddy system that connects rural andurban schools, including opportunities for rural student exchange. Theinitiative will reconnect r ura l and urban Australia, promote ruralcommunities, and empower rural young people to develop relationshipswith their peers outside their immediate community.

7. Funded rural work experience programs: This strategy was developed

within the Strengthening Rural Skills proposal at the 2020 Youth Summit.Rural student placements are expensive and therefore inaccessible formany students. This strategy will involve funded work experience andplacements for secondary and tertiary students to have on-the-job trainingin rural communities. Both urban and rural students will be financiallysupported to access extensive rural placements, and will have theopportunity to understand their career in a rural context. This strategy alsoencourages tertiary education courses to include compulsory ruralplacements. This strategy aims to address the rural skills shortage througheducating students about the career opportunities in rural communities.

8. Waive HECS-HELP debts for rural practitioners: The strategy providesincentives for rural and urban young people to participate in tertiary


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education, and then to bring their skills to a regional, rural or remotecommunity. Rural practitioners will be rewarded for working in the bush. Ascaled model will consider level of remoteness with appropriate years ofservice, and rewards professionals who remain in rural communities forlonger periods. This strategy will recruit and retain a rural population and a

sustainable workforce. It will also ensure that rural Australians have equalaccess to education, health, social care and other services.

9. Indigenous education: We refer to the Indigenous education ideaspresented within the Indigenous stream at the 2020 summit, and proposerecognition that since many Indigenous children live in rural areas, thattheir issues are similarly rural education issues and not necessarilyisolated to Indigenous students only. These ideas include: developing anew education framework to give real choice for Indigenous children to gethigh quality education, including to attend boarding schools or hostels,enabled by a combination of ABSTUDY, private school scholarships and

government funding; encouraging high-performing young professionals towork as teachers alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islandereducators; and other unreported ideas.

10.Other issues for consideration: Due to time constraints, some importantrural education issues were not discussed at the 2020 Summit. Theseinclude: increased funding for regional universities; expanding Assistancefor Isolated Children eligibility to facilitate choice in education for remotechildren; educating rural students with a disability, rural migrant andrefugee peoples, and rural women.

Summary

The well being and productivity of rural communities are inextricably part of thewhole nations sustainability and prosperity. It is critical the Expert Social Panels

review of Drought Policy delivers policy settings and resourcing that will enable

individuals, families and rural communities to look, and act, toward the future with

optimism and a strong sense of being valued as contributors to the national good.

Appendix 1

Rural Education Forum Australia Members

Australasian Association of Distance Education Schools Inc

Australian Council of Deans of Education Australian Council of State Schools Organisations

Australian Education Union

Australian Parents Council

Contact Inc

Country Education Project Inc

Country Women's Association of Australia

Independent Education Union

Independent Schools Council of Australia

Isolated Children's Parents Association (Aust)

National Association for Rural Student Accommodation National Farmers Federation


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National Rural Health Alliance

National Rural Health Network

Remote and Isolated Children's Exercise Inc

Rural and Remote Education Advisory Council (WA)

Rural Skills Australia

Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia

The National Centre of Science, Information and CommunicationsTechnology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia

Uniting Church Frontier Services

References

Alston, M. &Kent, J. (2003)Education access for Australias rural young people; A

case of social exclusion. Australian Journal of Education, Vol 47, No 1, 5-17.

Alston, M. &Kent, J. (2006). The impact of drought on secondary education access in

Australias rural and remote areas. Centre for Rural Social Research, Charles SturtUniversity, Wagga Wagga, Australia.

Ainley, J. (2001). Urban and Rural Differences in Educational Outcomes.Presentation to the Rural Education and Training Workshop, Melbourne.

Cocklin, C. & Dibden, J. (Eds.) (2005). Sustainability and Change in Rural Australia.

Australia: University of New South Wales Press.

Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive. Allen LanePenguin Books, London.

Godden, N. (2007). Youth Allowance and Regional Young People: Access to Tertiary

Education. Centre for Rural Social Research, Charles Sturt University, WaggaWagga.

Hillman, K and Rothman, S. (2007). Movement of Non-metropolitan Youth Towards

Cities. Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne.

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (2000).National Inquiry intoRural and Remote Education. Sydney, Australia.

McSwan, D (2003). The Rural Population Transformation and Education inAustralia.Education in Rural Australia, 13 (2) pp 3 26. Bathurst, NSW: SPERA.

Salt, B. (2004). The Big Shift. Hardie Grant Books, Victoria Australia.

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